IT MAY be on the move, but Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory, based at Bidston Observatory, is far from closed.

Boffins will remain at the site - working on a range of fascinating projects - until August when the institution relocates to Liverpool. The departure from Bidston will be the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy of innovation.

Bidston Hill has always played an important role in maritime history. From Astronomy to Oceanography, the list of achievements is exhaustive.

Even before the Liverpool Tidal Institute moved to Bidston Observatory in 1924, Bidston Hill had strong maritime connections and a proud history of accomplishments. But it was when the Liverpool Tidal Institute, under the directorship of Professor Proudman, relocated to the site that the most internationally significant part of Bidston Hill's history began.

The first tide-predicting machines in the world were created at the observatory. As well as being utilised for commercial purposes, the machines were used to help with the war effort and D-Day landings.

Since then, date from a range of instruments has been collected for a wide variety of purposes.

The lab looks after all of Britain's tidal gauges and predicts when and where floods are likely to occur. The team at Bidston have also been used to predict the movement of infamous oil spills such as the Braer and Sea Empress disasters.

On the theory side, the physicists at Bidston soar out of sight. They are attempting to come up with mathematical models that can predict the currents of the sea and even the movement of sediment underwater.

Soon a new radar system will be introduced that will calculate and predict the shifting sand banks around Hilbre Island - something that has never been attempted before.