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Thread: Mersey Ferry, Royal Iris

  1. #16
    Newbie Gerrysea's Avatar
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    Thanks for that PhilipG. A superb picture of her. I'd already seen it when trawling the web but nice to get a propper copy of it.
    Y'all keep safe & be lucky.

    Gerry.

  2. #17
    Re-member Ged's Avatar
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    From an old pic I found in one of my shoeboxes of many tricks and pics, possibly taken from a calendar or something, I think the Bluecoat press used to do them?
    www.inacityliving.piczo.com/

    Updated weekly with old and new pics.

  3. #18

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    XL31.
    Reading your post I almost had tears in my eyes. Yes like all Liverpudlians who have lived through the sixties and seventies, I too have very fond memories of her. I totally agree it would be great if she could be brought back and refurbished and take the modern generation on cruises once more. But Capitalism has an ugly face and would only respond if there was profit in it. Maybe forming an organisation like the Merseyside Transport Trust would be the way to go, and then look at Heritage value, she would even be good as a floating Casino during the evening and Cruise boat during the day. That would drag in some cash from the tourists during 2008.

  4. #19

    Default Royal Iris III

    Hi, I'm new, Holly, a Wallasey lass living in exile in San Francisco at least until retirement.

    I'm going to take a SWAG (scientifically-based wild-arm guess) that the cost of restoring the Iris is about the same as the cost of building a new vessel as a replica.

    So does anyone know what ship building costs these days? To build a new 1250 gt 160ft x 48ft cruising ferry with twin-screw electrical transmission. Including buff and green paint and the same art deco styling of course:-) Nice picture here:
    http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuil...ship.asp?id=13


    How about the cost of a new New Brighton pier while we are at it?

    I well remember the visiting the engine room of the other Mersey vessel with electrical transmission - the last Pilot ship to remained stationed at the Bar with Mersey Pilots in residence. Gosh that must have been a long time ago because I visited it with my father who died in 1978. Does anyone remember when that vessel was open to the public (shortly after being retired I think)? I especially remember the very impressive electrical transmission.

  5. #20

    Default Royal Iris III costs

    Quote Originally Posted by HollyBlack View Post
    So does anyone know what ship building costs these days? To build a new 1250 gt 160ft x 48ft cruising ferry with twin-screw electrical transmission. Including buff and green paint and the same art deco styling of course:-)
    Well, I did some Internet research, the Royal Iris III cost GBPounds 256,000 in 1950.
    And shipbuilding costs are now almost exactly 20 times what they were then in US dollars. Exchange rate now 2.00, then 2.80.

    So, doing the sums, to buy a new ship, built in 2007 the same as the old Fish and Chip boat would cost roughly 256,000 x 20 x 2.8 / 2.0 or about Seven Million pounds today. Including buff and emerald green paint. :-)

    Sources:
    http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb..../Wallasey.html
    http://www.coltoncompany.com/shipbld...tics/index.htm
    http://www.solarnavigator.net/ventur...d_sterling.htm

  6. #21

    Default Royal Iris Memories

    When I was a young lad In the late 70's & early 80's my old Grandad would take me on the Ferry boat every weekend from Wirral to Liverpool. They were painted green, white & black then with the old 'Merseyside Transport' sign on the Funnel's. On one hot summer sunday (a rarity!) I remember seeing this big blue Ferry going up and down the River with hundreds of people on board it. It looked amazing. I asked my Grandad what it was. He said it was the Royal Iris and promised to take me on it. The next week is was so excited I couldn't wait.

    We got the ferry from Seacombe to the Pier head and there she was at the landing stage waiting for us for our trip to the Mersey Bar & back again! It was another baking hot July day in the Summer Holiday's, the Mersey was like a lake and we got on board the Iris. It wasn't like the other Ferries. Everything was bigger, better and posher! We went to the top deck and sat in between the two air vents that looked like funnels. Grandad sorted us out with a picnic and off we went.

