07/05/2008
Royal Navy visit
One of the Royal Navy's newest vessels - HMS Bulwark - docks in Liverpool on Friday.
It's the first of many ocean liners and Royal Navy ships set to berth this summer at the city's new Cruise Liner terminal at the Pier head.
The 21,000 tonne High Readiness Assault Ship - with a crew of 325 and capable of a top speed of 18 knots - will be open to the public on Sunday 11 May from 12.30 to 5.00pm, before departing Liverpool the following day.
HMS Bulwark has sailed from Belfast following a training exercise off the west coast of Scotland.
The Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Paul Clark, said: "I know the city will give Captain Jeremy Blunden and his crew a rapturous and warm welcome when the ship arrives at the Pier head at noon on Friday.
"It is a great honour to have one of the Navy's new generation of amphibious assault ships visiting the city for four days, and many will be taking a tour of the ship on the Sunday. It will be a great maritime weekend for the city."
So far, fourteen ships are set to berth at the Cruise Liner Terminal over the summer, bringing 18,000 visitors and more than 8,000 crew members to the city.
Liverpool Culture Company's Cruise Manager, Angie Redhead, said: "The benefits of the Cruise Liner Terminal to the city are enormous. The thousands of passengers arriving during our Capital of Culture year will bring an additional economic boost to Liverpool."
HMS Bulwark - the seventh ship to carry the name - was commissioned by the Royal Navy in April 2005. It is the second of the new Albion Class Landing Platform Dock Ship (LPD) and can carry up to 400 troops, six tanks or 30 armoured carriers. Its main function is to transport or recover troops, their equipment and vehicles anywhere in the world at short notice.
The ship paid a short visit to Liverpool in February before taking part in Exercise Armatura Borealis in and around Norway.
<< Back