DOCKERS' STRIKE, Take 2 in Birkenhead. Film makers have based themselves at the old Cammell Laird shipyard to make a movie on the Liverpool Dock Strike saga.

Mersey Dock and Harbour Company refused permission for any filming to be done on their docks in Liverpool, or Birkenhead.

Parallax Pictures therefore based the film starring former Soap stars Ricky Tomlinson, of Brookside, and Peter Armitage, of Coronation Street in Wirral.

Producer Sally Hibbin and Location manager Andy Holt, who comes from West Kirby, both agree that Wirral is providing some ideal locations for the film to be screened on Channel 4 in July.

They were speaking exclusively to the Globe as cameras rolled in the Stork Hotel, Price Street, in Birkenhead's Hamilton Quarter, which aims to attract film making.

Dockers is written by Jimmy McGovern together with Irvine Welsh, author of the hugely successful Trainspotting with much original script from dockers and their wives.

Stork licensee Karen Murphy plays herself pulling a pint as Peter Armitage talks to American union chief, actor Shane Rimmer.

It is a crucial scene, Norwich the American says they can no longer support the Liverpool strike because of a threatened multi-million pound writ.

It takes several takes as a smoke machine adds extra atmosphere to the tiled bar of the Stork, chosen instead of several other pubs because it looks typical Liverpool.

Other extras are actual sacked dockers from the 28 month lock out, which has become one of the most important industrial actions in recent history.

The film follows the dispute through the eyes of a typical family, that of Tommy Walton who worked on Liverpool Docks for more than 30 years.

The Scouse sense of humour plays a big part in this two hour production, evident by the banter between extras during takes at the Stork.

The idea for the script comes from the writers' workshop, the Initiative Factory, which includes several sacked dockers. The actual dock scenes will be filmed in Dublin because of the MDHC ruling.

Karen says it was quite an exciting experience. She and her family now look forward to her few moments of television fame in July.

Martin Purcell says filmmakers are welcome in Birkenhead Hamilton Quarter, besides character pubs like the Stork, we have Hamilton Square and Woodside Ferry.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.