TRIBUTE TO OUR FOUNDER PRESIDENT
GORDON LINDSAY
Friends of the Ferries Across the Mersey
39 South Parade
West Kirby
Wirral
CH48 0QG
19th February 2018
Dear Rosemary,
We are all very sad indeed to hear the news that Gordon has passed away.
He led such a very active professional and political life, and was always very well respected.
For us, of course, his great success was mobilising the general public to save the Mersey Ferries. Filling halls with the supportive public was a major achievement in 1977, quickly followed by getting Parliament, no less, to remove the clause in a Bill which would undoubtedly have led to the closure of the Ferries.
Our Committee meetings, chaired by Gordon, were very productive but always enjoyable, even sociable! Much was attained, and as you know investment in vessels, infrastructure and staffing followed as politicians realised the determination of the public, rallied by the Friends, to keep the services running.
So, Merseyside is grateful for Gordon’s initiative all those years ago, and today the Ferries are a very important icon for the region. Friends are still active in promoting and defending the Ferries (we still have about 500 annually paid-up members), and the good news in recent weeks is that designs have now been produced by Merseytravel for a new ferry vessel hopefully to be built in the next few years.
Our regards and condolences to you and your family from us all.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Hodgson, Chair,
Friends of the Ferries across the Mersey.