# Cammell Laird back on Merseyside (BBC News)



## SN NewsCaster (Mar 5, 2007)

The Cammell Laird Shipyard, which closed its gates in 2001, will begin trading on Merseyside once again.

More from BBC News...


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## John Williams 56-65 (Feb 12, 2008)

SN NewsCaster said:


> The Cammell Laird Shipyard, which closed its gates in 2001, will begin trading on Merseyside once again.
> 
> More from BBC News...


Great news for those of us who knew and have worked at Cammel Humps as we used to call it. However a note of caution. There have been false dawns before and little came of them. I don`t wish to be over cautious or pessimistic but there will be quite a few difficulties before this great yard becomes what we would all like to see, namely the yard becoming the major employer in the area once more, if it ever does. As the yard has been more or less closed for so many years most of the skilled workforce will by now have dispersed into other industries, have reached an age where they are thinking of retirement or even have died off. Those skills will be hard to replace and will take quite a few years to get back to the standard it once had. However I don`t like to be too critical and would love to see the yard once again get back to what it once was, if only to be able to see the spectacular launches that took place there. As the river opposite the yard is roughly a mile wide ships could be launched at ninety degrees to the river completely unrestrained as they are, or were, at most other famous ship building towns around the country.
Best of luck to those brave men wanting to open up the yard. Especially at a time of financial problems such as we are now having.


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## Tomvart (Feb 16, 2006)

Re-opening a Yard is not an easy thing as John states, If you need evidence of this look at the fiasco at Swan Hunters now closed for the second (and likely last) time.
I truly hope that the New Cammell Lairds has fair winds and a following sea through the financial turbulence we are all encountering.
The BBC website didn't mention Shipbuilding - which is a shame - just that Cammell Lairds would be growing its marine services business (whatever that is!).
Regards,
Tom


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## ship-repair (Mar 12, 2008)

well i am in employment by the firm at this time 
and today there have been press walking round filming why not have a nose at the website 
http://www.nsluk.net/cln/home.php
there is a section there which talks about the bid for the six (mars)tankers 
but yes great news


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## Peter Eccleson (Jan 16, 2006)

Good luck to the yard, but I hope the attitude of the workforce is better than it was! Personally, it was by far the worst yard I ever worked in as a sub-contractor and certainly the most militant (the best being Appledore in Devon). I hate to pour scorn on what for British Shipbulding/shiprepair would be a great occasion but can only speak from experience in the early 70's when standing by on the PSNC newbuildings Orbita and Orduna.


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## Bill Davies (Sep 5, 2007)

Good news! However, like post No. 2, I too would offer a word of caution.


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## Ian Charlton (Jun 12, 2008)

Seems like the yard has been working for sometime and it is the Cammell Laird name that they are reviving. Hope that they have more success than they did with Cammell Laird on the Tyne at Hebburn. Always been a very competitive business but they seem to have a fairly decent order book backed up with a fair old chunk of MoD work, which is always a good thing to have in the shiprepair business. Hope it goes from strength to strength.


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## Lksimcoe (Oct 30, 2006)

Maybe the Cammel yard can bid on some shipbuilding for Cunard and P&O as well. Would be a great selling point for British registered ships built in the UK.


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## PhilColebrook (Aug 7, 2006)

Lksimcoe said:


> Maybe the Cammel yard can bid on some shipbuilding for Cunard and P&O as well. Would be a great selling point for British registered ships built in the UK.


Trying to compete with the likes of Fincantieri, Aker (or whatever they're called now) and Meyer Werft for the cruise trade is but a pipedream, I'm afraid. 

But yes, would be nice if we had our own Chantiers de l'Atlantique. 18 months to build the QM2. Wow.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

I doubt that, unless there is an agreement with Fincantieri etc., shipbuilding will resume on the Mersey. The government took the EU "shilling" a long time ago to cease shipbuilding in the UK. It cannot be considered purely coincidental that all the yards shut!! There is also a case for lack of skills, although there are some old diehards still battling away in Birkenhead!! Cheers for them!

Rgds.
Dave


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## fred henderson (Jun 13, 2005)

As I understand the situation, the contract for the new RFAs includes provision of in-service support. If Fincantieri win the tender, then this post-delivery support will be provided from Birkenhead, by the newly renamed ship repair yard. All the ships will be built in Italy, although there is a possibility that a small number of hull modules could be built by "Cammell Laird" if the sinking value of Sterling enables the yard to be competitive.

It should be added that BAe are the favourites to win the contract. They plan to build the ships in South Korea and complete the fitting out in their UK yards.

Fred(Thumb)


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