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68-454: Godfrey Ramsey H. Grayson (1913, Birkenhead , Cheshire – 1998, Kingston upon Thames , Surrey ) was an English film director . This article about a British film director is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Birkenhead Birkenhead ( / ˌ b ɜːr k ən ˈ h ɛ d / ) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral , Merseyside , England; It

136-482: A Commissioning Support Team (CST), the Prospective Commanding Officer and ship's crew, shipbuilder executives, and senior Navy representatives gather for a formal ceremony placing the ship in active service (in commission). Guests, including the ship's sponsor , are frequently invited to attend, and a prominent individual delivers a commissioning address. On May 3, 1975, more than 20,000 people witnessed

204-591: A freight only service to Dublin commenced. The Mersey Ferry at Woodside operates a passenger service to Liverpool and chartered cruising. During winter months, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company operates a service from Birkenhead to Douglas using MS  Ben-my-Chree . Due to weather conditions, this service temporarily replaces the route that normally operates from the Liverpool landing stage using fast craft. Ship commissioning Ship naming and launching endow

272-546: A further depot adjacent to Birkenhead Park station. The remains of the Birkenhead Dock Branch are still extant in a cutting through the centre of the town, which was used primarily for freight services. Much of the peripheral railway infrastructure, around the docks, has been removed since the 1980s. Birkenhead had the first street tramway in Britain. Opened on 29 August 1860, the first line ran from Woodside (adjoining

340-590: A heritage tramway between Woodside and Wirral Transport Museum ; Birkenhead Corporation Tramways car No.20 is preserved on this line. As part of the Wirral Waters development, a street car service has been proposed, to be called Wirral Street Car . Junctions 1 and 3 of the M53 motorway facilitate access to the national motorway network. The A41 trunk road connects Woodside with Marble Arch in London. Two road tunnels,

408-599: A new ship received orders similar to those issued to Captain Thomas Truxtun in 1798: Sir, I have it in command from the president of the United States, to direct you to repair with all due speed on board the ship Constellation lying at Baltimore . It is required that no Time be lost in carrying the Ship into deep water, taking on board her Cannon, Ammunition, Water, Provisions & Stores of every kind — completing what work

476-510: A population of 88,818. The wider Urban Subdivision had a population of over 142,000. However, this latter figure includes areas such as Greasby and Frankby , which are separate from Birkenhead. These are the 2011 ethnic groups for the town: Birkenhead Park is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain . The park was the forerunner of the Parks Movement and its influence

544-718: A representation of Dover in the 1920s. Other notable landmarks include Bidston Windmill on a ridge behind the town, Flaybrick Watertower and Birkenhead Priory & St. Mary's Tower . Horse-drawn buses began operating in Birkenhead in 1848, to be replaced with motor vehicles after the First World War . Present-day services are run by operators including Arriva and Stagecoach , which are coordinated by Merseytravel . National Express provides long-distance coach services to other UK cities, with direct routes including London, Glasgow, Bangor and Newcastle . The bus station

612-426: A ship hull with her identity, but many milestones remain before it is completed and considered ready to be designated a commissioned ship. The engineering plant, weapon and electronic systems, galley , and other equipment required to transform the new hull into an operating and habitable warship are installed and tested. The prospective commanding officer, ship's officers, the petty officers , and seamen who will form

680-406: A ship utilizing a nuclear reactor or the removal of hazardous materials from a ship, are handled by the government according to the nation's domestic policies. When a ship finishes its inactivation, it is then formally decommissioned, after which the ship is usually towed to a storage facility. In addition to the economic advantages of retiring a ship that has grown maintenance intensive or obsolete,

748-522: Is a letter of November 6, 1863, from Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles to all navy yards and stations. The Secretary directed: "Hereafter the commandants of navy yards and stations will inform the Department, by special report of the date when each vessel preparing for sea service at their respective commands, is placed in commission." Subsequently, various editions of Navy regulations mentioned

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816-494: Is alternatively used in British and Commonwealth contexts, originating in the age-of-sail practice of ending an officer's commission and paying crew wages once the ship completed its voyage. Ship decommissioning usually occurs some years after the ship was commissioned and is intended to serve as a means by which a vessel that has become too old or obsolete can be retired with honor from the country's armed forces. Decommissioning of

