MV Royal Iris 2023 on the River Thames
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- In this video i payed a visit Woolwich to see the Royal Iris, she is rotting away on the Thames and is a very sad sight to see.
The MV Royal Iris is a twin screw, diesel-electric, Mersey Ferry. The vessel was built by William Denny & Brothers of Dumbarton (Yard No. 1448) and launched in December 1950, costing £256,000.
The ship measured 1,234 GT. Length is 159 feet long and 48 feet wide, with a draught of 9 feet. At least during the first decade of its life, the ship's diesel-electric propulsion made it more economical to run than the other vessels in the fleet.
Career in service
Royal Iris ran the trials on the Skelmorlie Mile on the River Clyde on 24 April 1951. Arriving in the River Mersey on 28 April 1951, it was initially owned and operated by Wallasey Corporation and carried the borough coat of arms on the front of the superstructure. Upon entering service on 5 May 1951, it was licensed to carry 2,296 passengers on normal ferry duties, or 1,000 for cruising. Originally painted in a green and cream livery, the ship was distinctive in having a forward dummy funnel near the bridge and two exhaust stacks amidships, on both sides. Onboard amenities included a dancefloor and stage, tea room, buffet, cocktail bar, even a fish and chip saloon. The latter likely affording Royal Iris the nickname "the fish and chip boat".
On Friday 7 September 1951 the battleship HMS Duke of York was under tow on way to being broken up at Gareloch when she collided with Royal Iris off Gladstone Dock. Royal Iris was temporarily out of control and the floodtide carried it against the warship. The ferry was approaching the end of a cruise organised by the Amalgamated Engineering Union. Some people were hospitalised as a result of the accident.
During the 1960s numerous acts associated with the Merseybeat scene performed on the ferry. Duke Duval played on the first Cavern Cruise, followed by The Beatles and Gerry & The Pacemakers. Paul McCartney referenced performing with the Beatles on the ferry in his song "That Was Me"
Later years
Royal Iris transferred to the combined fleet of the newly formed Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive on 1 December 1969, which consisted of seven vessels.
Whilst docked for the annual survey on 12 January 1975, a fire broke out in the engine room, causing extensive electrical damage.
On 21 June 1977, Royal Iris carried Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh on their Silver Jubilee Mersey Review.
The ship was used by Granada Television during the summer of 1980 as the setting for the ITV Saturday morning children's television series The Mersey Pirate. For this purpose, a dome structure was built on the promenade deck of the vessel.
During 1984 Royal Iris and the other three Mersey Ferries received the red, white and blue livery to mark the 1984 International Garden Festival at Otterspool. In April and May 1985 the vessel left Liverpool Bay for the first time since the delivery from Scotland. It was sent on a 1500-mile round trip to London on a publicity drive for Merseyside, sailing around Land's End, up the River Thames and under Tower Bridge, docking adjacent to HMS Belfast.
During the early 1990s, funding was found to allow Mountwood, Woodchurch and Overchurch an extensive refurbishment, which included provision for cruising duties. The ageing Royal Iris, the last ex-Wallasey vessel, was considered surplus to requirements because of the cost of bringing it up to modern standards after a major survey. On 21 April 1991, the boat was granted a one-day licence from the Department of Transport to carry 600 people on a cruise to mark the 73rd Anniversary of the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918. On 16 August 1991, it was placed in the hands of shipbrokers SC Chambers Limited of Liverpool for an asking price of £100,000.
In November 1991, it was sold to a consortium for conversion into a floating nightclub, restaurant and conference centre, based in Liverpool under the name of 'Mr Smith's Nightclub'. It was delivered to the Stanley Dock complex in early 1992 to begin a new life on Merseyside and was subsequently painted Bright Blue with a red band around the top deck windows.
Leaving of Liverpool
On Saturday, 7 August 1993, the Liverpool Echo carried front page news that Royal Iris had been sold to Hertfordshire-based Parkway Leisure who had the intention of turning it into a floating nightspot in Cardiff, spending £300,000 on refurbishments. On Wednesday 10 August 1993, the Royal Iris was removed from Stanley Dock. In a two-hour operation it broke free from the tow line and smashed into the dock wall twice. Royal Iris finally left the River Mersey for the last time, under tow, on the morning of Thursday 12 August 1993, after being towed to the Pier Head for a final goodbye.
The move to London
In 2002 the vessel was towed to a berth on the River Thames near Woolwich, awaiting a possible refit as a floating nightclub.
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This should be brought back to Liverpool and Cammel Lairds should restore it by having the apprentices serve their time on it learning valuable hands on tradditional ship building skills
I sailed on this as part of the Garden Festival ferry service from the Pier Head to the landing stage at Otterspool promenade.
Very sad to see her in this condition but she is beyond economic repair.
Only a millionaire with more money than sense would attempt to save this iconic vessel, but that's never going to happen. Especially as the current owner won't sell her for some reason.
I remember that boat in its pomp in the 60’s/70’s it can’t be allowed to rot 300 miles from home
It’s too late now, time and tide have taken their toll.
Thank's Paul for all your hard work bringing all your vieos for us all to see, great memories of the ship, it looks in quite qood shape considering how long it's been laid up, a shot blast back to the bere metal and a good paint job would proberbly save her.
Am afraid its past that now, everytime the tide comes in it covers half her bottom with a big hole in the hull
It's a Sad Sight. But, as you say, Time and Tide wait for no man (or Vessel)...@@rhowell1978
My eyes fill seeing her like this,it’s so wrong. Who owned her now Paul ?
