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Wallasey - Rhyl Hovercraft

[youtube]rnws8bCv4NQ[/youtube]

If that were there now I'd lov e to go on it

ye me too mate. would be good to have it back.

My mum went on its maiden voyage, and was given a boxed commemerative model. Dont know if she still has it, have to have a mooch about!!

first hovercraft in the country i believe but i think it went from leasowe moreton shore and not wallasey.

ta

pace

Couple of photos

I remember being there on day 1, watching the machine leave.
I have a First Day Cover stamp set for the occasion

My recollection is that the service was actually the first commercial hovercraft service in the world.

Snod

Moreton-Rhyl hovercraft. I remember running down to the shore to watch this. It was new technology in its day

Clicky for more
Hovercraft

If my memory serves me correctly, this service was originally supposed to start from the bottom of Stanley Road in Hoylake--Red Rocks but I assume the good residents of Stanley Road objected to the expected increase in traffic!!!
The starting point then being changed to Leasowe embankment.

The hovercraft was always intended to start from hoylake but was moved to the leasowe embankment.

http://www.wirralhistory.net/hovercraft.html

The YouTube film is a great clip of the 1962 VA3 service but at 0.12 to 0.28 an SR N6 craft is shown at Fort Perch Rock. This was SR N6-022 (GH-2010)in October 1972. The craft was just back from Canada, by ship to Liverpool, and the opportunity to have trials in the area was taken (Hovertravel Ltd). In 1974 the same craft operated from Southport to Blackpool.

British United Airways operated VA3-001 in 1962 and the company chairman at the time was Freddie Laker.

I have only just found this forum and have been interested in hovercraft since 1962 and have a decent collection of philatelic items, postcards, photos etc. of hovercraft around the world.

1962 sees the 50th anniversary of the Rhyl-Wallasey operation which was the first passenger hovercraft service in the world. Surely there must be some sort of commemoration? Wirral Council think not! No surprise there then!!

Perhaps the people at Fort Perch Rock Museum could be persuaded to hold some kind of commemorative exhibition in 2012?

An approach has been made. Watch this space!!
Ken