Wednesday 4^th February 2020

We had a really good day today. HMS Prince of Wales, the latest Royal Naval Aircraft Carrier is in Liverpool and we decided to travel over for a look.

We caught the train to Birkenhead and got off at Hamilton Square. Hamilton Square is close to the Woodside ferry terminal with probably the best views of the Liverpool waterfront and the aircraft carrier could be seen berthed alongside the cruise-ship terminal.

     

                             

                                                               Birkenhead Woodside                                                            

                                                                              Liverpool Waterfront from Birkenhead

I always enjoy visiting Birkenhead. I was born here and although we left when I was 5-years-old, the wider family remained and we visited very frequently. Our first home after being married was in Birkenhead and, while I could not live here now, I always feel I have come home.

We then returned to Hamilton Square Station and took the underground to Liverpool’s James Street Station close to the Pier Head. If I feel as though I have come home whenever I visit Birkenhead, we both regard Liverpool as our spiritual home and have fond memories of the city. Brenda lived here shortly after leaving school, nursing at Lourde’s Hospital, and I sailed into and out of Liverpool many times when I was deep sea and Liverpool docks were a forest of ships masts. Sadly, all gone.

It is fantastic how Liverpool has developed over the last few decades around the city centre and we are very much looking forward to visiting and stopping on the boat. Eventually.

From the underground station, we walked past No. 30 James Street, built as the headquarters for the White Star Line, owners of the Titanic, but also the Liverpool offices of Blue Star Line, where I was interviewed and with whom I served my apprenticeship. Now a Days Inn hotel, it is a splendid building, inside and out.

We walked across the front of the Liverpool ‘3 Graces’, made up of the Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building. The area in front of these is known as the ‘Pier Head’ and it is through this area that part of the Liverpool Link runs, linking the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, through a series of docks, to the Albert Dock complex.

From the Pier Head there were views of the aircraft carrier, but restricted by the ramps of the Isle of Mann Steam Packet ferries. The area close to the carrier was cordoned off and Police Patrol Boats were moving up and down.

We decided to return on the Mersey Ferry as they were steaming down the side of the carrier, albeit at a distance, en-route to Liscard on the opposite side of the river. The ferries used to run a proper ferry service from one side of the river to the other. While there was just the one terminal on the Liverpool side, at the Pier Head, there were many on the Wirral side but now, just two remain at Birkenhead Woodside and Liscard. 

 Mersey Ferry ‘Royal Iris’

Nowadays, the ferries still run a commuter service at peak times, but mainly survive running a triangular river cruise, aimed at tourists rather than commuters and the cruise of course, always starts off with the playing of ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ before the interesting commentary begins.

HMS Prince of Wales at Liverpool

     

There were cracking views of the carrier with the Liverpool skyline behind and up and down the river generally. The carrier did initially appear to be as large overall as was expected, and, although quite low in height, her length and breadth were impressive. Sad though, that Great Britain can afford two aircraft carriers, but we have to then save up for the planes to put on them. Apparently, it will be 2 to 5 years before the aircraft are operational.  

We disembarked at Woodside and had lunch in the ferry terminal before returning to Chester on the train.