A WIRRAL photographer has been sharing his fascinating archive of photographs on social media.

Neston-based Bernard Rose has been capturing images of Merseyside for more than 40 years, with his cache of shots stretching back to his time working as a commercial photographer in the 1970s.

“During the 70s I was a trainee working for the commercial photographers Elsam,Mann and Cooper,” said Bernard.

“During that time I used to take various photos around the city. I also did a photography course at Myrtle Street Art College which meant I had various projects to undertake.

“Wisely I kept all my negatives safe so now I’ve scanned them all and I’m sharing them via my Twitter feed and Facebook page.”

This selection of photographs from Bernard’s archive highlights the iconic Mersey Ferries with all the pictures taken between 1971-72.

The early 70s was a difficult time for the ferry service with the landing at New Brighton withdrawn in 1971 and the opening of the Kingsway road tunnel on June 28 1971 prompting a further decline in passenger numbers to around 4,000-5,000 a day from a high of 30m passengers a year in 1950.

The economic situation in Britain saw costs escalating, with funding limited by the Merseyside Passenger Transport Executive, which was embarking on an expensive operation to construct the Merseyrail ‘Liverpool Loop’ extension.

It was sentimental, rather than economical grounds which resulted in the retention of the ferries, after much public protest to keep them. However, service frequency was reduced, with ferry fares being linked to bus and rail fares and during this period, maintenance on the ferries was limited considerably.

The Mersey Ferries – one of the best known and evocative sights in the city, and one that became synonymous with Liverpool the world over thanks to Gerry Marsden – would never be the same again.

Follow Bernard on Twitter @BRPimages and visit his Facebook page @BernardRoseLiverpoolPhotography