Amistad sails in with VIP seafarer

Aug 20 2007 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

The Amistad arrives in Liverpool – andVicky Anderson was there to see a famous political personality disembark

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott braved rough seafaring conditions to join replica slave ship Amistad on its voyage into Liverpool.

The ship, in the city to coincide with the opening of the International Slavery Museum on Thursday, came into the Albert Dock yesterday afternoon.

It was the end of a 48-day transatlantic journey for the Amistad, a reconstruction of the original ship that was commandeered by African captives in 1839.

Mr Prescott and his old “sea dog” friends from his days as a steward on the Cunard line made the trip despite it nearly being called off at the last moment for safety fears with the unseasonably cold and rainy weather making for an incredibly choppy Mersey.

In the absence of a proper gangway, he and his group decided not to miss the opportunity to jump on the Amistad regardless and make the journey as arranged.

It was an annual reunion for Mr Prescott and his old crewmates, all from the Merseyside area, and the first time they had met since the loss of their former colleague Owen Thompson, father of Liverpool Football Club player and coach Phil Thompson.

Mr Prescott said: “We were quite happy to accept the judgment of the captain of the ship getting on – everybody made it and it was a wonderful journey.

“This is a special day for many people and I want to thank the crew of the Amistad for letting some old sea dogs on board.

“We meet once a year, although usually for lunch on the Queen Mary – so we thought this year, let’s try the Amistad,” he joked.

Friend Peter Davenport, from Heswall, said: “It is always good for us to get together, as some of us go back 50 years.

“Hopping on board the Amistad was a little scary but apart from that it was worth it.

“The main thing for me was that to my shame I had never heard of the vessel and its story until today and it has been very informative – and the crew are a great bunch of people.”

Education is the main aim of Amistad America, currently on its Atlantic Freedom tour which ends in Sierra Leone, where slavery began.

Among the mostly American crew of 19 were three British students, including 19-year-old Michael Simon from Toxteth.

The Liverpool Community College student and youth carer – and first-time sailor – applied to join the crew after receiving an email from the Culture Company.

He was chosen to get involved and travelled with the ship from New Haven, in Connecticut, through Halifax in Canada and the Azores before coming home.

Last night he expressed his pleasure to be back in Liverpool but said he would love to join the Amistad for another leg.

He said: “It was terrifying at first and I can’t believe I’ve actually done it, but I’m so glad I did.

“The best parts for me were seeing dolphins and whales for the first time, steering the ship, and seeing England on the horizon as we were coming in.”

After crew and passengers disembarked, they assembled outside the Maritime Museum for speeches and thanks.

Mr Prescott spoke of his ambition in his new role as British representative of the Council of Europe to bring in new legislation to end the “modern day slavery” of human trafficking, and of his ongoing campaign for a national day marking the “evil” of slavery, which he said he had discussed with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former PM Tony Blair before him.

Bill Minter, chair of Amistad America’s board of trustees, said: “This is a particularly significant day for us as it was the first opportunity to meet with Mr Prescott and thank him for the role he played in bringing this whole visitation about.

“We pride ourselves on being an education-based programme and it is our mission to work in improving race relations.

“Our work is a lesson in how much we have in common. Race is a very small part of our differences.”

Tony Tibbles, director of the Maritime Museum, added: “The fact that this is the first major port of call for the Amistad for its first time crossing the Atlantic is rather exciting and a great way to celebrate the opening of the International Slavery Museum.”

The museum opens on Thursday to coincide with Slavery Remembrance Day 2007, a day commemorating the uprising of African slaves on St Domingo in 1791.

It will address the legacy of transatlantic slavery and will work to fight racism through its own education programmes.

The Amistad will stay in Liverpool until Sunday, and every day except Friday it will be open to visitors.

vickyanderson

No mutiny on the Bounty, despite movie blunder

A SHIP visiting Liverpool advertised as the Black Pearl in blockbuster film Pirates of the Caribbean was a different vessel, it has emerged.

The replica of HMS Bounty came to Canning Dock on Saturday and did appear in the film which starred Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, but as another ship.

One mother who took her daughter to see the ship, thinking it was the Black Pearl, said: “We queued for ages and were then told it was not the Black Pearl. My daughter was very upset as that was the reason we came.”

A spokesman for Liverpool Culture Company said: “We apologise, it was a misunderstanding and we informed people before they got on the ship about the mistake.

“It was in Pirates of the Caribbean but represented another ship. People still came on as shown by the figures, and it raised a huge amount of money for charity. It was a huge success.”

Despite the mistake, 5,000 adults and countess children still boarded the Bounty, raising £25,000 for charity.

The 91ft-long ship is doing a world tour to raise funds for the Cutty Sark, which was damaged by fire on May 21 this year.

The Bounty should have left the dock yesterday afternoon but was delayed by bad weather. It was due to leave yesterday evening.