In the early 1970s the shipping industry around the world was facing a crisis following competition from new forms of transport, package holidays and the introduction of the giant Boeing 737. People were able to fly across the Atlantic and to Australia in hours and the large ocean liners were soon running at a loss and were laid up. Ian Collard recounts the story of two friends who seized the opportunity to form and develop a cruise line which is now the largest and most successful of its ...

In 1873 a company was formed to construct the first railway across Canada. It soon branched out into shipping, chartering ships from the Cunard Line for service between Vancouver, Yokohama, Shanghai and Hong Kong. In 1889 Canadian Pacific would be awarded the mail contract for the service across the Pacific and, by 1903, they would purchase Elder Dempster & Company and begin sailing from Liverpool to Quebec and Montreal.They obtained control of the Atlantic, rail a...

The Mersey Docks & Harbour Board was created in 1858, becoming a limited company in 1972. There followed a programme of investment in the facilities to be completed and the building of a new dock and terminals at Seaforth, Liverpool and Birkenhead. The carriage of goods in containers changed the way cargo was carried and the type and design of ships using ports around the world. By 2000 new facilities were being developed for the grain and timber trades. The scrap-metal trade took over man...

The first tugs were built at the beginning of the nineteenth century as a result of the development of enclosed docks and the increase in size and power of sea-going vessels. Tugs were needed to assist ships to their berths and to navigate larger vessels into narrow waterways and tight docking areas. Tugs can tow or push vessels and need to be highly manoeuvrable and powerful. It is thought that the first tugboat was the Charlotte Dundas, which was powered by a Watt engine and was employed...

The Port of Liverpool handles more container trade with the United States than any other port in the UK and now also serves more than 100 other non-EU destinations, from China to Africa and the Middle East, and from Australia to South America. Liverpool has been an important port since the seventeenth century, when the city began to import West Indian sugar and Virginian tobacco, exporting Lancashire textiles in return.In Liverpool Docks Through Time, a wide collection of photographs guide...

In this book, Ian Collard uses his collection of rare and previously unpublished images to tell the story of the Irish sea ports located on the River Mersey and River Dee. The history of these ports stretches back hundreds of years. The Mersey Docks & Harbour Board took control in 1858, and a variety of boards and groups have controlled various elements along both the Mersey and Dee ever since. Illustrated profusely throughout, this book tells the fascinating history of these hubs of busin...

In the late 1960s, P&O established ferry services in the North Sea and English Channel. Roll-on/roll-off operations and containerisation were introduced and new ships, facilities and investment was needed to take advantage of developments. What followed was several decades of growth, buyouts and divisions. The twenty-first century saw the closure of several routes as the ferries saw increased competition from low-cost airline and the Channel Tunnel. Throughout this period, P&O attracted a ...

The major company in the short-sea passenger and freight business in 2020 is the Swedish Stena Line, who operate services to Europe, Scandinavia and Ireland from United Kingdom ports. The company was founded in 1962 by Sten A. Olsson in Gothenburg, Sweden, and was one of the first ferry operators in Europe to introduce a computer-based reservation system. In the 1980s, Stena took over three other ferry companies and their ships. Various other acquisitions followed, including the Harwich to...

Situated on the Wirral Peninsula, across the River Mersey from Liverpool, is the town of Birkenhead. It can trace its origins back to the twelfth century when a Benedictine priory and Mersey ferry were established here. Later, as a result of the Industrial Revolution, it expanded and prospered with the shipbuilders Cammell Laird, the docks and the Mersey Railway connecting Birkenhead and Liverpool. The town was the location for Britain’s first street tramway and the world’s first publicly ...

Wallasey History Tour offers a fascinating glimpse into the past of this town on the Wirral Peninsula. Local author Ian Collard guides readers around its streets and buildings, showing how its famous landmarks used to look and how they have changed across the centuries, as well as exploring some of its lesser-known sights and hidden corners. This pocket-sized guide reveals how the town has altered and highlights the way of life for past generations. With the help of a handy location map, r...

The County Borough of Wallasey, on the Wirral Penninsula, is famous as a seaside town. From the mid-nineteenth century, James Atherton's 'New Brighton' became a popular leisure resort, with visitors arriving on every ferry. It was adorned by magnificent structures such as the tower and ballroom, pier and promenades. The tower itself, tallest in the country and 100 feet higher than that at Blackpool, once visible all over Merseyside, has now vanished, along with the ballroom and the hoards ...

Wallasey Through Time is a unique insight into the illustrious history of this part of the country. Reproduced in full colour, this is an exciting examination of Wallasey, the famous streets and the famous faces, and what they meant to the people of this area throughout the 19th and into the 20th Century. Looking beyond the exquisite exterior of these well-kept photos, readers can see the historical context in which they are set, and through the author's factual captions for every picture,...