Founded in 1838 in Liverpool, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company was the first to operate steamships in the Pacific and primarily traded from the UK to the Pacific coasts of South America. Its most famous ships included the Reina del Pacifico and the Reina del Mar. With a line of notable firsts to its name, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company name had disappeared by 1984, part of the rationalization of Furness Withy Group. In 1990, Furness Withy itself was sold to Hamburg Sud, another line which had operated on the South Atlantic and Pacific routes. Many in Liverpool and in South and...

The Wirral Peninsula in north-west England lies within Cheshire and Merseyside but has its own distinct identity. In the east, on the estuary of the River Mersey, lie the two largest urban centres on the Wirral, Birkenhead and Wallasey. These grew rapidly in the nineteenth century with large docks in both, increasing industrialisation and improved access to Liverpool across the Mersey. At the same time the resort of New Brighton was also established. On the eastern side of the Wirral, on the estuary of the River Dee, development in the towns of Hoylake, West Kirby and Heswall was slower,...

A fascinating collection of merged historic and modern images that ingeniously reflect the changes in Birkenhead through the decades.

In the late 1960s, P&O established ferry services in the North Sea and English Channel. Roll-on/roll-off operations and containerisation were introduced and new ships, facilities and investment was needed to take advantage of developments. What followed was several decades of growth, buyouts and divisions. The twenty-first century saw the closure of several routes as the ferries saw increased competition from low-cost airline and the Channel Tunnel. Throughout this period, P&O attracted a loyal customer base and became one of the most recognisable names on the sea. Utilising a selection of...