The BROCKLEBANK


The BROCKLEBANK was one of a series of motor tugs built by W.J.Yarwood & Sons, Ltd., Northwich for Alexandra Towing Company Ltd., and was completed and launched by Lady Pamela Brocklebank in 1965.

She was mainly used for ship handling in the busy docks at Liverpool, and occasionally carried out similar duties at Heysham, Larne, Belfast, and assisted with ship launching at Barrow.

In 1989, she was purchased by the Merseyside Maritime Museum and manned by experienced mariners on behalf of the Friends of the National Museum, Liverpool. Normally berthed in the Albert Dock adjacent to the museum, she also attends maritime festivals around the coast of the UK and Ireland. She still sports the old operator's distinctive yellow, white and black band funnel colours!

This classic vessel visited the port of Wicklow on 4th August 2003, which was a beautiful summery day. Remarkably, her crew were all retired experienced seamen, many of whom had serverved on board the BROCKLEBANK and during her working years!

Having seen my murals on the East Pier back then, the crew welcomed me aboard. They were like family! As she was berthed at the pier, one member of the crew decided that he would have a go at painting his own ship on the wall. His efforts were amazing, his proportions spot on, and his artwork incredible. He immortalised his tugboat on the wal!  It's actually one of the three murals on the pier wall that is not originally mine. Sadly, many years later, that talented artist passed away and, in turn, I have kept his mural very much alive as a tribute to him R.I.P.

During the following years, I encountered the vessel visiting the Arklow Maritime Festival on several occasions, as well as Drogheda and Dublin Port. I was always made to feel that I was one of the crew when I went aboard the vessel. Nice memories!


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