64
MERSEYBEAT AND AFTER Philips’ four Mersey ferries were imme- diately at the heart of the “Merseybeat” phenomenon, which by 1963 dominated the Brit- ish charts. Bands like Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Searchers, Billy J Kramer and the Da- kotas and of course the Beatles, became household names, putting Liverpool at the centre of popular culture. Many performed on Mersey ferry
Mountwood and
Snowdrop, previously Woodchurch, in “dazzle” livery. Credit Sosokizzy490 licensed under the terms of the cc-by-4.0.
18 councils. Te two ferry fleets were merged and reduced, as passenger numbers fell. In 1974 Leasowe was sold into
party cruises. In 1964 Gerry and the Pacemakers made “Ferry Cross the Mersey”, in which the band played the title song while on the ferry. Te sequence was filmed on Mountwood with Egremont appearing several times in the background. In 1969 the Merseyside Passenger
Transport Executive was set up, taking over transport services from
Greek ownership, leaving the Mersey for Piraeus, the port of Athens. Egremont was sold in 1976, returning to Devon to serve for many years as the headquarters for the Island Cruising Club at Salcombe. Laid up for some time at Sharpness Docks, Gloucestershire, it seems repairs proved too costly – she is now finally being broken up.
Woodchurch survived, remaining in service in the Mersey, though Woodchurch was laid up for three years from 1980. Aſter major refits, Mountwood was renamed Royal Iris of the Mersey in 2002 and Woodchurch was renamed Snowdrop in 2004. Belying her name, Snowdrop was given new brightly coloured “dazzle”
livery in 2015, designed by pop artist Sir Peter Blake.
Aſter the retirement of Royal
Iris of the Mersey this year, only Snowdrop, now 66 years old, now maintains the connection between the proud traditions of two great rivers, the Dart and the Mersey. © Gail Ham
Interested in finding out more about Dartmouth’s rich history? Come along to one of our meetings – all welcome – or have a look at our website
www.dartmouth-history.org.uk
DHRG
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