A now lost pirate ship attraction that spent years anchored in a Liverpool park is still fondly remembered by generations of children.
The Jolly Roger pirate ship had been a popular feature of Sefton Park since 1928. The first version of the ship was installed as part of a Peter Pan themed corner of the park, which included Wendy's hut and a statue of Peter Pan, the latter still resides in the park by the palm house to this day.
The statue, palm house and the Jolly Roger became focal points for the celebrations of the coronation of King George VI when they were floodlit in 1937. The original ship was built over a period of two months by Cunard workmen at Huskisson Dock.
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The 35ft vessel was created to resemble a 17th century sloop, painted in brilliant colours of black, yellow, blue and red. The ship also had three masts, each 20ft high, attached to specially made sails.
After playing a notable part in the Peter Pan pageant at the park in 1928, the galleon continued to fire the imaginations of youngsters for many years. However, the ravages of time and weather took their toll on the vessel became waterlogged and sunk to the bottom of the lake.
Its timbers, spars and ropes rotted beyond repair, the ship had to be broken up and removed in 1940. For the next 32 years, the waters of Sefton Park remained quiet without its talismanic ship until May 1972, when the Jolly Roger II was launched.
The model of the ship was installed as part of celebrations for Sefton Park's 100th birthday. Built at Ocean Line's Odyssey Works in Birkenhead, the 34ft pirate ship came complete with gun ports, a figurehead of a pirate captain, three tall masts, golden dolphins on the stem and black-and-white skull-and-crossbones flags.
The Jolly Roger II was remodelled from a condemned ship's lifeboat, with Ron Tait, head foreman shipwright, telling the ECHO: "We'll probably never have the chance to build something like this again in our lifetime.
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"The men have enjoyed every minute of it, even working at weekends." However, following Sefton Park's centenary celebrations, the Jolly Roger II fell into a state of disrepair.
10 years after it was installed, the model ship had also suffered the effects of vandalism. Neglect of the vessel continued into the 1990s, when the ECHO ran a story in 1993 that took issue with the ship's depiction on the council's official Christmas card.
The card had used a picturesque snow covered Sefton Park scene - including an image of the Jolly Roger - which the ECHO suggested must have been taken years ago as the galleon was now an "old wreck" and no longer resembled the image on the card.
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Soon after, the derelict Jolly Roger II was removed, and the second era of a pirate ship anchored in Sefton Park had come to an end. Despite its loss, many people still remember the once popular attraction.
Does the Jolly Roger awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Recently, when a photo of the Jolly Roger in its full pomp was shared on the Liverpool: Then And Now Facebook page in 2021, people took to the comments to share their memories.
Peter Williams, posted: "Blast from the past. Me and my brothers Used to swim out to the Jolly when we were kids."
Robert Stevens remembered the Jolly Roger "next to Pan Island with the little house with a top hat on it," adding: "Used to swim across to the Jolly Roger. Shame it's all gone."
While Karl Prothero, commented: "Takes me back to my childhood walking down from Lodge Lane, going in the caves, climbing up Peter Pan. Happy days in Sevvy Park."
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