Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Royal Iris and Royal Daffodil

How can she sink? I was wondering as she just sits on the mud anyway most of the day, would like to know more about this

Its got a hole ... (or in correct English ... She's got a hole)

Clicky

From thread

Here

Hi all I am new here. I have just spoken to a friend of mine who works on the Thames barrier control, he informs me that she has not sank she is taking on water in her aft peak every high tide. As sallybear say's she can't sink she is sat on the mud. However they have tried to contact the owner Mr James Jegede but no contact has been made. It seems Mr Jegede has very little interest in such an important part of our heritage.

So what's with the fire and searching for bodies??

Hi, ive taken a bit of stick for reporting this - this is the info I have received from people in London (im in wallasey so obviously am working on passed on information). The below is cut & pasted from another forum where the same information was posted, Someone there thought I shoulve made clear it was the old royal iris and not the current royal iris (of the mersey)..

as reported on another forum (ship nostalgia), she was taking on water yesterday morning with a hole, (starboard quarter i think). Last night, i received the above two messages... I have since spoken to the source who is a serving London Firefighter. Whilst he was off duty last night, he was teaching ship-bourne firefighting on board a ship on the other side of the thames (not mersey). He and one of the fellow instructors noticed that the Royal Iris (no longer of the mersey), was sinking in the high tide. As they watched, around 10 blue light vehicles arrived near the Royal Iris berth and a further 4 appliances arrived next to the ship where they were instructing. When my friend asked what was happening, they were told by the crew commander in charge, that they had been sent to search for bodies on this side of the thames. It would seem to me (my opinion at the moment) that the LFB have treated this as a ferry sinking and inline with a previous major incident on the thames, they swung into action.

Now, I thought that the information would be interesting to not only ship enthusiasts, but also locals - as you may read in the other forum, there are a lot of people with fond memories of the iris (not of the mersey!). If you go on yahoo groups and look for London FIre Brigade, you may be able to find the original messages as posted above - I have since learnt the rest of the facts from a phonecall to a serving London Firefighter.

If anyone has any more questions, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer
regards
Barry

latest messages from yahoo groups London Fire Brigade

Chris,
Found this, i know Fireboat was required to attend, due to Cylinders at request of River police, No persons where involved those.

http://www.celticseashipping.co.uk/photofe...sthames0806.htm

--- In london_fire_brigade@yahoogroups.com, "Chris Tunstall" <chriscmsrf@...> wrote:
>
>
> This not just yer ordinary Mersey Ferry ...... No, this is the one and only Royal Iris, the only surviving (or is it now?), Wallasey Corporation ferry boat.
>
> It is a shame it has got to this state, any more news appreciated by the locals.
>
> Chris
>
>
>
>
> --- In london_fire_brigade@yahoogroups.com, RANDYGROWLER@ wrote:
> >
> > Hi Bob, just a derelict ex-Mersey ferry that has been moored there for
> > years and has been on the bottom for sometime it appeared to be sinking as the
> > high tide had been swamping it a little more than normal and this had been
> > noticed by a passing vessel !
> >
>

a couple of pics taken in the last few days of the iris at high tide listing to starbored.

how she should sit at high water.

In better times......wouldn't this part of merseyside's maritime history have been able to find a home at the maritime museum........a waste and a loss...again..not realised until it's too late and gone.

The inside is a complete mess now.



Andy this is what you call an expensive washing line.

Probably the best thing that could have happened to this awful looking vessel.

I posted these in the wrong thread before so I will try again in the correct one.

Here is a couple of shots I took of the royal Daffodil and Royal iris in the same place but at different times.

THE ROYAL IRIS ON HER VISIT TO THE THAMES IN 1985 TO PROMOTE MERSEYSIDE.

Im proper gutted that this boat isnt coming back home.

It saddens me that Liverpool Council or Wirral council cant get there act together.

What a waste of N.West history and heritage.

Re: the pic of her listing to starboard. From the angle of the rust stains running down the superstructure, she's been listing for quite a while. Maybe just the angle of the mud she sits on at low water.

Got to be honest here, I always thought it was an ugly, hideous vessel. Designed by a naval architect who had obviously been on the cooking sherry. HOWEVER... it's still sad to see her in this sorry state. The gas axe looms I'm sure.

Why the heck couldn't someone have saved one of the REAL ferries ? Bidston, Claughton, Upton, Hinderton etc. That would have been something. Gift of hindsight ?????

Well, I do tend to agree Pinzgauer - she's not the most attractive ever built is she?, However, she is iconic, and such a part of Merseyside history, both Maritime and Social. Why have the authorities got such an aversion to preserving the transport of the 50's and 60's? (As an aside, the last class 503 underground unit, although 'preserved' is, I think, rotting away and vandalised in the open air in Coventry). Maybe in years to come, her loss will be regarded as the same as the loss of the Overhead?

Then again, why is everyone saying how sad, what a shame, and she's never coming back? The boat still exists, and while it does, is it ever too late? I dunno....

I think if it going to be saved, people need to get together - its being discussed on other foums too:

Clicky

People can do it; the brand new steam locomotive Tornado started as a pipe dream 19 years ago, and now, £3m pounds later is built and is superb. The initial money was raised via covenants 'for the price if a pint a week' - could something similar be done for 'Iris'?

How about 'for the price of a chip supper'?

What is sad is that we can preserve what Mersyside hated (a German U-Boat), but not what Merseyside loved (the Royal Iris). Does my head in.

Just my thoughts... sorry if it's all too naive.

Billy.