by Sadie Gilbert

The Isle of Man and Liverpool have a longstanding relationship which stretched back generations.  

And a lasting testament to this historic link between the two locations is the Liverpool ferry terminal, a facility which has for decades enabled not just Manxies and Liverpudlians but people from every corner of the globe to head onto the river Mersey and cross the Irish Sea bound for the Isle of Man (or vice versa). 

Let's be honest, the news that we were going to get a brand new UK-side terminal thrilled everyone on the island. However, it's fair to say that the spiraling cost of the project raised a fair few eyebrows. 

Having lived in Liverpool while studying at university for a number of years, I narrowly missed the opportunity to travel through the new terminal when I returned back to the Isle of Man (it opened a short while after I returned home following the end of the end of the last term). 

But I knew I'd get the chance to take a proper look at the new digs when I found out my whole family were heading to a get-together in the UK for my uncle Mark's 50th birthday. 

While I don’t claim to be an expert of architecture or a landscaping guru, I feel as if I’m more than qualified to give a decent review on the facility having spent years travelling from our trusty ‘yessir’ rock, across the sea and into ‘yes kid’ territory.

I spent around 40 at the new facility ahead of our return journey to the island and I honestly feel that the new terminal is a major (size 10) step up from the old site. 

In all honesty, it knocks spots off the dull eyesore I checked in and out of countless times in years previous (although it did serve us well, it had seen better days). 

Stepping onto the escalator, I felt as though I was really moving up in life and couldn’t help but stare out of the huge glass window and across the Mersey.

Whether it's from Onchan to Douglas or, in this instance, from Liverpool to the Isle of Man, I think that comfort is truly the key to making any travelling scenario easier - and that's something the new terminal gets right. 

Our crossing was quiet which meant that I didn’t have to go through the stress of finding a seat in the large and spacious waiting area. 

However, I can imagine that at times - such as the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix periods - I imagine it could get a little crowded. 

With time to kill before our boat set off, I decided to have a proper mooch around the new facility.

The cafe, the source of much of the buzz surrounding the new terminal, was serving a limited selection of drinks and snacks although the coffee machines were up and running. 

I chomped down on a flapjack and downing my weight in sparkling water before following the signs to the toilets for a nosy. 

Although lacking in my usual levels of enthusiasm for the return journey, 

I was immediately impressed by the new loos. I am not a snob by any means, however a pet peeve of mine is an underwhelming hand dryer.

But I felt like jumping for joy when I spotted a state-of-the-art Dyson - the only dryer that has ever been able to leave my hands bone dry without me reaching for paper towels.

The toilets in general were spacious and had free nappy bags for travelling parents which I thought was a nice touch.

By the time we were called to get on the Manannan I was already googling how expensive it would be to install a Dyson dryer at home.

All in all, I would give the new Liverpool Ferry Terminal a solid 8 out of 10.