She started life in 1903 as Ralph Brocklebank, having been built for the Shropshire Railways & Canal Company. She was used to tow barges and ferry passngers across the river Mersey. In 1922 she was sold to the Manchester Ship Canal Company and was operated as a steam tug in the port of Manchester. Occaisionally, she made day trips on the ship canal. In 1936 she was rebuilt and with her upgraded interiors made trips for VIP-passengers on the canal and in Manchster port under her new name Daniel Adamson (ship canal instigator and chairman of the Manchester canal company). Her interior was carefully designed as a miniature version of one of the great liners of the day with stylish saloons fitted out with a cocktail bar and wooden panels which were originally intended for one of the famous Oceanic fleet.
Considered too old and costly to operate, Daniel Adamson is laid up in 1984. Vandalised and in bad condition she is destined for scrap, but in the nick of time is saved by local skipper Dan Cross who launches a successful rescue campagne. It takes until 2016 to fully restore her, made possible by a 3.8 mio pound grant by the Heritage Lottery fund. Nowadays, she sails on short day cruises and is often open to visitors when she is moored at her berth at Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge in Cheshire, or within the Royal Albert Dock in Liverpool.
Her interiors have been restored, preserving the Art Deco interior style and the carpets, chairs, fabrics and tables now in the saloons were all handcrafted locally to match the original 1930’s photographs, meaning “today time spent in the saloons is exactly as it would have been in the 1930’s – making The Danny a truly unique and romantic venue which echoes a by-gone age of steam and style” according to her present owners, the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society in their wbesite the www.danny.co.uk.