    It was a brilliant day sailing past all the docks and up past Formby, waving at everyone on the beach. I scoffed a load of salmon paste butties from the picnic with chips that Grandad had bought from the cafe on board. We got to the very entrance to the Mersey by Ainsdale and we could see Southport, it was great. We turned around and headed back towards New Brighton. There were huge Container ships that dwarfed us as we passed them and speed boats that were trying to get to the wake from the Iris as we passed Perch Rock. Coming into the Pier Head I didn't want to get off as I'd had such a good time. When we got off, we found out that the ferry that was supposed to take us back to Seacombe had broken down at Woodside. This meant that the Royal Iris had to become the Mersey Ferry for the rest of the day. Brilliant! Back on again we went and over to Seacome on the Iris.

    Grandad used to take me on her all the time in the holidays, I would have been about 8 or 9. After leaving school I was on work experience down in Duke St and I saw The Royal Iris in a dock in Wallasey in the early 90's all rusty and looking a bit sorry for herself. She had been withdrawn from service and was up for sale. I felt a bit sorry as that boat has made so many people happy and is a part of our history and culture over the past 40-50 years. Those fantastic day's I had with my old grandad 20 years ago will live with me forever. Something should be done to restore her and bring her back to Liverpool as although the Manx Man is a wonderful boat, I believe the Royal Iris belongs back home also. I for one would take my kids on it and tell them all about it's history and all the famous groups that have played on it. It could be a perfect attraction once again, with Liverpool enjoying a massive boom in tourism. Please bring the Iris home....

  7. #22
    Senior Member lindylou's Avatar
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    Great description there Paul - brings back memories for me too.

  8. #23
    Senior Member robbo176's Avatar
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    great first post Paul,welcome to Yo Liverpool

    Mandy
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    http://www.bmycharity.com/laurenrobinson please give generously to childrens cancer charity Clic sergent

  9. #24
    elec-trucker Store 3's Avatar
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    Default let,s save it...

    what a great site it would be to see the royal iris returned to the mersey
    can she be saved, i,ve still got the video from granada new,s when she was taken from stanley dock, when the tow rope snapped 3 time,s was that an omen that she did not want to go...
    to see her now is very sad, i have a picture of her as a ...screensaver ..............she would look good in the albert dock as a mersey ferrie,s museum.....come on let,s save her..

  10. #25

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    That footage needs to be on YouTube me old china!!!
    "Good work Raymondo, I'm bumping you back up to DS, only this time make sure it stands for Detective Seargent and not Dog Sh*t..."

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  11. #26
    chippie
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    Paul Jay, lovely story mate. I never did go on board her, saw her many times on the Mersey but not managed a sail. You are a lucky sod. You brought back memories of my dad and uncles and trips on the Mersey. Good luck to you and yours.
    Last edited by chippie; 10-11-2007 at 03:22 PM. Reason: spelling mistake

  12. #27
    Senior Member Waterways's Avatar
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    The Royal Iris. My favourite ship ever of all time of any ship, ever, ever in the world that has ever, ever been for ever. She is gorgeous. Forever gorgeous!!!!

    The Beatles on the Royal Iris:




    With Pete Best the original drummer

    The new Amsterdam at Liverpool?
    Save Liverpool Docks and Waterways - Click

    Deprived of its unique dockland waters Liverpool
    becomes a Venice without canals, just another city, no
    longer of special interest to anyone, least of all the
    tourist. Would we visit a modernised Venice of filled in
    canals to view its modern museum describing
    how it once was?


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  13. #28
    chippie
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    Now Waterways, that,s pretty strong ever ever there. What is her love to you?

  14. #29
    Re-member Ged's Avatar
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    Chippie, it has been said that he would bow down to this fine vessel, he obviously meant it as he was very stern and seeing her again would make him keel over and hit the deck and being without her is like going to hull and back, sorry, i'll go now, i'm acting like an anchor
    www.inacityliving.piczo.com/

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  15. #30
    scouserdave
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    There's a very brief glimpse of the Royal Iris in my 1991 video.

    [YOUTUBE]SUBWy6RnP5I[/YOUTUBE]


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