884-533: Is at one end of the Borderlands Line , it serves the rural centre of Wirral, near Shotton it leaves England for Wales, serving Wrexham General and terminating at Wrexham Central ,. Railways reached Birkenhead in 1840, when the Chester and Birkenhead Railway began services. Birkenhead Grange Lane station opened at the same time, becoming the town's first terminus. Birkenhead Dock station opened in 1866, as

952-456: Is judged to be of further use to the nation. The removed material from a ship usually ends up either rotating to another ship in the class with similar weapons and/or capabilities, or in storage pending a decision on equipment's fate. During this time a ship's crew may be thinned out via transfers and reassignments as the ongoing removal of equipment renders certain personnel (such as missile technicians or gun crews) unable to perform their duties on

1020-520: Is outside the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral) and the contiguous built-up areas which link those towns. In the 2011 Census , the area so defined had a total population of 325,264, making it the 19th largest conurbation in England and Wales. Shipbuilding and ship repair has featured prominently in the local economy since the 19th century. Cammell Laird entered receivership in 2001. The shipyard

1088-550: Is planned to regenerate much of the dockland. The name Birkenhead probably means "headland overgrown with birch", from the Old English bircen meaning birch tree, of which many once grew on the headland which jutted into the river at Woodside . The name is not derived from the Birket , a stream which enters the Mersey between Birkenhead and Seacombe. The Birket is a later name which

1156-501: Is yet to be done shipping her Complement of Seamen and Marines, and preparing her in every respect for Sea ... It is the President's express Orders , that you employ the most vigorous Exertions, to accomplish these several Objects and to put your Ship as speedily as possible in a situation to sail at the shortest notice. In Truxtun's time, the prospective commanding officer had responsibility for overseeing construction details, outfitting

1224-585: The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority , which has been led by a directly elected mayor since 2017. As of 2024 the current Member of Parliament for the constituency of Birkenhead is Alison McGovern who is part of the Labour Party . The Birkenhead Urban Area , as defined by the Office for National Statistics , includes Birkenhead, Wallasey , Bebington, Ellesmere Port (which

1292-620: The Queensway Tunnel . The station also has frequent services to as far away as Chester . The major underground station in Birkenhead is Birkenhead Hamilton Square , the nearest station to the ferry terminal. Hamilton Square station is linked to the Liverpool Loop of the Wirral Line , which includes Liverpool James Street , Moorfields , Liverpool Lime Street and Liverpool Central stations; all of these are underground. Other stations in

1360-910: The Queensway road tunnel from Birkenhead and the Kingsway road tunnel from Wallasey, run underneath the River Mersey and connect the town to Liverpool. Birkenhead's dock system is part of the Port of Liverpool , operated by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company under the ownership of The Peel Group . The Twelve Quays ferry terminal allows a direct freight and passenger vehicle service to Dublin and Belfast . Daily Belfast services are run by Stena Line , using their RoPax ferries MS  Stena Edda and MS  Stena Embla from 2020 to 2021, which replaced MS  Stena Lagan and MS  Stena Mersey . In 2024,

1428-561: The Wirral Hundred of Cheshire . As the town began to develop rapidly in the early nineteenth century, there was a need for more urban forms of local government. In 1833 a body of improvement commissioners was set up covering the chapelry of Birkenhead. The commissioners' district was enlarged in 1843 to take in the township of Claughton with Grange and part of Oxton . Local government districts were subsequently established for Tranmere in 1860 and Oxton in 1863. In 1877 Birkenhead

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1496-449: The national ensign , but not a commissioning pennant. In modern times, officers and crew members of a new warship are assembled on the quarterdeck or other suitable area. Formal transfer of the ship to the prospective commanding officer is done by the Chief of Naval Operations or his representative. The national anthem is played, the transferring officer reads the commissioning directive,

1564-577: The 1880s. On 31 January 2018, Marks & Spencer announced the closure of their store, in the town centre of Birkenhead, happening in April. During the 1970s, the commercial centre of the town was redeveloped around the principal shopping area of Grange Road. Following two fires at the expanded Birkenhead Market in 1969 and 1974, it was moved to new premises adjoining the Grange Shopping Precinct development in 1977. Commercial expansion continued in

