Delegates and MPs at the Labour Party conference which began on Sunday 28th September were disappointed to hear that their luxurious art deco venue for social events in the form of the steam ship Daniel Adamson (“The Danny”) would not be attending. The conference, utilising the exhibition centres on the former Kings Dock, had booked the steam ship with its wonderful art deco lounges to be available in the nearby Canning Dock, both venues being on the Liverpool waterfront.
The “Danny” is normally giving public cruises on the Cheshire`s Weaver Navigation and to cross the Mersey to Liverpool required passage through Marsh Lock to enter the Manchester Ship Canal and onwards to Liverpool, but in early September Canal & River Trust engineers discovered that there were safety concerns with the electric motors that powered the lock and it was unsafe to use. The possibility utilising manual means of operation was ruled out as this equipment has not been maintained for emergency use. The “Danny “is now marooned on the Weaver indefinitely as there is no estimate for a repair date.
The “Danny”, built in 1903 for the Shropshire Union Railway and canal company is a volunteer led charity who were to save the vessel from the scrap yard in 2004 and supported by many including the National Heritage Lottery Fund. It has an extensive educational programme as well as public cruises.
The Weaver is now totally cut off
This failure when combined with the long-term closure of the Anderton Boat Lift, now means that for some considerable time the Weaver, once a heavily used commercial waterway is now completely cut-off for boaters with no access to the national network. A commercial boat yard taking vessels larger than the standard narrow boat will now be restricted in its ability to trade.
Jim Forkin (Chairman – Inland Waterways Association, Chester and Merseyside branch) said “Boat owners on the Weaver have my sympathy for this situation and owners on the network wanting to cruise this wonderful historic water must be bitterly disappointed. This is systematic of underfunding and neglecting a network which helped powered the industrial revolution and was only saved by the people of Britain after WW2 who cared and understood its role. Now with modern roles as a green corridor and safe open air space for many in the urban environment it is vital to see new funding for the network.”
