Interesting Local Facts.

[Kev]

I enjoy these little-known facts. keep 'em coming

[Paul D]

I do myself Kev,sometimes you just spot something like this and I think a thread like this helps to keep them all in one place for easy access.Some are more interesting than others but what this thread will eventually show is there's more to Liverpool than meets the eye.

[Waterways]

The Royal Navy battleship "The Prince of Wales" was adopted by the city of Liverpool whos citizens had raised the full building cost of £10 Million-a staggering £280 Million in todays money.

The ship was built at Cammell Lairds between 1937/41 was with HMS Hood when when the ship was sunk by the enemy battleship "Bismarck" off Iceland in May.

During the action,two shells from The Prince of Wales damaged the Bismarcks fuel tanks.This caused a large oil slick which led to the German warship being hunted down and sunk.

On December 8th The Prince of Wales left Singapore with 4 destroyers but with no air cover,two days later it was attacked and sunk.Although the ship is now a designated war grave,it was feared the bell might be stolen by unauthorised divers,the bell from the Prince of Wales in on display at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

A Liverpool link to the sinking of the Legendary Bismarck.

The ship was pushed into to service because of the Bismarck and went into battle with some Lairds fitters on board. The Bismarck also hit the PoW.

[Paul D]

Thanks for the additional information John.

[Waterways]

Thanks for the additional information John.

"At the time of the declaration of war the Prince of Wales was fitting out in Liverpool. The ship was damaged in August 1940 during the Liverpool Blitz. She suffered one near miss that exploded between her port side and the wall of the basin in which she lay, severely buckling and springing her outer plates in this area. "

"Shortly after her commissioning, Prince of Wales joined HMS Hood in stalking and attacking the German battleship Bismarck and the accompanying heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen. The Prince of Wales sailed with civilian technicians still aboard. "

"The Germans shifted fire to Prince of Wales, making three 15" and four 8" hits that seriously damaged the British ship. She was troubled throughout the action by gun functioning problems, but still managed to hit Bismarck with three shells before her own damage forced her to turn away and break off the battle. One of the three British 14" projectiles hit Bismarck's hull forward, flooding some of the German ship's bow compartments. Another hit low and amidships, bringing more water into the ship."

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/e...41/bismk-c.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Prince_of_Wales_(1939)

[Paul D]

"Anyone Who Had a Heart." had already been a hit for Dionne Warwick, but Cilla's version shot to #1 in Britain and remains the biggest selling single by a female artist in the history of British popular music.

I know she gets ****ged off a lot but I like this about her if nothing else,this can be added to us having the first female to hit the number 1 spot Lita Rosa,the most number 1's for any city in the World which was featured in the Guiness book of records,the country's no 1 rock n roll star Billy Fury,the first and only act to occupy the top 5 positions of the American charts The Beatles,Never before had the first three debut singles by a performer all reached the top spot until Gerry and the Pacemakers managed it(the feat would not be duplicated until Frankie Goes To Hollywood did it in the 1980s,the biggest black act of the 70's the Real Thing and Merseybeat being responsible for changing popular culture and introducing Britsh bands to the lucrative American market for the first time,we rock.

[Waterways]

"Anyone Who Had a Heart." had already been a hit for Dionne Warwick,

It hadn't. It never charted.

but Cilla's version shot to #1 in Britain and remains the biggest selling single by a female artist in the history of British popular music.

I know she gets ****ged off a lot but I like this about her if nothing else.

[Paul D]

It hadn't. It never charted.

Blame the site I copy and pasted that info off John not me.

[Waterways]

Blame the site I copy and pasted that info off John not me.

http://www.everyhit.com/

[ChrisGeorge]

The situation as I understand it is that "Anyone Who Had a Heart" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David had already been a hit for Dionne Warwick in the United States, but Cilla Black covered it in the United Kingdom, as often happened in those days, British artists recording a hit by an American recording artist. As noted, Cilla's version shot to #1 in Britain.

Chris

[Max]

Interesting fact is that Kev is really from Wavertree being born in the old hospital that is now Asda.

[john]

The situation as I understand it is that "Anyone Who Had a Heart" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David had already been a hit for Dionne Warwick in the United States, but Cilla Black covered it in the United Kingdom, as often happened in those days, British artists recording a hit by an American recording artist. As noted, Cilla's version shot to #1 in Britain.

Chris

Sounds right that CG

[Waterways]

Yep. Dionne Warwick had success in the United States, but wasn't released here. Most people had never heard of the Dionne Warwick's version.

Cilla Black had a hit with That Lovin Feelin and it charted at the same time as the Righteous Brothers version. Both in the top 5 I think at the same time.

[lindylou]

Dionne Warwick was peeved about it. You can't blame her.

[PhilipG]

Dionne Warwick was peeved about it. You can't blame her.

Dionne Warwick's voice is one of the all-time greats.