@LMRailway Interesting. I'm not aware of a #timeBall at that location. It appears to be much larger than the one on the #landingStage but the Victoria Tower one was 5'6" so it's conceivably in scope. The inscription appears to say "Keep to the right(or left?)" which suggests that if it was a time ball it might have been repurposed. Unlike the landing stage time ball there is no obvious hoist mechanism although, to be fair, the same is true of sketches of the Victoria Tower ball.

#OTD in 1895 the approaches to #Liverpool had been subject to gale force winds overnight. Light snow was falling with more expected and the air was piercingly cold.

The ferries would have operated round-the-clock from the George's #LandingStage and Simpson's refreshment room on the stage would be occupied by the family who lived above.

Compliments of the season to one and all!

This is likely the second Simpson's refreshment room on the Prince's Landing Stage. The two are very similar but may perhaps be distinguished by the presence of a shop, office or possibly Simpson's entrance to the immediate right.

Photo courtesy of Britain from Above, 1920. Mrs Simpson died the following year aged 93 and it's likely that the franchise ended. The landing stage was subsequently redeveloped as a two-tier structure.

#LandingStage
#LiverpoolHistory

https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW003064

End view of the lifeboat station and stagemaster's office (Britain from Above, 1936). This area of the #LandingStage was used by ferries carrying vehicles that descended via the floating roadway.

The tunnel may have been a passageway from a shelter formerly on the Pier Head above, the ferry basin to the right having been infilled by this time.

https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW050113

#LiverpoolHistory

Further to #Liverpool #GeorgesDock #LandingStage and #WilliamShawSimpson, Alamy have a photo of Simpson's restaurant. His wife Margaret, two daughters and two waitressess continued to live on the landing stage (1891 census).

For Simpson's major role in labour relations in the docks 1871 onward, see: https://archive.org/details/liverpooldockers0000unse/page/82/mode/2up?q=simpson%5C%27s+landing+stage

Simpson's once famous bowl for charitable donations is apparently in the collections of the #MaritimeMuseum.
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-the-landing-stage-liverpool-early-1900s-112245015.html

Interesting book on William Shaw Simpson, caterer resident on the landing stage and social benefactor (see preview). Died 1883. #LiverpoolHistory #LandingStage https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/1326086-simpson-of-the-liverpool-landing-stage