FIFTY years ago, what looked to be an exciting new daily hovercraft service between Southport, Barrow and Blackpool turned into a farce.

There had been tests, delays, problems of all kinds and even a trial run for press and travel agents in the summer of 1968.

Then on Monday, August 12, passengers were left waiting for hours and wondering if they would ever reach their destination on the first day of public services.

The Mail report the following day noted: "The hovercraft arrived in Barrow at 5pm yesterday, nine-and-a-half hours late.

"Watched by about 50 people, Denny Enterprise docked at Belfast Berth and a dozen people got off."

Twenty minutes later it left for Fleetwood and first in the queue of 20 to board was 14-year-old Ken Royall, of Park Avenue, Barrow.

The delay was due to divers being needed to clear debris from under the boat.

After those first-day problems, the new service had its last return trip to Barrow on August 19 - seven days after it had started.

The vessel was not up to the strong winds and choppy tides of Morecambe Bay.

The service had been a long time in the planning, as the National Archive at Kew has the original application for a hovercraft service linking Fleetwood, Morecambe and Barrow which is dated 1963.

A joint press release by builders Denny and operator Norwest Hovercraft, dated July 17 in 1968, said: “Day journeys are very popular from Fleetwood and Morecambe to the Lakes.

“By road to Barrow, it is 75 miles – by sea 20 miles.

“Barrow is only 16 miles from Lake Windermere, which has considerable appeal to residents in the Flyde area. “Visitors to the Flyde coast – St Anne’e, Blackpool and Fleetwood – number 10m.

“In addition there are day visitors, many wanting to visit the Lake District.

“A steamship ferry operated before the war, proved highly successful. “The hovercraft service will be the first sea connection operated since the ferry service was suspended during the war years.

“Linking Barrow with Fleetwood will make available faster train services to London and Blackpool airport facilities for Barrow area residents.

“Barrow also has an expanding industrial area and improved communications will be advantageous.

“An added thought for passengers – coaches will link the coast to the Lake Windermere steamer terminal at Newby Bridge.

“An estimated 1.5m visitors to the Fleetwood terminal can be viewed as possible.”

The company’s Denny D2-002 sidewall hovercraft arrived in some style at Fleetwood on July 5 in 1968 having claimed a world record for the 550-mile trip from Poole in Dorset.

The development cost of the new craft had been £600,000 and each Denny Hovercraft cost £80,000 to build.

It could achieve 25 knots despite waves up to 4ft 6in in height.

A press release noted: “Tests have been made in force 10 weather and Denny claims that the craft is virtually unsinkable.”

It could carry 95 passengers and the price for a return trip from Fleetwood to Morecambe was expected to be 22/6 (£1.12).

Norwest Hovercraft built a terminal on the old Fleetwood railway station site but only started a service to Douglas on the isle of Man in 1969.

It soon dropped the Denny Enterprise hovercraft in favour of a chartered traditional Norwegian ferry boat called Stella Marina.

The Denny hovercraft was then intended to be used for services across Morecambe Bay but it did nothing more than pleasure cruises.

In 1970 the firm was using the refurbished ferry Norwest Laird but withdrew its services by the end of the year.

Before it was withdrawn, Norwest Laird operated a number of highly successful evening excursions to Bar row.

By February 28 in 1973 the London Gazette recorded that Norwest Hovercraft was in the hands of company liquidator Gilbert Eaves.