The region’s maritime treasure The Danny is making waves as she sets to resume cruising on the River Weaver.
The heritage maiden of the Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal is to up-anchor and welcome passengers aboard once more. The 1903-built service vessel, which relaunched only 5 years ago, after being lovingly restored to her glory days, is to start cruising from Friday 23rd July.
The Daniel Adamson, also known as The Danny, is one of the nation’s heritage visitor attractions that will finally resume operations following the disruptions of the pandemic. The Danny has confirmed its 2021 cruise schedule, launched interactive VR visitor experiences, expanded its educational programme and improved community engagement plans.
Planning to resume operation with more than 20 cruises, the Art-Deco steamship will be bringing back its’ popular gin cruises to complement the scenic river rides between Sutton Weaver and Acton Bridge (vv) on the River Weaver in Cheshire.
New for 2021
- An exclusive one-departure only cruise from Acton Bridge to Ellesmere Port. The northern industrial port was where the derelict and destined-for-scrap steamship stood decaying for almost two decades before her £3.8 million restoration began.
- Educational programmes will be launching this summer, as well as more community-focused activities and a dedicated recruitment drive to attract volunteers of all ages. Building strong partnerships with youth, education and wellbeing authorities is also key to the charity-run Daniel Adamson Preservation Society and the team of volunteers’ dedication to the organisation. A hands-on education programme to develop self-confidence, creative and essential skills for young people will run throughout the summer. Focused on taking young people on a journey of self-discovery, a transformational learning experience programme will run until September 2021.
- To engage the public The Danny has introduced immersive experiences embracing the latest interactive VR technology experiences. Part-funded by the Culture Recovery Fund and Heritage Emergency Fund, the new development allows people to explore the engine and boiler room from a distance, dismay the boiler into components and the highlight; ‘drive The Danny’ . This VR experience gives all ages the opportunity to navigate the 110-foot steamship weighing 173 tons along the North-West waterways.
Over the 21 months, The Danny has been unable to cruise with passengers due to the pandemic, The Danny has been maintained by the volunteers who lovingly restored her, meeting the ‘Good To Go’ requirements.
Supporting Visit England’s Escape the Everyday UK-wide campaign to boost domestic day trips and overnight breaks in the run-up to summer, Director of The Danny, Andrea Ward said, “The dedicated team at The Danny has been working on several new projects. We’ve expanded our offering to reach a wider demographic. To share the steamship’s unique story, we are introducing innovative ways for the public to learn more about the ship’s past, present and future and as the only steamship like her in the country, she is one of the jewels in the crown for the region”.
Nicola Said, Commercial Director of Marketing Cheshire added, “The Danny is a truly unique experience to Cheshire and a great asset to our offering to visitors and locals alike. She has survived many national and international tragedies – so it’s a refreshing sign of the times to see her sailing once again!”
Dan Cross, who bought The Danny for £1 back in 1990’s and founded the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society said, “We are all looking forward to the summer season. Come rain or shine, we’ll be river cruising the Weaver!”
The volunteer-run venture will run cruises between Friday 23rd July and Friday 1st October 2021.
To find out more about the historic steamship and her cruises visit The Danny website.