One of the old Solent paddle steamers has been rotting away up the Medina on the Isle of Wight for years now. It is so rusty that it would have little scrap value but would cost a fortune to get rid of.
I remember ferryboat trips to New Brighton on bank holidays in the 1960s, and we must have sailed on her. It's so sad.
I can only assume that the cost of moving or scrapping her is far greater than the mooring fees. But you would think the local council there or whoever is responsible for that part of the river would take action!
Very sad sight. We used to see her in the Sixties crossing between the Pier Head and Seacombe and cruises on the Mersey. The current owners should be made to do something with her.
We had many great nights out on board The Royal Iris in the late 1980's
Student "Booze Cruises" up and down The Mersey.
We thought we'd arrived...
Happy times !
The Royal Iris needs to be floated and towed up to Liverpool, restore her, and moor her in Canning or Salthouse Dock as a function space or restaurant.
So sad!! Met my wife at an after Mersey River Swim party on the Iris, 29th June 1990.
How very very sad.
Why can't we bring it back to the Mersey, surely someone must see a good investment
its past saving now i recon. shame
What would we do with it? Put it next to the Bronington in Birkenhead or sell it for scrap like Onyx, Plymouth etc? Come on.. if you want it saved then Merseyside is the LAST place you want it - were too thick up here to do anything like that. We let the WW2 landing craft sink, it's on display at Portsmouth now taking in millions. Wirral could have done that but they would rather build cycle lanes that nobody uses.
Restore it or scrap it, but don't let it sit there and rust away until there is nothing left.
restoration is long gone now sad to say
@@veryhighguy I'm probably naïve, but I feel like something could be done to save it.
How was this allowed to happen?
Of all the Mersey ferries, The Royal Iris was the most iconic.
I suppose its too late for the old girl, but we live in a time where anything is possible.
I danced on iris we need to brig her home,what can we do😩
You would think that Paul McCartney would help to restore her with all his money, but he cannot take it with him when he goes and it would be a fitting memorial to him and his fellow bandmates,
The trouble is that would cost millions, and with all the poverty on Merseyside there would be much better ways to spend that money.
Sold 33 years ago. Wonder who owns it now and if it has been abandoned. Is anyone paying the mooring fees. Agree she is a complete wreck that would probably cost a small fortune just to make water tight to float off to a scrap yard. Nice effort and documentation of an ex legend.
owner is a James Jegede, he refuses to let it go for some crazy reason
@@veryhighguy Going off who that guy is, he probably had the intention of turning it in to a nightclub but he has been the director of a good few dissolved companies. More than likely paid over the odds for the ferry then the market collapsed and he was left with a vessel that needed hundreds of thousands spending on it but was actually worth peanuts so abandoned it, waiting for the price of scrap metal to pick up. Something which scrap metal never has done.
It is now beyond economic repair and the cost to remove it would far outweigh its scrap market value, so she will sit there until the day she rots away.
@@mrlister2000 yeah your probably right or it becomes a real danger. I think the plan was to do something with her, it became some sort of leisure place for a short time, paint ball I think.
OMG PLEASE PLEASE SAVE IT SOMEBODY!!! TOO MUCH IS LOST AND PULLED DOWN IN THE UK!!!! Sir Paul, Sir Ringo, Buy it Get it restored same some Liverpool and Beatles History!!! What do you say guys!!!!?
There are other videos of this vessel here on youtube, although there is a fair interest in it l think that there is not enough to generate money to restore. Turning it into a floating disco as an example would only mean that it is 'floating disco', the users would not be interested in the history. I have no idea what kind of money is required but to restore it and park it for people to view it would never generate enough revenue to pay maintenance and wages for staff. It was famous to many people in a specific area of the UK and most that actually travelled on it have passed on. It is also surprising that PLA have allowed it to stay there so long because it has been an eyesore for a number of years.
yeah i know what you mean, it should of come back years ago but its to late now. i only went to see her because i grew up with her on the Merey and wanted to see with my own eyes.
Shamefull to leave such an iconic boat languishing like this
Completely agree specially when so many want her back sailing
It's shameful it should look like this.
Great times on the Iris ..discos in the 80s .girlfriend upstairs and a girlfriend on the lower deck lol 😆 🤣 🙃 😂
Hey Everyone I appeal to you, your Heart your Love for The Beatles & their Special magic they created and still do. Here's an idea & i don' t mind helping out where i can.
How about if all the Beatles fans throughout the world all donated just a £1, i'm sure enough could be raised to get her bought transported restored and working on the sea again. Call it a crazy idea but hey crazy things get done and achieved too! What does everyone think? Anyone willing to get on board and try and make this happen? Best Dave aged 60 Huge Beatles Fan Uk.
i agree with you but its failed many times in the past to be rescued. i think the person that owns it just will not let it go. there are some reasons iv heard why but not going in to it on here
There are enough rich liverpudlian celebs GET HER HOME!!!
The vessel looks Too far gone ,especially in this current economic environment. Will cost far too much money , even if money was available to save her.
Yeah it is to far gone now bar a full re built with every deep pockets
I was working on the River when she came They had big plans for her and she looked lovely. Then she sank and left to Rot Shame Liverpool doesn’t Want it back it’s part of their City’s history 😢
We have wanted her back on the Mersey for years but the owner refuses to let her go
Putin needs sinkable ferries to protect the Kerch bridge...