MV Royal Iris
Encyclopedia
The MV Royal Iris is a twin screw, diesel-electric, former Mersey Ferry
. The vessel was built by William Denny & Brothers of Dumbarton (Yard No. 1448) and launched in December 1950, costing £256,000.
Her engines were produced by Ruston & Hornsby Metropolitan-Vickers
. Propulsion: 4 oil 4SA, each six cylinders
driving four generator
s, each 300 kW/300v DC-connected to two electric motors, each 730shp and 2 shafts. Her maximum speed is 12 knots. Her weight is 1,234 gross tonnes. She is 159 feet long and 48 feet wide, with a draught of 9 feet.
At least during the first decade of her life, the ship's diesel-electric propulsion made her more economical to run than the other vessels in the fleet.
on 24 April 1951. Arriving in the River Mersey
on 28 April 1951, she was initially owned and operated by Wallasey Corporation
and carried the Borough coat of arms on the front of her superstructure. Upon entering service on 5 May 1951, she 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 her 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 the Royal Iris the nickname "the fish and chip boat".
On Friday 7 September 1951 the battleship HMS Duke of York
was under tow on her way to being broken up at Gareloch
when she collided with the Royal Iris off Gladstone Dock
. The Royal Iris was temporarily out of control and the floodtide carried her 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, such as The Beatles
and Gerry & The Pacemakers
.
on 1 December 1969, which consisted of seven vessels.
Despite an ongoing financial debt against the Royal Iris from when she was built, capital was made available to refit her at the Harland and Wolff
in Bootle in 1971-72. Sporting a new blue and white livery, she was subsequently used, almost exclusively, as a cruise vessel. A sum of £68,000 was also provided for a new steak bar and dining area, replacing the original fish and ship saloon. Up until this refit, she had carried two side slung lifeboats on davit
s which were removed leaving just a single lifeboat slung from the stern.
Whilst docked for her annual survey on 12 January 1975, a fire broke out in her engine room, causing extensive electrical damage.
On 21 June 1977, the Royal Iris carried Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on their Silver Jubilee
Mersey Review.
The ship was used by Granada Television
during the summer of 1979 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 the 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 her delivery from Scotland. She 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
.
, 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 due to the fact she had a major survey due and the great cost of bringing her up to modern standards. Over the passing years she had become noticeably slower and a lot more expensive to maintain.
The Royal Iris ran a farewell evening cruise on the 12 January 1991, prior to being taken out of service and laid up awaiting confirmation of her fate. On 21 April 1991, she 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 the 16 August 1991, she was placed in the hands of shipbrokers SC Chambers Limited of Liverpool for an asking price of £100,000.
In November 1991, she 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'. She was delivered to the Stanley Dock
complex in early 1992 to begin her new life on Merseyside and was subsequently painted Bright Blue with a red band around the top deck windows.
carried front page news that the Royal Iris had been sold to Hertfordshire-based Parkway Leisure who had the intention of turning her 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 she broke free from her tow line and smashed into the dock wall twice. The 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.
On Wednesday 10 August 1994, it was reported that a planning proposal regarding the use of the vessel had been rejected by Cardiff Council. No work had been carried out on the vessel in the preceding 12 months and berthing charges had not been paid. A spokesman for her new owners, Parkway Leisure, reported that they were 'open to offers'.
In January 1996, it was reported that a business consortium from Liverpool were in talks to bring the Royal Iris back to the Mersey and make her seaworthy again. The consortium were considering applying for National Lottery funding and launching a £1-a-head public subscription fundraising campaign. This venture ultimately did not come to fruition.
near Woolwich, awaiting a possible refit as a floating nightclub.
On Saturday, 6 February 2010, it was reported that Police and the RNLI
had been called out to her berth on the River Thames, near Woolwich, after a passing vessel noticed she had taken on water up to her passenger deck. At the present time, it is unclear how long she has been in this state. There was evidence found to suggest that squatters had been living on board. Also found on board were various items of drug paraphernalia.
businessman who wishes to buy her.
On Thursday, 4 March 2010, the Liverpool Echo carried an article about an online petition to have her returned to Merseyside
On Tuesday, 9 March 2010, James Jegede, the current owner of the Royal Iris, spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside
about his plans for her.
Mersey Ferry
The Mersey Ferry is a ferry service operating on the River Mersey in north west England, between Liverpool and the Wirral Peninsula. Ferries have been used on this route since at least the 12th century, and continue to be popular for both local people and visitors.The current fleet consists of...
. The vessel was built by William Denny & Brothers of Dumbarton (Yard No. 1448) and launched in December 1950, costing £256,000.
Her engines were produced by Ruston & Hornsby Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers
Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, they were particularly well known for their industrial electrical equipment such as generators, steam...
