Manchester Ship Canal, Latchford, The Fairy Queen 1894

Photo ref: 33697A

My father told me that my great grandfather , William Ratcliffe, worked on the swing bridge over the Manchester ship canal.I have not been able to find any information to verify this. I would be interested to hear from anyone who has information on this point.

I lived in Eastham, and I was about 10 years old when the war ended and a cruise up the Manchester Ship Canal was organised, possibly on board the "Royal Daffodil" which I see is still doing the cruises. Could it be the same ship I wonder? I think we boarded at a place called "Job's Ferry" in Eastham, and sailed along towards Manchester, and a popular song at the time was "Cruising down the river on a ...see more

I was in REME stationed in Peel Green and on Wednesday afternoons we were taken to see different factories etc, and one Wednesday we toured by boat all around the docks at Manchester and the commentator told us where all the ships had come from and what their cargo was. It was a very memorable day, I had never seen such large ships before. Then when I could take time off I went to Patricroft and ...see more

I recall, as a young police constable, going for a trip on the MSC barge 'The Daniel Adamson'. This was from no 8 dock at Manchester, just by the Trafford swing bridge. The trip went though Mode Wheel locks, Latchford locks at Warrington and on up through Runcorn to Ellesmere Port. I also recall being sworn in at Ship Canal House in King Street off Deansgate Manchester. All that most of us could recall ...see more