Captain Mike Lowe Mural Inauguration — A Moment of Community, Memory and Mersey Pride

© 2025 Pete Carr — petecarr.net. Used with permission for New Brighton Creative Futures.

New Brighton came together in extraordinary style for the inauguration of the Captain Mike Lowe mural — an afternoon that felt less like an event and more like a collective exhale. After years of turbulence in the local cultural landscape, this was a moment of reconnection: emotional, grounded, and deeply human. A kind of community healing, shaped by shared stories and the pride of a town rediscovering its creative strength.

Unveiled at the Master Mariner Bar and Grill, the mural — commissioned by New Brighton Creative Futures CIC and painted by local artist BREZAUX — celebrates Mike Lowe, the youngest ever Mersey Ferry captain, who at 92 remains a living link to the river’s working history. His story spans generations of ferry crews, shipbuilders, engineers and pilots: the people who built Merseyside’s identity across both banks of the river.

© 2025 Pete Carr — petecarr.net. Used with permission for New Brighton Creative Futures.

The ceremony brought together Dame Angela Eagle MP, the Mayor of Wirral Councillor Brian Kenny, Council Leader Councillor Paula Basnett, representatives from Cammell Laird, Wirral Council and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority — as well as community groups, volunteers, local businesses, and the Lowe family. Their presence underscored the genuinely cross-river nature of the celebration. This wasn’t a Wirral event or a Liverpool event; it was a Mersey event — one river, one community, united by culture and story.

Attendees also witnessed the unveiling of a commemorative plaque containing a QR code leading to a newly created digital archive. The archive includes photographs, documents, and a 50-minute filmed interview — a rare, intimate portrait of Mike’s life on the water. The plaque turns the mural into a living gateway: visitors can hear Mike’s voice, walk through his memories, and understand the river through the eyes of someone who spent a lifetime guiding people safely across it.

© 2025 Pete Carr — petecarr.net. Used with permission for New Brighton Creative Futures.

In his remarks, Rory Wilmer, Creative Director of NBCF, described the mural as “a bridge between generations” — art that doesn’t just look back, but pulls stories forward into the town’s future. His speech reflected a wider truth felt on the day: that the Mersey doesn’t divide the region; it binds it. As he shared, the river is “the artery of our ecosystem, the beating heart of who we are,” a reminder that Liverpool and the Wirral rise and fall together.

This sense of shared identity was echoed by the many people who stopped during the painting process to share memories — former ferry workers, retired shipyard staff, locals remembering childhood crossings, including the legendary tales of buying a one-way ticket and hiding in the toilets to sneak the return journey. As Mike himself later confirmed, the captains knew — and they let it happen. That generosity of spirit, that understanding of what the river meant to ordinary people, now lives on in the mural.

© 2025 Pete Carr — petecarr.net. Used with permission for New Brighton Creative Futures.

The inauguration took place during the same week as the installation of Spirit of the Lake, a striking new mural by artist Joe Forrest at the Marine Lake — a project created with young people and volunteers, marking the lake’s 90th anniversary. Together, the two works symbolise the growing momentum of New Brighton’s open-air gallery and mural trail, reflecting the strength of its creative scene and the partnerships that sustain it.

Support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Cammell Laird, The Guide Liverpool, The Floating Grace and contributions from the local community helped bring the Captain Lowe mural to life, reinforcing the role of culture in regeneration across the Victoria Quarter and beyond.

© 2025 Pete Carr — petecarr.net. Used with permission for New Brighton Creative Futures.

But beyond the funding, logistics, and speeches, it was the atmosphere that will stay with people. The room felt full of warmth — a mix of pride, nostalgia and collective gratitude. It was a celebration of a man, a river, a town, and the creative movement that’s taking root in New Brighton. A reminder that art isn’t just decoration; it’s connection.

And on this day, connection was everywhere: across the river, across generations, across the community. A moment where New Brighton stood not just as a seaside town, but as a cultural force shaped by its people, its heritage, and its belief in what creativity can do.