We are all used to seeing the spectacular 'Danny' steaming on the river between Sutton Weaver and Acton Bridge, but with the Marsh Lock closed downstream and the swing bridge’s electrical repairs upstream, she is stuck at her moorings and missing her annual service in Liverpool.
Having started her life as the Sir Ralph Brocklebank in 1903, tugging Mersey flat barges from Ellesmere Port to Liverpool, she was sold to the Ship Canal Co. in 1922 and given a major refit in 1936; renamed the Daniel Adamson and fitted out with a magnificent Art Deco Saloon to host dignitaries and corporate events. By 1984, with steam no longer viable, she fell victim to disrepair, vandals and fire. She was to be sold for scrap until a Liverpool tug boat skipper put in a cheeky offer of £1.00 for the wreck.
It’s taken many years and around 200 volunteers to rebuild with donations and £3.9m grant from the Heritage Lottery. She is now No. 15 on the Historic Ships Register and is unique in being fully operational – and she is right on our doorstep! Free tours are given on Sundays from March, corporate and social events are held, school groups come to learn about the boats and industrial history in the North West and follow a teddy trail learning about different jobs aboard.
This nautical treasure is in need of its 10 years major overhaul. To donate, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/thedanny