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Ian Clowes | all galleries >> The View from Chester >> March 2005 > - 2nd March 2005 - Ship Builders
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02-MAR-2005

- 2nd March 2005 - Ship Builders

I can vaguely remember passing the famous Cammel Laird shipyard as a youngster goggling at the ships seemingly parked on the road! Now little is left - although A&P run part the yard as a commercial refit yard. Nowadays you get your supertanker in the far East, and for other ships why not buy a hull in Poland and refit it in Germany? Shipbuilding in the UK is driven by MoD orders, and is under review with much restructuring being talked about to save it!

This is one of the few remaining images around the yard, of a once giant in the ship building world. The world's first submarine, and the 'Ark Royal' of the 'I am Sailing' fame were built here.

Bit more info can be found at www.liverpoolpilots.com/history.htm

I did promise some gritty building closer ups....





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Karen Leaf06-Mar-2005 04:16
Just a great set of shots and story Ian. It is truly a shame to let this bit go.
laine8203-Mar-2005 17:49
It's sad to see places that once teamed with the hard work of industry & the achievements of generations. Great images Ian. I hope the builings are never lost, but I suspect they will be.
nomadicdragon03-Mar-2005 13:54
cool old building. when I see buildings like that, I always want to explore inside.. lol.
Guest 03-Mar-2005 13:34
Love old buildings like this! And that fence too!
Karen Stuebing03-Mar-2005 11:41
Neat old building. I like the fence framing it. What's the significance of the camel?
Stu03-Mar-2005 10:53
Practically all the Clydeside shipyards have closed since the QEII - which I believe was the last Clyde-built liner. I was only a nipper, but I remember being in Glasgow with my uncle once, and we drove down Govan, past all UCS yards, and could see all the Clydebank yards on the other side. Now they are places for bijou riverside apartments for the young wealthy. Shame. Nice shot, Ian.
Guest 03-Mar-2005 01:34
Are the days gone when Britannia ruled the waves?
My ancestors sailed from Liverpool in 1869 for the US.
It must have seemed like the center of the Universe to them.
Gayle P. Clement02-Mar-2005 22:43
Wonderful building detail.
Guest 02-Mar-2005 21:56
It is a shame that they're not build here anymore, there are some fantastic old massive buildings in Liverpool around the docks that have gone to ruin.
Sheena Woodhead02-Mar-2005 21:38
A little piece of history. It's good to see photographs of past thriving enterprises now in decay. Makes a change from the 'chocolate box' images. I like the camel :-)
Gail Davison02-Mar-2005 18:55
A nice image that really captures the spirit of your words.
Zak02-Mar-2005 16:36
yep, it is a shame that they dont build them here anymore, our new ferries are being built in Poland!!
type02-Mar-2005 16:18
Glad I clicked. A melancholy story repeated around many of the ports in these isles. I love those old fading signs, too. I'd love the make a collection of them.
Tor02-Mar-2005 16:04
What on earth is this? Seems very exotic.