1632-536: The Wirral Peninsula for development, and prompted further growth of Birkenhead as an industrial centre. Bolstered by migration from rural Cheshire, southern Ireland and Wales, the town's population had grown from 110 in 1801 to 110,912 one hundred years later and stood at 142,501 by 1951. 1989 saw the completion of a large shopping development within Birkenhead town centre, known as the Pyramids. Conway Park station

1700-433: The act of putting a ship in commission, but details of a commissioning ceremony were not prescribed. Through custom and usage, a fairly standard practice emerged, the essentials of which are outlined in current Navy regulations. Craft assigned to Naval Districts and shore bases for local use, such as harbor tugs and floating drydocks, are not usually placed in commission but are instead given an "in service" status. They do fly

1768-451: The armed forces of a nation. Unlike wartime ship losses, in which a vessel lost to enemy action is said to be struck, decommissioning confers that the ship has reached the end of its usable life and is being retired from a country's navy. Depending on the naval traditions of the country, a ceremony commemorating the decommissioning of the ship may take place, or the vessel may be removed administratively with minimal fanfare. The term "paid off"

1836-408: The ceremony dictates. Religious ceremonies, such as blessing the ship or the singing of traditional hymns or songs may also occur. Once a ship has been commissioned its final step toward becoming an active unit of the navy it serves is to report to its home port and officially load or accept any remaining equipment (such as munitions). To decommission a ship is to terminate its career in service in

1904-467: The commissioning of USS  Nimitz at Norfolk, Virginia . The carrier's sponsor, daughter of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz , was introduced, and U.S. President Gerald R. Ford was the principal speaker. Regardless of the type of ship, the brief commissioning ceremony completes the cycle from christening and launching to bring the ship into full status as a warship of her nation. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from this source, which

1972-490: The creation of a new park ( Dock Branch Park ), new housing and an improved greener environment. Birkenhead lies within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral , with Wirral Council providing most local government functions. Wirral forms part of the Liverpool City Region , which is led by a directly elected Metro Mayor . Birkenhead was historically a chapelry in the ancient parish of Bidston , which formed part of

2040-445: The crew report for training and familiarization with their new ship. Before commissioning, the new ship undergoes sea trials to identify any deficiencies needing correction. The preparation and readiness time between christening-launching and commissioning may be as much as three years for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to as brief as twenty days for a World War II landing ship . USS Monitor , of American Civil War fame,

2108-415: The decommissioning frees up the name used by the ship, allowing vessels currently in the planning or building stages to inherit the name of that warship. Often, but not always, ships that are decommissioned spend the next few years in a reserve fleet before their ultimate fate is decided. Commissioning in the early United States Navy under sail was attended by no ceremony. An officer designated to command

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2176-455: The design, planning, or construction phase of the parent nation's navy. Prior to its formal decommissioning, the ship in question will begin the process of decommissioning by going through a preliminary step called inactivation or deactivation. During this phase, a ship will report to a naval facility owned by the country to permit the ship's crew to offload, remove, and dismantle the ship's weapons, ammunition, electronics, and other material that

2244-467: The early 1990s when the Pyramids Shopping Centre was opened. The previous market site has been redeveloped with the construction of two office buildings, primarily to house Land Registry and Department for Work and Pensions offices. In February 2010, the town had an overall unemployment rate of 8.2% (males 12.4%, female 4.1%) as against a national average of 4.4%. In 2011, Birkenhead had

2312-566: The eastern terminus of the Hoylake Railway . With the opening of the Woodside and Birkenhead Dock Street Tramway in 1873, this station probably became the world's first tram to train interchange . In 1886, Birkenhead and Liverpool were linked by an underground railway system, which today is part of the Merseyrail network. From 1878 until its closure in 1967, Birkenhead Woodside station

