SS Arandora Star: The Sorry Story of a Doomed Luxury Cruise Liner by Peter Elson

The Racquet Club Hotel, 5 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG
Tuesday 17 March 2026 at 10.30am
Tickets £25 to include coffee/tea and biscuits
50 places available
Organiser: Olwen McLaughlin (contact 07970 660081 or olwen@editionsltd.net)

The SS Arandora Star was one of the elite pre-war cruise liners, her name at night flashed in neon advertising above London’s Piccadilly Circus. But instead of being remembered for sybaritic voyages her name became a by-word for one of the worst blunders by PM Winston Churchill in the Second World War.

In stark contrast to her earlier incarnation, Arandora Star was repurposed as a prison ship and became the floating jail to deport hundreds of innocent interned Anglo-Italian and Anglo-German civilians, from Liverpool. 

A regular broadcaster on BBC Radio Merseyside talking about the city’s history and maritime heritage, Peter was also a journalist for nearly 20 years at the Liverpool Daily Post & Echo (for which he also wrote eight books on maritime matters). Previously he wrote for the national press, including The Telegraph, Times, Guardian, Observer and Mail. More recently, he worked as a fundraiser for Liverpool Blue Coat School.

If you would like to stay on for two course lunch with tea/coffee for £25.00 in Ziba restaurant please contact reservations on info@racquetclub.org.uk.