THE comings and goings of ships and submarines in all shapes and sizes has fascinated Ken Royall for most of his life and some of his best Barrow pictures form the centrepiece of a new book.

Ken's pictures, with detailed captions by Ian Buxton and Brian Hargreaves, feature in Half a Century and More of Ship Photography at Barrow.

The book has its official launch at Barrow Archive and Local Studies Library, in the town's Ramsden Street central library, from 6pm on Wednesday, September 27.

Mr Buxton and Mr Hargreaves, both from the North East, will be at the launch and Barrow archivist Susan Benson will have a display of original material relating to Barrow's shipbuilding industry.

The event is free but places should be booked by calling 01229 407377 or you can send an email to barrow.archives@cumbria.gov.uk

Mr Buxton said: "The book is 64 pages and has 135 of Ken’s best photographs taken between 1949 and 2009."

Ken Royall has been a member of the World Ship Society since it was founded in 1947 and he was able to get many of his launch day pictures between his shifts at Barrow Steelworks.

Views of some of Barrow's best-known vessels - such as the graceful liner Oriana and the aircraft carrier Invincible - are balanced with views of ships at the end of their working lives.

The book notes: "Another major activity in the docks was shipbreaking by Thomas W. Ward Limited, which had two alongside berths for shipbreaking, one in the Anchor Line Basin and one in Devonshire Dock."

Mr Royall converted a spare bedroom into a darkroom and processed his own films and prints until moving over to digital photography in 2000.

Half a Century and More of Ship Photography at Barrow is published by the World Ship Society at £9.99 and the project has been supported by a grant from the Kirby Archives Trust