John Wright

You’re quite right. Age.

We travelled with my dads motor home from Liverpool in July 1963. It was split screen VW T1. First time we’d been on a side loader. They carefully measured height. But I can’t for the life of me remember the class system. I do remember thinking we were going to get stuck in the car deck as we were manoeuvred onto the turntable. The van was so high and the ceiling so low. But I was only 7. I spent the whole trip racing round the decks and going down into the car deck and Manx number plate spotting. The days when the car deck was left open. When we went the other way it was the Ben, we were craned on. Parked opposite the deck buffet. Dad stayed in the van and brazenly brewed up for a cuppa.

That was just a marketing and advertising character, they didn’t change their names

Over 190 years they changed their marketing branding a few times, but apart from the 1831 change they’ve not changed their official name, ever.

I’m honestly not sure when they went single class. I thought it was when they first two side loaders came on line. So you May we’ll be right. Im not sure the barriers were removed, but no longer enforced. Yes, I remember the Edmondson card tickets and clipping. Thomas Edmondson invented the card tickets for the railways in 1842. He was a cabinet maker at Gillows in Lancaster.

Fares were just as incomprehensible in the 1920’s, without an algorithm. But no amendment fee to upgrade

The facilities on the current Ben are luxury compared to the side loaders, the sisters or steerage.

The 1945/6 refits of the Lady and Ben laid the design ground work for the sisters over the following 10 years. Moquette armchairs, some wood, dining room lay out. Everything was interchangeable.

Crystals Auctions. It’s in a horrible pink plastic with black lettering.

Travellers expected less, were less jaded. The scenery, castles, glens, dance halls, pleasure gardens, theatres offered as much as many UK resorts. There was lots going on. It was sophisticated. It had the added allure of the steamer journey.

They were very much built for the lower orders. That was the vast majority of the trade. But they had a Sunday suit, they’d saved, they’d learned to dance in social clubs attached to their work. They came to spend and enjoy. The, few, hotels you are talking about were for middle class, management, professionals. Not particularly well heeled. Hotels weren’t just on the prom, but all the side streets with 4 or 6 letting bedrooms. One family to each room.

Don’t forget, these were three class ships. First, second and steerage. Out of, say, 2500 total passengers only 150 or so travelled first. But they were allocated 20%+ of the space. There was a second class dining saloon, and then deck buffets. Even promenade decks were segregated. The lower down the socioeconomic pecking Order you were the less space and facilities you got. Ive got a sign from Manxman, built 1955, that states that second class passengers were not allowed past this point. The boats became single class around 1960.

Salon and First Class dining saloon from 1927 Ben. These date from about 1963/4. The Lady was more or less identical. They were both refurbished after WW2 and were much less opulent than their pre WW2 fit out.

I remember announcements on the old old Ben or Lady and on the sisters announcing that the commodore chef was on board. The old dining rooms down in the bow were splendid, carvery trollies with big domes, lots of silver cutlery, marked crockery, chafing dishes, food served under domes, flourished reveals. Thinking back my best trips to/from the island were with non steam packet boats. Stella Marina to Fleetwood ( my grandfather lived in Cleveleys ) and St Seriol to/from Llandudno ( my other grandparents were on holiday in Llandudno. I was about 5. I got taken down into the engine room with my father. St Seiriol was real steam. Polished copper pipes. Lots of things rocking. Engineers with oily rags. I've vague memories of being got up at 5am, tram from Cleveleys to Fleetwood and boarding a Steam Packet boat. I can only have been 5 or 6. It was a long day. I remember being cranky after being woken up after falling asleep on the sail back to Fleetwood. Things don’t change much

No