Steam Ship Real-Ale to be "launched"

Steam Tug Preservation Society “Launch” Own Real-Ale.

North-West favourite saved from scrap yard on course to sail again

Volunteers working to restore a 100 year old former Manchester Ship Canal and Mersey steam tug have teamed up with a Cheshire based craft brewery to produce their own real ale. For many years there has been a strong affinity between all things “Steam” and the surge in popularity of Real-Ale. This has been prominent in the Heritage Railway market with famous Steam Trains such as “Flying Scotsman” having beers named after them. Many Heritage Railway’s now operate Rea-Ale trains, theme weekends and rail tours to seek out little known Beers and pubs. The East Lancashire Railway at Bury have been very successful exponents of this format with their successful “Rail-Ale Trails”.
In order to raise the profile of the Uk’s sole-remaining “Steam Tug-Tender” the “Daniel Adamson”, the owning society are proud to announce the launch of their own Real-Ale dedicated to Daniel Adamson the ship and in memory of the great engineer, Daniel Adamson.
The Real-Ale; simply called “Danny” is being brewed by the award winning Frodsham Brewery based in Cheshire’s Weaver Valley. The beer has been well received by Real-Ale connoisseurs at local CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) branch. Brewed to a traditional Victorian recipe the ale is a 4% strength light, hoppy bitter and the partnership hope to persuade Real-Ale pubs throughout the Mersey Basin and beyond to sell the ale in their pubs.
It is hoped that the beer will help raise the profile of the Daniel Adamson and the project to return her to operation but will also raise funds towards completing the £3.8 million project. A donation from every Pint or Bottle will be made to Daniel Adamson Preservation Society by Frodsham Brewery.

September “Launch” of Danny
Volunteers at DAPS have received excellent support from Publicans and larger retailers throughout the region and the first pints of “Danny” will be pulled at events throughout the North-West in early September. These launches include:
• Wed 5th September 12-2pm @ the “Ship and Mitre”, Dale Street, Liverpool. A pub well known with Beer fans with upwards of thirty beers available on draft at any time, not to mention the 150+ bottled beers available. The pub’s little known Art-Deco lounge upstairs will be the ideal setting.
• Thursday 6th September 12-2:30pm @ J D Wetherspoons “The Ferry Boat” in Runcorn. Being less than five hundred yards from the Daniel Adamson’s former berth at the former Old-Quay repair yard of the Manchester Ship Canal, this is as close to “home” as we can get! This launch will also be held in conjunction with a “Meet the brewer” event with Frodsham Brewery at the Ferry Boat where you will be able to meet the team behind the beer and lear about their extensive range of Ale.
• Friday 7th September 12;2pm @ “The Trackside” at The East Lancashire Railway in Bury (Bolton Street Station). Daniel Adamson lived for many years in Didsbury, Greater Manchester and was a well-known Railway Engineer and leading Manchester business man of the 19th Century. “Daniel Adamson” the ship was registered in Manchester, spending much of her time there. Also, being technically a “Railway Steamship”, being owned for many years under the auspices of the LNWR, what better setting for our final “launch” than The North West’s Premier Heritage Railway?

Dan Cross, Chairman of the Daniel Adamson preservation Society said “This vessel is known and loved all over the waterways of the North-West and beyond, many people who remember the days of ocean going ships sailing up the Mersey and into the Manchester Ship Canal, whether at Runcorn, Warrington or Salford & Manchester Docks, can still recall the sight of the “Danny” working hard. The beer is excellent, a real classic. Every pint consumed will help finance the further restoration of the vessel. DAPS are very grateful to Frodsham Brewery for their assistance. Barry and his team have been extremely supportive and worked very hard to produce a first-class Ale that has more than met our expectations.”

Background & History
The “Daniel Adamson” was built at Tranmere, on the banks of the River Mersey in 1903 and was used as a powerful twin engined tug, used to tow cargo barges between it’s owners, the Shropshire Union Railway & Canal Co’s terminal docks at Ellesmere Port and Liverpool’s Manchester Dock. In addition, the unique little vessel as fitted out to carry up to 100 passengers between the two ports on a regular “packet” service. In the 1930’s the vessel was sold by the L&NWRCo to the Manchester Ship Canal Co and in 1936 was re-fitted with sumptuous, Art-Deco saloons, common in the liners of the day and re-named “Daniel Adamson” in honour of the Canal Co’s first Chairman and driving force behind the campaign to have the Manchester Ship Canal built, thus enabling Manchester goods to be shipped direct from the city and by-pass the Port of Liverpool. Adamson was an engineer by trade, hailing from Shildon, Co Durham and serving his railway engineering apprenticeship with Timothy Hackworth.
The “Daniel Adamson” or “Danny” as it was known locally, was a familiar sight on the Manchester Ship Canal and in its dual role as Tug Boat and Directors launch, it was not un-common to see the vessel at Salford, working with large Ocean-Going cargo ships one day and carrying dignitaries and guests the next.
The vessel, still with its original, twin steam reciprocating Main engines and three furnace coal fired “Scotch” type boiler, was finally retired from service with the Canal Co in 1984 and shortly afterwards was placed on loan at the Ellesmere Port Boat Museum. The vessel was acquired by the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society in 2004 just days before the vessel was to be scrapped due to its deteriorating condition and vandalism.


£2.8 million Heritage Lottery bid

The vessel was bought initially from owners Peel Ports for £1 and volunteers have raised funds and completed work worth over £1 million since the restoration began and are now applying for £2.8 million Heritage Lottery Fund grant to complete work which requires shipyard facilities, to return the vessel to fully operational, passenger carrying condition for future generations to enjoy.

 

Good luck Dan, looking forward to my 1st pint. We must do all we can to keep our heritage fleet going.