Earl rewarded for Manxman support

Aug 10 2007 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

THE Earl and Countess of Derby were presented with a steel rivet at Liverpool’s Athenaeum Club in honour of launching the Daily Post’s Adopt-A-Rivet for £1 campaign to save the last Isle of Man steamer, Manxman.

THE Earl and Countess of Derby were presented with a steel rivet at Liverpool’s Athenaeum Club in honour of launching the Daily Post’s Adopt-A-Rivet for £1 campaign to save the last Isle of Man steamer, Manxman.

Lord and Lady Derby have adopted 1,000 rivets at £1 each to inaugurate the scheme which hopes to raise £100,000 to preserve SS Manxman on Merseyside.

The Derbys’ six-inch long rivet was made at Cammell Laird shipyard, Birkenhead, for another Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry, Ben-My-Chree, but is identical to those used on Manxman.

They were presented with a ceremonial rivet display created by Nigel Hughes, of Friends of Manxman.

Daily Post readers have already raised more than £5,500 in under three weeks.

The plan is to match-fund the £100,000 offered by Liverpool City Council to stop Manxman being scrapped on the River Wear, at Sunderland.

After refurbishment, Manxman would become a floating conference centre, Merchant Navy museum and house the comedy archive of Ken Dodd.

Lord Derby said: “Saving the Manxman is a splendid project for Merseyside and we are particularly interested as the Derby family were formerly Lords of Mann.”

To adopt rivets at £1 each, please make cheques payable to Manxman Steamship Co, and send to Bill Ogle, Chairman, Manxman Steamship Co, c/o 153 Mather Avenue, Liverpool, L18 6JZ.