2380-474: The ensign is hoisted, and the commissioning pennant broken. The prospective commanding officer reads his orders, assumes command, and the first watch is set. Following, the sponsor is traditionally invited to give the first order to the ship's company: "Man our ship and bring her to life!", whereupon the ship's assigned crew would run on board and man the rails of the ship. In recent years, commissionings have become more public occasions. Most commonly assisted by

2448-417: The famous name return to Birkenhead after a seven-year hiatus. In 2010, Cammell Laird secured a £50 million contract to construct the flight deck for HMS  Queen Elizabeth , the first of two Queen Elizabeth -class aircraft carriers . In 2015, Cammell Laird was selected as the preferred bidder to construct RRS  Sir David Attenborough , a Royal Research Ship . Birkenhead's first market

2516-410: The first street tramway in Britain. The Mersey Railway connected Birkenhead and Liverpool with the world's first tunnel beneath a tidal estuary; the shipbuilding firm Cammell Laird and a seaport were established. In the second half of the 20th century, the town suffered a significant period of decline, with containerisation causing a reduction in port activity. The Wirral Waters development

2584-483: The loss of the entire crew), HMS  Conqueror and HMS  Prince of Wales . Merchant vessels were also built such as RMS  Mauretania and RMS  Windsor Castle . In 1833 an act was passed to introduce street paving, lighting and other improvements in the town. These included establishing a market and regulating the police force. The Mersey Railway tunnel opened in 1886, providing direct railway access to Liverpool. The Grange Road West drill hall

2652-616: The main town hall was built on that designated site. The Hamilton Square town hall site was never used as a market, despite that myth being propagated in many accounts of Birkenhead's history, including official sources. The large market hall which was a famous feature of Birkenhead was built behind the original market, along Albion Street, opening in July 1845. This market hall was built by Fox, Henderson & Co , who later built The Crystal Palace . Michael Marks , of Marks & Spencer , opened one of his first seven 'Penny Bazaar' stalls here during

2720-454: The nation may forgo a ceremony and administratively place the ship in commission. At a minimum, on the day on which the ship is to be commissioned the crew will report for duty aboard the ship and the commanding officer will read through the orders given for the ship and its personnel. If the ship's ceremony is a public affair, the Captain may make a speech to the audience, along with other VIPs as

2788-453: The physical barrier of the River Mersey, Birkenhead retained its agricultural status until the advent of steam ferry services. In 1817 a steam ferry service started from Liverpool to Tranmere and in 1822 the paddle steamer, Royal Mail , began operation between Liverpool and Woodside. Shipbuilding started in 1829. An ironworks was established by William Laird in 1824, and he was joined by his son John in 1828. The business eventually became

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2856-438: The ship in question will undergo a process of degaussing and/or deperming , to reduce the ship's magnetic signature. Once a ship's sea trials are successfully completed, plans for the commissioning ceremony will take shape. Depending on the naval traditions of the nation in question, the commissioning ceremony may be an elaborately planned event with guests, the ship's future crew, and other persons of interest in attendance, or

2924-415: The ship in question. Certain aspects of a ship's deactivation – such as the removal or deactivation of a ship's nuclear weapons capabilities – may be governed by international treaties, which can result in the presence of foreign officials authorized to inspect the weapon or weapon system to ensure compliance with treaties. Other aspects of a ship's decommissioning, such as the reprocessing of nuclear fuel from

2992-462: The ship is floated out of its dry dock (or more rarely, moved by a vehicle to the sea from its construction hangar, as was the case with the submarine USS  Virginia ), at which time the initial crew for a ship (usually a skeleton crew composed of yard workers and naval personnel; in the modern era of increasingly complex ships the crew will include technical representatives of the ship builder and major system subcontractors) will assume command of

3060-575: The ship's design that may need to be addressed before it can be accepted into service. During her sea trials in 1999 French Naval officials determined that the French aircraft carrier  Charles de Gaulle was too short to safely operate the E2C Hawkeye , resulting in her return to the builder's shipyard for enlargement. After a ship has successfully cleared its sea trial period, it will officially be accepted into service with its nation's navy. At this point,

