I realise that, like myself, you have not yet had your summer holidays this year but I can advise that the
Annual Dinner in 2015 is already in the process of being arranged and will be held on Thursday 16 th
April
2015 in the Hilton Hotel, 3 Thomas Steers Way, Liverpool, L1 8LW.
Please put this date in your diaries and further details will be announced as soon as they are finalised.
This is a new venue for our Dinners and we are sure that all who attend will enjoy the new facilities.
Here is another date for your diaries.
We are planning for the Branch AGM to be held on Wednesday 3 rd December to be held once again in the
Khrua Thai Orchid Restaurant in Heswall. The AGM will be followed by a meal and we will send out full details and a booking form to local members as soon as the arrangements have been finalised. If anyone from further afield would like to receive details would they please send me an email and I will add you to our list.
Contact details are at the end of this Newsletter.
We were informed that Paul Clay VTS Manager was leaving Liverpool to take up a post in Saudi Arabia on a
6 years contract and Capt Alan Feast Assistant Harbour Master was also leaving and taking up a position in
Tasmania – we expressed our concern at their leaving and thanked them for friendly working relationship over many years. Paul Clay replacement joined us at the meeting – he is coming from a VTS position at
Plymouth and well experienced. Other positions are being advertised and to focus more on management.
Capt Steve Gallimore is in overall charge of Marine Operations throughout Peels UK ports.
The Marketing manager gave a brief outline of Peel's objectives to increase trade through the port – improved steel facilities – bulk and containers. Further vehicle business is also being won.
It was reported that ACL had signed a new long term contract to continue to use Seaforth as its UK terminal for its North
American Ro-Ro and container service. There was strong competition from Southampton and Portbury but it was felt that
Liverpool was ideally located to the majority of their customers. mv Visurgis working in Birkenhead
The new vessels currently being built are larger and slightly wider and designed to carry more cargo. ACL and Peel are

co-operating to adapt the Gladstone lock for the new vessels. The river container berth L2, although behind schedule during the winter, is still being advertised to be ready for initial operation end of 2015.
The Manchester Ship Canal terminals are being developed and Peel has chartered another coaster to operate the container 'shuttle' service up the canal.
Various lock works were programmed during the summer and notices would be sent out when locks would have to be closed for 48 hours etc. We were informed that the small lock at Eastham would be left out of use as it was not commercially viable to re-build it. Obviously an accountant’s view and gave no consideration to ships being locked out.
Dredging for L2 and Crosby bend had to be undertaken before September for contractual reasons – it was said that when completed will offer longer tidal windows' for deeper drafted vessels for L2 and Tranmere.
We were informed that a new 'app' was being programmed for pilots to monitor their movements and we asked why the 'One Stop Shop' comprehensive computerized system was not being utilized. This would have covered all aspects of port work from booking vessel arrivals right through to Invoicing however there appeared to be little interest in implementing such a system. Invoice problems were still an annoying and concerning problem for Agents. Problems with phone calls are still an issue mv Eemsborg entering Alfred
Basin, Birkenhead
©
Alan Faulkner to be resolved.
We are aware that a sophisticated system will be introduced for container traffic where all bookings and movements will be controlled by computer with no paper orders etc being required – gone will be the day of the lorry driver’s orders being written on a fag packet!
The Committee will meet again in about 6 months time so if members have views they would like to be put forward we will be happy to do so.
It is nearly time for the examination results to be announced and I am sure the students are keenly awaiting their results. Fingers crossed that our local students obtain the results they require.
The Institute will, for the first time, be arranging a second sitting of the examinations and this will be held between 24 th
and 27 th
November 2014. The range of subjects to be examined will be limited to all of the
Group 1 subjects plus 4 optional subjects from Group 2 namely Port Agency, Dry Cargo Chartering, Liner
Trades and Ship Operations and Management. If you wish to enrol for these examinations they you should contact London Head Office as soon as possible.
Shortly after the International Festival of Business IFB was announced last year another concept was also being planned - a Port Academy Liverpool at Hugh PAL Baird College, Bootle. We at the Institute of
Chartered Shipbrokers began to home in on these projects and after time drew up a) support for the PAL project by London head office and locally through our Branch and b) possibly combine the education week of
IFB with the PAL project and hold a day seminar function at which Liverpool ICS fund the catering provided

by the catering faculty of Hugh Baird. We registered our event with Liverpool Vision - the coordinators of the
IFB and speakers – real live shipping people - were approached to give presentations on their role in shipping.
Marketing of 'our' joint event was carried out by Shulah Jones of PAL with flyers and computer web sites,
Sefton Council, ourselves, Mersey Maritime and through the IFB Hub. Our aspirations were that we might attract 70 – 100 persons from shipping and also from schools etc.
From our aspect it was an opportunity for ICS to market its educations courses/examinations and PAL to offer its facilities to those wishing to study for maritime examinations. PAL are also working closely with
John Moores University to be able to offer a whole range of levels from Introduction courses to degrees in
Shipping.
It became clear nearer to the 18 th June that the IFB was becoming 'overloaded' with events - many similar to ours thereby making it difficult to select which event to attend. On the 18 th
there were at least 16 other events on offer. Ours was free but probably not over attractive as it purely dealt with maritime education - although the buffet lunch, it has to be said, was of a worthy standard.
We made an approach to Lord Heseltine and, although he could not attend in person because he was snapped up by another event, he very kindly signed his name to endorse our day in our programme.
The day went very well with the guests being met by
Hugh Baird students and served coffee. The speakers gave excellent interesting presentations – Nic Ingle an the educational courses being offered by the ICS, the
Liverpool Pilots explaining their operations around the port and further afield. Capt Frank Walker (an ex
Assistant Harbour Master at Liverpool) who now runs his own lecturing company on VTS port operations,
Karl Jones an ex Royal Marine who now has own company offering instruction on security for ships running in pirate hazard zones and Shulah Jones
Delegates at the PAL / ICS event enlightening us all to the progress and support received for the PAL concept to offer local students and companies education on shipping - not just from the ICS but also other professional organisations.
The presentations were rewarding and some useful points were raised in 'workshop' discussions held during the afternoon and it also propelled the PAL concept and ICS closer together.
Our thanks go to those who gave of their time and invaluable support to give a real professional tone to the day
This will be held on Wednesday 8 th
October
2014 at Heswall Golf Club and has become a popular event in our calendar.
It is open to teams of 4 and if you wish to enter would you please contact Barry Stokes on email – barry.stokes@clarksons.com
Contact Us
If you have any items that you would like to be considered for inclusion in the next Issue which is due to be issued in October 2014 please send them to the Editor Roy Cooke FICS, 9 Kinloss Road,
Greasby, Wirral, CH49 3PS or email to roycooke7@icloud.com