The maritime musketeers

Jun 29 2008 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

Peter Elson chats to a trio of tall ships veterans

THEY say good things come in threes, but a leading trio from the first Merseyside Tall Ships' Race could never have imagined repeating their roles for the third time 24 years later.

Pamela Brown, Mike Lynskey and Peter Shillinglaw were all liaison officers running a team of 100 volunteers for the initial Tall Ships' Race on the Mersey in 1984.

They then worked again for its Merseyside successor, the 1992 Tall Ships' Race, which incorporated the Grand Regatta Columbus, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the explorer's discovery of America.

Now they are set to swing into action for the 2008 event, as the managing team looking after the 96 voluntary liaison officers.

This means that ceremonies and activities usually spread over a week when the race has ended will be crammed into three days before the ships set off on the fourth day on Monday, July 21.

Yet perhaps our three maritime musketeers, who will run the liaison between ships and shore, should not be too surprised at being back.

Nigel Green, who first brought the tall ships to Liverpool, believed that the Mersey River Festivals and Tall Ships' Races should build up year-on-year to make the region a premier centre for such activities.

Against the odds and huge changes in local government, this has happened, with Liverpool in a very select class of city ports which hosting three Tall Ships' Races.

“The idea of helping the Tall Ships' Races appealed to me,” says Mike, who was based at Albert Dock on the two previous occasions.

This year, Mike is chief liaison officer. Pamela, from Noctorum, and Peter, from New Brighton, are his deputies.

Due to a new rule stating the fleet cannot be berthed more than 1.5 miles apart, this year all the ships are on the Liverpool side.

In 1984 and 1992 Pamela and Peter were both based at Birkenhead docks, but this year Pamela will be at Albert Dock and Peter at Wellington Dock.

However, this is a relatively minor change compared to how conditions were back in 1984, which was also the first time the Albert Dock was put into leisure use.

After decades under threat of demolition, this stupendous 1839-45 warehouse complex, opened by Prince Albert, proved what a magnificent asset it was, and is, for the city.

“For the first event we were based in a corner of a derelict warehouse in Albert Dock,” says Mike, formerly with Blue Funnel Line and later a lecturer at Riverdale Nautical College.

Born and brought up in Liverpool, he also has wide sailing experience with Royal Merseyside Yacht Club and Ocean Youth Club.

“The building's restoration contract was closed down for the duration of the race and the new roads through the complex had been only laid the week before,” says Mike.

“I brought a team from the college to help for the tall ships week. We were flying by the seat of our pants, having done nothing like this before, but it was terrific fun.

“With my wife Sue, we tried to plan for every eventuality, but were still taken by surprise. The Swedish master of Gladan requested a sauna, which wasn't on our list.

“But we managed to find him one and he came back very happy.

“The voluntary side worked so well and the secret is to get a good team together, which is quite a task when you need 100 people.”

It has taken two years to gather 96 volunteer liaison officers who include sailing club members, yachtsmen, pilots, business people, dock officials, teachers and retired people.

Peter says: “It was because it worked so well that we've all come back. For me, it was fantastic to get involved in the world's biggest and most famous sailing ships' event.

“Sailors are the same the world over and the language of the sea is English, but we'll have interpreters everywhere to help out.”

Pamela says: “What I recall from the first tall ships event was how much free time and goods local people and local companies gave to support it.

“The continuity of the knowledge over 24 years has come through which gives added value. The big difference this year is that Liverpool Culture Company is involved.”

Peter says: “It was a fantastic time for us volunteers and all the young trainee crews.”