After a fundraising campaign led by the Daily Ghost just what is happening to the future plans of bringing the SS Manxman to Liverpool.
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_objectid=14236630&method=full&siteid=50061&headline=bring-her-back-to-mersey-plea-as-manxman-looks-doomed-name_page.html
http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2007/08/06/appeal-to-save-manxman-gets-off-to-a-flying-start-64375-19576032/
Bill Ogle the Chairman of the Manxman Steamship Company (the Trust) informed me on the 8th Feb 09. “Activities over the last 7 years, and from results of a total of 10 separate independent and professional surveys and exercises, the Trust has been able to address all of them and formulate a fully developed and costed Business Plan. This indicated that, providing the initial, purchase, restoration and relocation costs could be met then in her planned berth at Birkenhead Manxman would indeed provide a viable business capable of generating sufficient income to cover all running costs as well as a surplus for future maintenance.that the initial conditional offer of a berth by Mersey Docks and Harbour Company was subsequently withdrawn by Peel Holdings and, as recently as December 2008, their position is unchanged.
The Trust was forced to accept that the original plan could not be achieved”.
As of the 20th November 09 the situation is as such. Bill Ogle writes.
With regard to Manxman herself, there is no change. She remains in the covered dry dock at Sunderland. We presume her owners are waiting for an improvement in steel prices when they will need to remove the asbestos and dismantle her in situ.
The Trust now must be wound up, this is now completed for our trading company. Firstly we need to sell our 4ft long scale model of Manxman to fully realise our assets, and it is in the hands of Bonhams in London for inclusion in their auction early next year. Likewise the American organisation is not continuing their interest. So there is no good news I'm sorry to say; and the opportunity is now lost.
What is happening with the funds raised to save the SS Manxman. I presume they will be returned some people gave four figure sums?.
http://www.yoliverpool.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-5267.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2008/01/14/shipbuilding_peter_callagham_feature.shtml
There was a meeting at India Buildings some time ago which brought out a few old seadogs such as Patrick Moran determined to save it.
Apparantly the owners of India Buildings had an interest in the Manxman.
Achilleas Kallakis was called the Mayfairs, Walter Mitty, by the Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/01/uk-property-fraud-kallakis
In European high-stakes poker circles he goes by the name of "The Don", among Mayfair property magnates he calls himself Achilleas Kallakis, and when diplomatic affairs are the topic of the day he likes to be addressed as "His Excellency, ambassador of the Republic of San Marino to the Sultanate of Brunei".
But one name he doesn't use much these days is the one his parents gave him, Stefan Michalis Kollakis - with an 'o'. Perhaps that's because under this name he was convicted in 1995 of selling bogus British feudal titles to hapless Americans and Australians.
A further dig around Kollakis's past reveals a string of small-scale failed businesses which appear to have no assets. Among the ventures to sink into administration were the SS Manxman, a floating disco boat moored at West Waterloo Dock in Liverpool, and Electras, a nightclub in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire.
Fourteen years ago he pleaded guilty to fraud at Southwark crown court, admitting selling "lordships" to Americans, Australians and Arabs for £85,000. Kollakis, who at the time worked for a travel company in Croydon, bought the titles from the Manorial Society of Great Britain, sub-divided them into districts and then offered them for sale via newspaper adverts. The scam claimed to be taking advantage an ancient process known as subinfudation - splitting and increasing the number of titles. But the practice had in fact been banned in 1290.
Achilleas HEEL.
I made this information available to Larry Bartlett of the Ghost…not a dicky bird. What happened to all the cash said to have been over £30,000.
Peel Holdings should really start putting something back into the city instead of circumnavigating its ports, surely they could contribute something to our maritime past.
There he is the "Dick.......Dastardly" Nigel Lee the Chief Planning Disaster of Liverpools misfortune and his sidekick John “Mutley” Bimbo…snassinfrassin away selling us down the river at planning committee meetings. This time of the year while everyone else is down at the Playhouse watching the actors in The 39 Steps, make merriment, or shopping for woolly jumpers in the new Grosvenor-pool The Riechmarshal Lee and his army of elves grind away with some of the most important planning applications while no-one is interested. He really is behind you. In fact too close for comfort. In my opinion he is shafting you. You see he knows that nobody will be paying attention at this time of the year. As do the people running the city the Fib-Dems and so they decide to put plans to sell the library to a private firm on view. Planning app 09L/2618 & 09F/2617 Combine the Xmas rush with the biggest snowfall of the year unveiling a national disaster people having to abandon cars all over the country and alter travel plans and there you have it perfect timing. Send in the Clowns. There has to be clowns. This convenient council way of dealing with planning applications is like falling off a yuletide log for Nigel Lee the Captain Hook look-alike. He is behind you, really close and he is stabbing you in the back.
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