. Propulsion: 4 oil 4SA, each six cylinders
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
driving four generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s, each 300 kW/300v DC-connected to two electric motors, each 730shp and 2 shafts. Her maximum speed is 12 knots. Her weight is 1,234 gross tonnes. She is 159 feet long and 48 feet wide, with a draught of 9 feet.
At least during the first decade of her life, the ship's diesel-electric propulsion made her more economical to run than the other vessels in the fleet.
Career in service
The Royal Iris ran her trials on the Skelmorlie Mile on the River ClydeRiver Clyde
The River Clyde is a major river in Scotland. It is the ninth longest river in the United Kingdom, and the third longest in Scotland. Flowing through the major city of Glasgow, it was an important river for shipbuilding and trade in the British Empire....
on 24 April 1951. Arriving in the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
on 28 April 1951, she was initially owned and operated by Wallasey Corporation
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
and carried the Borough coat of arms on the front of her superstructure. Upon entering service on 5 May 1951, she was licensed to carry 2,296 passengers on normal ferry duties, or 1,000 for cruising.
Originally painted in a green and cream livery
Livery
A livery is a uniform, insignia or symbol adorning, in a non-military context, a person, an object or a vehicle that denotes a relationship between the wearer of the livery and an individual or corporate body. Often, elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or corporate body feature in...
, the ship was distinctive in having a forward dummy funnel near her 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 the Royal Iris the nickname "the fish and chip boat".
On Friday 7 September 1951 the battleship HMS Duke of York
HMS Duke of York (17)
HMS Duke of York was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy. Laid down in May 1937, the ship was constructed by John Brown and Company at Clydebank, Scotland, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 4 November 1941, subsequently seeing service during the Second World War.In...
was under tow on her way to being broken up at Gareloch
Gare Loch
The Gare Loch or Gareloch is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland.-Geography:A sea loch aligned north-south, Gare Loch is 10 kilometres long with an average width of 1.5 kilometres. At its southern end it opens into the Firth of Clyde through the Rhu narrows...
when she collided with the Royal Iris off Gladstone Dock
Gladstone Dock
Gladstone Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the northern dock system in Bootle. The dock is connected to the Royal Seaforth Dock to the north and what remains of Hornby Dock to the south...
. The Royal Iris was temporarily out of control and the floodtide carried her against the warship. The ferry was approaching the end of a cruise organised by the Amalgamated Engineering Union
Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union
The Amalgamated Engineering and Electrical Union was a British trade union. It merged with the MSF to form Amicus in 2001.The history of the union can be traced back to the formation of the "Old Mechanics" of 1826, which grew into the Amalgamated Society of Engineers in 1851...
. Some people were hospitalised as a result of the accident.
During the 1960s numerous acts associated with the Merseybeat
Beat music
Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s. Beat music is a fusion of rock and roll, doo wop, skiffle, R&B and soul...
scene performed on the ferry, such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and Gerry & The Pacemakers
Gerry & the Pacemakers
Gerry and the Pacemakers were a British beat music group prominent during the 1960s. In common with The Beatles, they came from Liverpool, were managed by Brian Epstein and recorded by George Martin. They are most remembered for being the first act to reach number one in the UK Singles Chart with...
.
Later years
The Royal Iris transferred to the combined fleet of the newly formed Merseyside Passenger Transport ExecutiveMerseyside Passenger Transport Executive
The Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive responsible for the coordination of public transport in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England...
on 1 December 1969, which consisted of seven vessels.
Despite an ongoing financial debt against the Royal Iris from when she was built, capital was made available to refit her at the Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
in Bootle in 1971-72. Sporting a new blue and white livery, she was subsequently used, almost exclusively, as a cruise vessel. A sum of £68,000 was also provided for a new steak bar and dining area, replacing the original fish and ship saloon. Up until this refit, she had carried two side slung lifeboats on davit
Davit
A davit is a structure, usually made of steel, which is used to lower things over an edge of a long drop off such as lowering a maintenance trapeze down a building or launching a lifeboat over the side of a ship....
s which were removed leaving just a single lifeboat slung from the stern.
Whilst docked for her annual survey on 12 January 1975, a fire broke out in her engine room, causing extensive electrical damage.
On 21 June 1977, the Royal Iris carried Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on their Silver Jubilee
Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II marked the 25th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms...
Mersey Review.
The ship was used by Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
during the summer of 1979 as the setting for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
Saturday morning children's television series The Mersey Pirate
The Mersey Pirate
The Mersey Pirate was a short lived CITV television show based in Liverpool. It was produced by Granada Television and was introduced to fill the summer break taken by Tiswas. Most ITV regions showed the programme, though Tyne Tees was among those which did not...
