Welcome aboard!
Ferries, lost routes, and the stories in between.
Welcome, to new readers and thank you for subscribing. It means a lot to know this project has found an audience.
It's wonderful to discover that so many people share an interest in ferry crossings that are gone, but not forgotten.
I got the inspiration for this project a few years ago, when I discovered that the Ostend ferry I had travelled on as a teen had vanished. It got me thinking about how many other routes I’d taken over the years that were now gone or rerouted. Scanning travel forums, I soon realised I wasn’t alone in thinking about this and this newsletter grew out of that realisation.
I’ve spent the past couple of months embarking on what is, as yet, an unnamed project retracing historic ferry routes by public transport. I have now completed the first two journeys, which I am now writing up.
This newsletter is a companion to the project, a place for work in progress, interesting diversions, and conversations with people who share a passion for the ferry routes we’ve lost. If you’ve just found this Substack here’s what I have covered so far:
In my first post, I explain the origins of the project; the planning, the personal motivation to return to research and writing, and why I want to build something that involves other people’s stories too.
The Tuxedo Princess tells the remarkable story of the Caledonian Princess, a vessel that transformed the Stranraer to Larne route in the 1960s before finding a very different second life as a famous floating nightclub on the River Tyne.
Then we visit Ardrossan and Stranraer, two ghost terminals, and explore what’s left behind when the ferries go. This post also introduces some of the wonderful people I’ve met along the way.
A Very British Transport Disconnect explores how disjointed public transport can be when you’re trying to follow a historic ferry route without a car… a discovery that almost led to me missing the boat.
These posts might be a little less frequent over the next few weeks. But I am not idle, I am focusing on the main narrative of this project. I will also be thinking about a name for this newsletter, something I hope you’ll have a say in. A reader poll is coming soon, and I’d love your input.
If any of this resonates with you, whether it has got you thinking of route you once travelled or a crossing you wish still existed, please leave a comment or reply to this email. I love reading about your memories.