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British Council film of Merseyside in 1941, fascinating bits and pieces in almost every frame of the film. Brilliant to see how industrious everything was.

Might have ben posted before but worth a revisit anyway.

Merseyside 1941

Great little film, enjoy looking at things as they were. How ironic in one scene it said Buy British Glass, all these years on and now the cry is Buy British Steel. Thanks DD.

Thanks for posting - a really enjoyable little film.

Like diggingdeeper says, it’s remarkable to see how busy and industrious it all was back then, with the river crammed with ships.

The film also reminded me how smoky the towns were in those days and even in more recent times. I know today we’ve got more traffic pollution, but we’ve done well to get rid of all that muck belching out of our chimneys.

I remember as a child seeing the Liverpool overhead railway. What a shame they demolished it - today, it would be a tourist attraction to rival anything.

One thing puzzled me in the film. It mentions the Wallasey cargo ferries making their way to and fro across the river, 'relieving the pressure on the Mersey Tunnel'.

Were there still cargo boats crossing the Mersey by 1941? I thought the the tunnel, opened 1934, would have made them redundant.

I've seen the film many times and always doubted the date, it may have been released in 1941, very much doubt if it was filmed then. Pre bomb damage, though there are a few Barrage balloons to be spotted.


The luggage boat service I think ended in the 40s, not sure exactly what year.

Loved watching this video.
Thanks for sharing DD xx

Fascinating! Love all the local history stuff, cheers.

According to the T B Maund ferries history book the 2 Birkenhead luggage boats finished in July 1941 when they were requisitioned for war service. They were fitted with cranes and used for unloading planes and tanks from American cargo ships for the Allied war effort. The luggage service continued from Seacombe until March 1947 when it no longer was viable against tunnel competition.
Thus, the commentary is about correct in not mentioning Birkenhead luggage boats,if the film was 1941.
The commentator is Birkenhead-born Lionel Gamlin who also did cinema newsreel commentaries for British Movietone News..