Tag Archive

March 2025 The March meeting started with the branch AGM, followed by a DVD  about FERRIES ACROSS THE MERSEY in the period 1901 to 1996. The show included some rare 1901 film and onward, featured film of ferries in stormy weather, visits to the bridge and  engine room. Earlier tugs were illustrated either by photos or diagrams and all accompanied …

February 2025 The Presentation for the February meeting was a digitised Slide Show loaned from the WSS collection. The show was an excellent  series of slides taken in the Port of Vancouver in the 1990’s  (CD7). It started with a few general views of Vancouver to familiarise the viewer with the area. It then followed on with a selection of …

January 2025 Bedford kicked off 2025 programme with two films from Dave Menzies’ collection both filmed in Liverpool and Birkenhead. The films seen were Mersey Memories No1 and Snowbow Great Liners No 26. Both films  looking at sailings from  Liverpool. Reviewing the ships   providing these services from companies such as Cunard Lines, Cunard White Star Lines, Pacific Steam Navigation as …

December For our December meeting, Member Alan Pepper presented pictures recently scanned from his family collection. Starting with a visit to New York to see the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Centre in 1980, from which views of the Hudson and East Rivers were seen and where the liners DORIC and OCEANIC were identified by our experienced audience. …

November Bedford welcomed Bill Mayes back  for our November meeting with his latest presentation  on his travels undertaken in 2023. Time on the water covered ferries and cruise ships,   covering  journeys  on the North Sea, Western Mediterranean and Atlantic.  Cruise Ships travelled on were AURORA, WORLD EUROPA, RESILANT LADY , MSC EXPLORA I and SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY plus numerous ferries. An …

October 2024 The October presentation by Don McKeand started with a brief look at the ships used in the earliest days of Antarctic exploration by Cook and James Clark Ross. Then the advent of steam with ships used by Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen and other explorers of the “heroic age”. Between the wars the need for sail assistance declined. Ships were …

September The September presentation given by member Edward Parry  was somewhat different to the normal detailed ship reviews – it was a selection of video clips which covered many aspects of the merchant navy from years ago port ports from around the world.. In brief these  included •Liverpool Sea School training cadets in 1964(Blue Funnel line)  •OCL Containership Ships – …

August 2024 For our August meeting Alan Moorhouse gave his latest presentation Voyagers across the Seas a selection of 90 ships seen in European and North American seas and ports. Vessels seen, in crisp images, included a wide variety of ships   from  Tugs  to Tankers with many of his main interest Cruise Ships. Included in the show were images taken …

July 2024 Recovering from health issues by the sea Jim Charnock  was unable to make his annual visit to Bedford in July. His place was taken by Alan Moorhouse who up to his teens  lived at Timperley within walking distance of Jim. They both enjoyed viewing ships on the Manchester Ship Canal at  the same area but never meet in …

May 2024 Michael Galley gave an insight into the world of international shipbreaking  at his presentation  for the May meeting. Staring with an overview of the history world shipbreaking  then concentration on the main sites currently breaking up ships. In India and Pakistan  ships are run ashore on gently sloping sand tidal beaches at high tide so that they can …