3128-534: The ship, and recruiting his crew. When a captain determined that his new ship was ready to take to sea, he mustered the crew on deck, read his orders, broke the national ensign and distinctive commissioning pennant , and caused the watch to be set and the first entry to be made in the log . Thus, the ship was placed in commission. Commissionings were not public affairs , and unlike christening-and-launching ceremonies, were not recorded by newspapers. The first specific reference to commissioning located in naval records

3196-410: The ship, and various tests of the electronic and propulsion equipment. Often during this phase of testing problems arise relating to the state of the equipment on the ship, which can require returning to the builder's shipyard to address those concerns. In addition to problems with a ship's arms, armament, and equipment, the sea trial phase a ship undergoes prior to commissioning can identify issues with

3264-486: The shipbuilder Cammell Laird . Notable naval vessels built at Birkenhead include HMS Achilles , HMS  Affray , CSS  Alabama , HMS  Ark Royal , HMS  Birkenhead , HMS  Caroline , Huáscar , the pioneer submarine Resurgam , HMS  Thetis (which sank in Liverpool Bay during sea trials , and was refloated and commissioned as HMS Thunderbolt , only to be lost to enemy action with

3332-548: The terminal of the Mersey Ferry) to Birkenhead Park . This early system was horse-drawn and was the brainchild of flamboyant American, George Francis Train . A preserved tram was on display in the Woodside ferry terminal booking hall. The system was later electrified and operated from 1901 as Birkenhead Corporation Tramways ; it closed in 1937. Two replica trams, imported from Hong Kong, have been brought into service as part of

3400-428: The three entrances, each with a different style of architecture, Gothic , Norman and Italianate . There are also two lakes and an ornate 'Swiss Bridge'. William Laird , a Scot, and his son John , were influential in the design of the town. Parts were laid out in a grid-iron pattern like Edinburgh New Town with similar architecture. The chief architect was James Gillespie Graham from Edinburgh. This grid pattern

3468-418: The town include Birkenhead Central , which is open but below ground level; Green Lane , below ground level; Rock Ferry ; Conway Park , below ground level; Birkenhead Park ; Birkenhead North ; and Bidston . The Wirral Line from Birkenhead travels south to Chester and Ellesmere Port , north to New Brighton and westwards, across the Wirral Peninsula, to West Kirby . Bidston (in the north of Birkenhead)

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3536-443: The vessel in question. The ship is then sailed in littoral waters to test the design, equipment, and other ship specific systems to ensure that they work properly and can handle the equipment that they will be using in the future. Tests during this phase can include launching missiles from missile magazines, firing the ship's gun (if so equipped), conducting basic flight tests with rotary and fixed-wing aircraft that will be assigned to

3604-464: The vessel may also occur due to treaty agreements (such as the Washington Naval Treaty ) or for safety reasons (such as a ship's nuclear reactor and associated parts reaching the end of their service life), depending on the type of ship being decommissioned. In a limited number of cases a ship may be decommissioned if the vessel in question is judged to be damaged beyond economical repair, as

3672-492: Was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 , with the area becoming part of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral and being transferred to the metropolitan county of Merseyside . In 1986 Merseyside County Council was abolished, with Wirral Council then taking on the county council's former functions in the area. Since 2014 Wirral and the other Merseyside boroughs and neighbouring Halton have been covered by

3740-573: Was centred around Hamilton Square which was started in 1826 and, apart from Trafalgar Square in London, contains the most Grade I listed buildings in one place in England. including Birkenhead Town Hall . A short distance from Hamilton Square are two other notable landmarks: the Queensway Tunnel Main Entrance and the Woodside Ferry Terminal . The film Chariots of Fire had scenes shot at Woodside. These scenes were as

3808-438: Was commissioned less than three weeks after launch. Regardless of the type of ship in question, a vessel's journey towards commissioning in its nation's navy begins with a process known as sea trials. Sea trials usually take place some years after a vessel was laid down , and mark the interim step between the completion of a ship's construction and its official acceptance for service with its nation's navy. Sea trials begin when

3876-504: Was completed in 1900. In September 1932 thousands of unemployed people protested in a series of demonstrations organised by the local branch of the National Unemployed Workers Movement . After three days of rioting, police were brought in from elsewhere to help quell the rioters. In addition to the ferries and the railway, the Queensway road tunnel opened in 1934 and gave rapid access to Liverpool. This opened up

