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The ferry that once took people across the Mersey has ended up with a very sad retirement, rusting away on the banks of the Thames.
This is the MV Royal Iris, and arguably the most famous, and loved of all the ferries that have crossed the Mersey over the centuries — and is the very same ship that inspired the Gerry and the Pacemakers film and song, Ferry Cross the Mersey, although not the one used in the film that the song was written for
The Royal Iris wasn’t just a “milk run” ferry going back and forth, she was floating entertainment, played host to hundreds of party cruises and bands such as The Searchers, The Beatles, Elvis Costello – and unsurprisingly, Gerry & The Pacemakers.