Liverpool - Remembering The River Mersey

Mersey River - view from Cathedral Tower - Photo:RandiAa©

I was reminded of my successful stay in Liverpool in the summer of 2011 when I accidentally saw a British music documentary from the "old" days of pop.("Perler fra 60-tallet" on NRK)  The 1960s in Liverpool - The British Invasion. A group sang a few songs that captured my ear. When I spent this beautiful Midsummer day at Kristiansten fortress with Solfrid, I asked her about this song. She knew it and sang a few lines from the refrain for me. She has a nice voice.
When I got home, I went into iTunes, found Gerry and The Pacemakers and the right song about the Mersey and bought it, found my pictures of the river and began to make this blog post.(Their web-site)
The River Mersey inspired Gerry and the Pacemakers to this great hit from early 1960's. The Mersey is perhaps among the the most famous rivers in the world, with Liverpool one of the world's greatest ports built upon it. The tides are actually too strong all year round by the coast there but a hamlet, Liverpool, developed around the pool as a safe harbour. The name is an anlgo-norman translation from Latin, meaning 'Spring Anchorage'. Merseyside Maritime Museum opened in 1980 at the Albert Dock telling the story of the river and the city.
Some pictures showing parts of Liverpool with the River Mersey, taken from the tower of Liverpool Cathedral:

Photo:RandiAa©

Photo:RandiAa©

Photo:RandiAa©

Photo from the Mersey Ferries web-site

Ferries have been on the  River Mersey for over 800 of years.  By the time Liverpool had been officially declared a town in 1207 ‘ferries’ were already an established sight.
Today’s now world-famous ferry service is run by the Mersey Ferries team - taking hundreds of thousands of people out on the Mersey each year to view all great attractions seen from the river. No wonder the river and the ferries meant a lot for the young Liverpudlian pop-artists of the 1960's. Gerry (Gerard) Marsden still lives in Liverpool, and in the TV programme he talked highly about his city, the river and the ferries - he made me long back to Liverpool.
Here is the famous hit they made:

GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS
"Ferry 'Cross The Mersey"
(Gerry Marsden)

Life goes on day after day
Hearts torn in every way

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cause this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay

People they rush everywhere
Each with their own secret care

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
and always take me there
The place I love

People around every corner
They seem to smile and say
We don't care what your name is boy
We'll never turn you away

So I'll continue to say
Here I always will stay

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cause this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay
and here I'll stay
Here I'll stay
 

And here, the original video Top of the Pops 1965 - Gerry and The Pacemakers - Ferry Cross The Mersey:

Another, modern video with the song and Liverpool setting:

Some PR:

Liverpool - a set on Flickr - Photo:RandiAa©