Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Hearts Torn in Every Way

The old gentleman kindly informed us that we were  in the que for the 10 minute ferry across the Mersey River and that the 50 minute ferry would give us a great view of the whole city.
I told him "Thanks, but we're on a mission here to ferry across the Mersey only."
He told us, "When I was a kid, it cost 2 Tuppance to cross the Mersey."

"What do you remember about WWII" I asked, "You were too young to serve I am sure."
"They were bombing everything and I was a younster and Mum sent me to safety in Wales but she missed me and I returned." He replied. "We went to bomb shelters all the time. Me Dad was in the First War. He was a runner."
"From what I've read about the Great War, that was a pretty wise thing to do," I responded.
"No, he delivered messages by running them to units at the front."
"That sounds dangerous" I said.
"It was!'

"Did he survive the war?" I asked, probing world history and family matters.
"Wouldn't be here if he hadn't" he said with no sense of irony.

Liverpool and the Mersey River. It's been in my brain for 50 years since the Pacemakers sang about it. For some reason I am semi-obsessed with visiting the geographic sites of popular songs.

My quest this morning before we leave Liverpool is to take a ferry across the Mersey River. 


 It's quite simple to do and any time I can get on water for a look at the city or countryside, I am there.

I'll leave the psychologists to analyze what this reveals about me personally.


I just know I enjoy the journey and have to do it.
(Thanks! Gerry Marsden!)

Peace Bob


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