Might of the Mersey, Liverpool Echo Special

★★★★

Mightof theMersey

Mightof theMersey

Aspecialsupplementfeaturinga tribute to theRiverMerseybymembersof theECHO’sFlickrgroup

Aspecialsupplementfeaturinga tribute to theRiverMerseybymembersof theECHO’sFlickrgroup

FEATURES Tuesday, April 21, 20092 ★★★★

TheRiverMersey:lifebloodofa city

TOP LEFT: Jmi001 captured the QE2 moored atLiverpool, dwarfing the Mersey ferry beside her

ABOVE: Dock Reflection, by Steve Wallace (MrGrimesdale)

FAR RIGHT: Martin Waters (thenorthshore)went to New Brighton on a stormy day

RIGHT: A fireworks display wows the crowds asthe QE2 gets ready to leave for Dubai, byJessypiratedoodle

LEFT: Elevated view of the canal link and newmuseum. "I had to half hang out of a window onthe seventh floor of my office to shoot this," saidphotographer Jim McLeod (Baz_Baziah)

FRONT PAGE PICTURE: Sun on the Mersey, byGlenn Humphreys

THE River Mersey is surely one of themost evocative waterways in the world.

It truly is the lifeblood of Liverpool, agreat city grown from humble roots bythe banks of a tidal pool, next to theMersey. King John founded the Port ofLiverpool in 1207 and the rest, as theysay, is history.

And what a history. The Mersey hasinspired poets, musicians and artists,sped fortune-seekers on their way andbrought loved ones back to theirfamilies again.

Poet John Masefield, who wrote SeaFever – ‘I must down to the seas again, tothe lonely sea and the sky, And all I askis a tall ship and a star to steer her by’ –began his lifelong love affair withsailing on the Mersey, boarding his firstship in Liverpool aged 13.

Some of the greatest ships ever tocross the oceans have made their stately

way along the River Mersey; theirnames alone are enough to make thehairs on your neck prickle – Lusitania,Mauretania, Ark Royal, the WhiteEmpresses – even the tragic Titanic,which never visited the port, isinextricably linked with Liverpool.

The Age of Sail may be long gone, butthe River Mersey still affords us aglimpse of the past, in the form of thestately Tall Ships which make Liverpoola port of call on their voyages – most

recently forming one of the highlights ofCulture Year.

Of course, beauty comes in manyforms on the river, as the photographscollected here demonstrate – from mistyshots of tankers making their wayup-river to the pomp of the QE2 and thesteely strength of naval battleships.

‘Might of the Mersey’ is dedicated tothe river, the sights and scenes whichmake living and working alongside itsuch a joy. All these photos have beentaken by members of the ECHO’s onlinephotography group, which you can find– and join if you wish – at www.flickr.com/groups/liverpoolecho

Letting those photos tell the story ofthe Mersey seems a fitting tribute toboth the river and the talent of thephotographers.

I hope you enjoy looking through it asmuch as we enjoyed making it.

by ECHOEDITORAlastairMachray

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 FEATURES 3★★★★

FEATURES Tuesday, April 21, 20094 ★★★★

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 FEATURES 5★★★★

TOP LEFT: A Maritime Mersey, by martin waters (thenorthshore)

ABOVE: Storm Soaking, by Tim Edwards

RIGHT: Canal link, by jimi001

BOTTOM RIGHT: A moody, foggy day at Albert Dock, by Ben Lavell(Fanatical Apathist)

BELOW: Reflections in the Echo Arena Liverpool, by Martin Waters(thenorthshore)

LEFT: Taken by Graham (Dune_UK) who recalls: "Part of the Transitionceremony for the Capital of Culture 2008 as 40,000 people crowded onto the Pier Head in Liverpool to watch the closing ceremony – 40,000people who for one brief portion of time were 'One'. The 'One' sangalong to 'All Together Now' – what a great night."

FEATURES Tuesday, April 21, 20096 ★★★★

ABOVE: Sefton Docks seen through the fog, with the windfarm looming overthe water, by Tim Edwards

RIGHT: Bonfire Night lights up the sky behind an illuminated RuncornBridge, by John Kennan

BELOW: Storm at Perch Rock, by Mr Grimesdale (Steve Wallace)

LEFT: Baz_Baziah’s reflective picture of the iconic Liver Building, in the newLeeds-Liverpool Canal link-up

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 FEATURES 7★★★★

FEATURES Tuesday, April 21, 20098 ★★★★

ABOVE: This photo of Tall Ships in Liverpool, at the start of the 2008 race, is by John Kennan

TOP CENTRE: The Snowdrop, captured in vivid colours by Martin Waters (thenorthshore)

TOP RIGHT: Photographer John Kennan said: "Only got down there at 9.15 last night and we had to fightwith security to get in. By the time this was completed, the sunset had just finished."

RIGHT: Mobile Virgin’s shot of Ark Royal was taken in freezing conditions in January

BELOW: The view of the Tall Ships, from Egremont Promenade, on Wirral, by Chester walls

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 FEATURES 9★★★★

FEATURES Tuesday, April 21, 200910 ★★★★

TOP LEFT: HMS Illustrious, photographed by Anthony Vaughan(tony.v)

ABOVE: The Graces in all their glory. Breaking the habit of a lifetime, Iuploaded this to Flickr in large, said Martin Waters (thenorthshore)

FAR RIGHT: Taken by Jim McLeod (baz_baziah) who captioned it witha famous quote from Hitchcock's film, The Birds: "Admittedly, a fewbirds did act strange, but that's no reason to . . ."

RIGHT: A blazing sunset over the Mersey and shipping traffic. GrahamMaddrell (MaddieDigital) said after a spell of gloomy weather, he wasdelighted to be able to get such a vibrant shot

LEFT: Martin Waters (thenorthshore) said: There are loads of versionsof this shot doing the rounds at the moment, but what I liked about thisone was the shadow of the railings on the Canal

MIDDLE LEFT: ACL Atlantic Conveyor approaching Liverpool, byPeerzee

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 FEATURES 11★★★★

FEATURES Tuesday, April 21, 200912 ★★★★

ABOVE: Canning Dock lit up, by Mr Grimesdale (StephenWallace)

BELOW: The River Mersey cat – except it's actually a rock. Itwas spotted by Glen Humphries, who says he couldn't resist itsquirky shape

LEFT: Runcorn Bridge, also by Mr Grimesdale