HMS Liverpool, a Royal Navy ship, is visiting her spiritual home this week, for the final time.
Due to be decommissioned at the end of March, the Type 42 Destroyer will be berthed in Liverpool until Monday.
Councillor Wendy Simon, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Tourism (and my very good friend) yesterday attended a civic service to honour HMS Liverpool and all who have sailed in her. She explained to me that Naval ships were named after places in the UK to encourage recruitment from people from those areas. Apparently it is a fashion that has now come to an end, and there will be no replacement ship bearing the city's name after the current vessel has been decommissioned.
There is an interesting article about the ship's history here in the Liverpool Echo from last night's paper. There is a tremendous buzz around the waterfront with sailors and visitors mingling on the Pier Head, do get down there before she leaves for the last time.
I was on the famous Ferry Across the Mersey yesterday and took this photograph from a vantage point in Birkenhead. In fact I was not very far from the site of Cammell Laird's where the ship was built more than 30 years ago.
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