Together Trust Archive

After the news at the weekend of the fate of a cruise ship off the coast of Italy, ironically on the eve of the Titanic anniversary, my thoughts turned to the thousands of our children who used this form of transport to cross the seas. The events of Friday are perhaps surprising in this modern age of computerized navigation systems, but travelling by ship has always had the possibility of a rough crossing or worse! Marchmont receiving home, 193 Moria Street, Yeoman Hill, Canada

Today we dabble our feet in the water and move off dry land to the port of Birkenhead, following in the footsteps of hundreds of Manchester boys in the late 18th and early 19th century. Their destination? The Indefatigable ! A training ship moored in the River Mersey, which aimed to prepare boys for a life in the Merchant Navy.        Illustration from the Illustrated London News is of the training ship Indefatigable.