3944-525: Was established in 1835 in a purpose-built building in Hamilton Street near its junction with Market Street. This building also contained the town hall, commissioners' offices and a lock-up. It is often said that the first market was opened on the site of the later town hall in Hamilton Square. This is untrue. In fact, part of the eastern side of Hamilton Square was deliberately left empty until 1887, when

4012-556: Was far reaching both in Britain and abroad – most notably on Frederick Law Olmsted 's design for Central Park in New York City . Designed by Joseph Paxton (later Sir Joseph Paxton) in 1843 and officially opened in 1847, with great festivity. The park's Grand Entrance , modelled on the Temple of Illysus in Athens, and its 'Roman Boathouse' are notable features. There are sandstone lodges at

4080-476: Was incorporated as a municipal borough , with its territory covering the combined area of the old commissioners' district and the two local government districts of Oxton and Tranmere, which were abolished. The new borough also took in the Rock Ferry area from Bebington . When elected county councils were established in 1889, Birkenhead was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it

4148-539: Was introduced by Ordnance Survey . The earliest records state that the Mersey ferry began operating from Birkenhead in 1150, when Benedictine monks under the leadership of Hamon de Mascy built a priory there. The priory was visited in 1275 and 1277 by Edward I . In a royal charter of 13 April 1330, Edward III granted the priory further rights. Distanced from the Industrial Revolution in Liverpool by

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4216-530: Was made a county borough , making it independent from the new Cheshire County Council , whilst still being deemed part of Cheshire for ceremonial purposes. The council built itself Birkenhead Town Hall on Hamilton Square to serve as its headquarters; the building was opened in 1887. The borough was enlarged in 1928 to absorb Landican , Prenton and Thingwall , and again in 1933 to take in Bidston, Noctorum , Upton and Woodchurch . The borough of Birkenhead

4284-458: Was opened in 1996. It is adjacent to The Grange shopping centre and Birkenhead Market. It has a total of eleven stands and incorporates a travel centre. The main bus operators at the station include Arriva North West and Stagecoach Merseyside & South Lancashire . Services using the bus station operate around the town of Birkenhead, throughout the Wirral and to the nearby city of Liverpool via

4352-410: Was opened in 1998 as part of a development that saw Wirral Metropolitan College open a new campus nearby. The Wirral Waters development was announced in 2006, with work starting in 2011 and expecting to last for around 30 years. Wirral Council announced in 2020 the formulation of a 20 year development plan known as the 'Birkenhead 2040 Framework'. The plan aims to regenerate parts of Birkenhead, with

4420-602: Was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula , along the west bank of the River Mersey , opposite Liverpool . At the 2011 census, it had a population of 88,818. Birkenhead Priory and the Mersey Ferry were established in the 12th century. In the 19th century, Birkenhead expanded greatly as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution . Birkenhead Park and Hamilton Square were laid out as well as

4488-525: Was sold and became 'Northwestern Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders' (NS&S), which grew into a successful business specialising in ship repair and conversion, including maintenance contracts for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary . In September 2007 NS&S acquired the rights to use the Cammell Laird name. The company was renamed 'Cammell Laird Shiprepairers & Shipbuilders' on 17 November 2008, seeing

4556-549: Was the case with USS  Hugh W. Hadley , or USS  Halibut . In rare cases, a navy or its associated country may recommission or leave a ship that is old or obsolete in commission with the regular force rather than decommissioning the vessel in question due to the historical significance or public sentiment for the ship in question. This is the case with the ships USS  Constitution and HMS  Victory . Vessels preserved in this manner typically do not relinquish their names to other, more modern ships that may be in

4624-577: Was the town's mainline railway terminus. Originally sited close to Woodside Ferry Terminal, the site had been redeveloped as part of Cammell Laird ship builders. Latterly, the adjacent dry dock at Cammell Laird was filled in and the area redeveloped to provide flats, a bus depot and offices for HM Land Registry and the Child Support Agency . The town has one operational railway depot, Birkenhead North TMD ; one disused, Birkenhead Central TMD ; and two demolished, Birkenhead Mollington Street TMD and

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