. For this purpose, a dome structure was built on the promenade deck of the vessel.
During 1984 the Royal Iris and the other three Mersey Ferries received the red, white and blue livery to mark the 1984 International Garden Festival
International Garden Festival
thumb|200px|right|Commemorative [[coffee]] [[mug]] from the festival, showing a [[cartoon]] [[Liver bird]].The International Garden Festival was a garden festival recognised by the International Association of Horticultural producers and the Bureau of International Exhibitions and held in...
at Otterspool. In April and May 1985 the vessel left Liverpool Bay for the first time since her delivery from Scotland. She was sent on a 1500 mile round trip to London on a publicity drive for Merseyside, sailing around Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
, up the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
and under Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
, docking adjacent to HMS Belfast
HMS Belfast (C35)
HMS Belfast is a museum ship, originally a Royal Navy light cruiser, permanently moored in London on the River Thames and operated by the Imperial War Museum....
.
Decline, withdrawal and a new beginning in Liverpool
During the early 1990s, funding was found to allow MountwoodMV Royal Iris of the Mersey
The MV Royal Iris of the Mersey is a Mersey Ferry in operation on the River Mersey, England. From launch until a major refurbishment in 2001, she was named MV Mountwood.-MV Mountwood:...
, Woodchurch
MV Snowdrop
The MV Snowdrop is a Mersey Ferry in operation on the River Mersey, England. From launch until a major refit in 2003, she was named MV Woodchurch.-MV Woodchurch:The Woodchurch was the sister ship of the MV Mountwood...
and Overchurch
MV Royal Daffodil
The Royal Daffodil is a ferry in operation on the River Mersey, England and is currently the flagship vessel of the three Mersey Ferries...
an extensive refurbishment, which included provision for cruising duties. The ageing Royal Iris, the last ex-Wallasey vessel, was considered surplus to requirements due to the fact she had a major survey due and the great cost of bringing her up to modern standards. Over the passing years she had become noticeably slower and a lot more expensive to maintain.
The Royal Iris ran a farewell evening cruise on the 12 January 1991, prior to being taken out of service and laid up awaiting confirmation of her fate. On 21 April 1991, she 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
Zeebrugge Raid
The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge...
of 1918. On the 16 August 1991, she was placed in the hands of shipbrokers SC Chambers Limited of Liverpool for an asking price of £100,000.
In November 1991, she 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'. She was delivered to the Stanley Dock
Stanley Dock
Stanley Dock is a dock on the River Mersey, England, and part of the Port of Liverpool. It is situated in the Vauxhall area of Liverpool and is part of the northern dock system. The dock is connected to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to the east and Collingwood Dock to the west.Designed by Jesse...
complex in early 1992 to begin her 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 EchoLiverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
carried front page news that the Royal Iris had been sold to Hertfordshire-based Parkway Leisure who had the intention of turning her into a floating nightspot in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, spending £300,000 on refurbishments. On Wednesday 10 August 1993, the Royal Iris was removed from Stanley Dock. In a two hour operation she broke free from her tow line and smashed into the dock wall twice. The 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
Pier Head
The Pier Head is a riverside location in the city centre of Liverpool, England. It is part of the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was inscribed in 2004....
for a final goodbye.
On Wednesday 10 August 1994, it was reported that a planning proposal regarding the use of the vessel had been rejected by Cardiff Council. No work had been carried out on the vessel in the preceding 12 months and berthing charges had not been paid. A spokesman for her new owners, Parkway Leisure, reported that they were 'open to offers'.
In January 1996, it was reported that a business consortium from Liverpool were in talks to bring the Royal Iris back to the Mersey and make her seaworthy again. The consortium were considering applying for National Lottery funding and launching a £1-a-head public subscription fundraising campaign. This venture ultimately did not come to fruition.
The move to London
In 2002 the vessel was towed to a berth on the River ThamesRiver Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
near Woolwich, awaiting a possible refit as a floating nightclub.
On Saturday, 6 February 2010, it was reported that Police and the RNLI
Royal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
had been called out to her berth on the River Thames, near Woolwich, after a passing vessel noticed she had taken on water up to her passenger deck. At the present time, it is unclear how long she has been in this state. There was evidence found to suggest that squatters had been living on board. Also found on board were various items of drug paraphernalia.
The campaign to return her to Merseyside
On Saturday, 20 February 2010, the Liverpool Echo carried an article about an unnamed WirralWirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
businessman who wishes to buy her.
On Thursday, 4 March 2010, the Liverpool Echo carried an article about an online petition to have her returned to Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
On Tuesday, 9 March 2010, James Jegede, the current owner of the Royal Iris, spoke to BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
about his plans for her.