The traditional laws of shop opening hours have changed dramatically over the past few decades. It was was not until 1994 that the now seemingly archaic Shops Act of 1950 was repelled. The act prohibited Sunday trading, something which is today taken for granted. Many of the shops around that time were unable to trade on a Sunday and if they were it was under very restrictive opening hours.
This rule was of course, disliked by many commercial property owners, who believed these restrictions in trading hours were affecting their livelihood.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, this law was not just inconvenient to commercial property owners and traders, but was beginning to prove unpopular with shoppers as well. Shopping could be difficult, there was no late night shopping, no 24 hour supermarkets, a number of men worked six days a week and few women could drive. This meant that Sunday was the only day of the week that a man could take his wife and children out shopping.
Some commercial property owners went on to find ingenious ways around the outdated law. There was a small loophole in the Shops Act of 1950, which stated: ‘the act shall not apply to seagoing ships.’ This would pass many by, however, Liverpool based company Empirewise Ltd, saw an opportunity.
Empirewise Ltd, purchased the 3,600 ton, TSS Duke Of Lancaster, in 1979, with the intention of converting the sea going vessel into a glamorous retail centre. The TSS Duke Of Lancaster arrived at her new home at Llanerch-y-Mor, near Mostyn, North Wales on 10th August 1979.The ship was brought into a permanent dock and the hull was sealed.
The ships interior was then converted into a thriving retail centre, with the car deck used for market stalls and the upper decks kitted out with bars, restaurants, a cinema, an amusement arcade, a pool hall and even included child care facilities.
The ship went on to be very successful over the course of the next five or so years, but unfortunately the commercial property dream came to a crashing end in 1986. Due to the fact that the ship was only accessible by way of a low railway bridge which emergency vehicles were unable to access, health and safety regulations forced the ships closure in 1986.
It is with some sorrow, TSS Duke Of Lancaster owner, Alan D’Arcy, told BBC television how he is ‘sad to see her [the ship] sat here empty, I would have liked her to be still open and working.’
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