Ferries Across The Mersey - DVD presentation of bygone River Mersey Ferry Boats

This 47 minute DVD presentation looks back at the golden age of ferry boats crossing the famous River Mersey and its estuary with the Irish Sea in the north west of England, U.K. Including rare photograph images of the Liverpool peir head now brought to life with delicate colour and sounds of the day. The DVD is narrated throughout explaining what is being shown in each image. The DVD charts the history of the famous Mersey Ferries from 1870's to 1930's. Chapters include views of Egremont, Seacombe, Woodside, St George's and New Brighton landing stages. Ferries Across the Mersey is a must have DVD for anyone with an interest in shipping and ferries on the River Mersey or in general.

In the in the 1890's the Birkenhead and Wallasey Corporations began to replace their ageing paddle steamers with new twin screw vessels that were faster and provided the passengers with much better accommodation. During the First World War, the Iris and Daffodil became famous after taking part in the raid on Zeebrugge in April 1918. Later both ferryboats were given the prefix Royal, for their part in this action.

The first purpose-built luggage boat to carry vehicles was the Oxton which came into service on the Woodside to Liverpool crossing in 1879, followed by the Bebington and Tranmere. The Birkenhead Corporation added a further luggage boat to its fleet in 1907, with the Prenton. After the First World War the Barnston and Churton, two larger boats came into service in 1921. From the early 1900's the Seacombe luggage boat service was maintained by the Wallasey and the Seacombe. The two steamers were in use until after the First World War. In 1921 the Leasowe and the Liscard were both commissioned for the Seacombe to Liverpool service. The Wallasey was withdrawn from service in 1925 and the Seacombe in 1929.

Throughout the 1920’s and 30’s the numbers of passengers using the Wirral's, Woodside and Seacombe services steadily increased. During the same period the ferries began to replace the first generation of screw driven steamers that came into service in the 1890's with larger vessels, many of which took the names of the vessels they replaced. During the Second World War the Royal Daffodil II, was the only ferryboat to suffer any serious damage, when she was sunk by a German bomb as the vessel lay alongside the Seacombe Landing Stage on the 8^th May 1941.

	Ferries Across The Mersey
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ The 47 minute DVD Contains Eight Chapters ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