Heartbreaking new pictures show the former Mersey Ferry, the Royal Iris, rotting away in the River Thames.
The once-grand ferry was a fixture on the River Mersey for more than 40 years, hosting The Beatles, and the Queen and Prince Philip in its heyday.
But the boat, affectionately known to many as “the love boat” and “the fish and chip boat”, has been languishing on a mudbank in the River Thames.
Now, new pictures taken by Kirkby teenager James Parr, show the Grand Old Lady listing and looking increasingly derelict.
Student James, 19, was on whirlwind tour of London with his mum Lesley Parr when the pair, who are both keen photographers, stopped to see the The Royal Iris.
Lesley, 51, said: “I run a Liverpool group on Facebook... Liverpool History and Its Memories so took the opportunity to hunt down The Royal Iris to take more photos of her to post to my group and others back home.
“She’s sat on a mudbank and sinks below the water at each high tide, you can see the water draining out of her.”
The Royal Iris was taken out of service in January 1991 because of rising repair costs, and sold to a consortium who wanted to turn her into a nightclub in Cardiff.
She sailed down the Mersey for the final time in August 1993.
When the nightclub plans did not come to fruition, she was sold on again and towed to her current resting place in Woolwich, just east of the Thames Barrier.
She has a hole in her lower side, which means the vessel floods whenever the tide comes in.
There have been various plans to bring the Royal Iris back to Merseyside, but the huge costs involved means they are unlikely to ever happen.
Lesley said: “No doubt she’ll soon be scrapped, taken away but still a fond memory for many of fun trips ‘over the water’.”
For the latest news and breaking news visit http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/.
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on Twitter @LivECHONews - the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter account - real news in real time.
We're also on Facebook/theliverpoolecho - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.
