Spectacular skyline image taken on LFC Parade Day raises £5,000 for Liverpool Spirit Appeal

A Liverpool photographer has raised more than £5,000 for the Liverpool Spirit Appeal with a spectacular image of the city taken on the day of the LFC Victory Parade.

The photograph, shot from Birkenhead, shows the iconic skyline of Liverpool and the majestic cruise ship Queen Anne which had arrived the same day for Cunard’s 185^th anniversary celebrations.

With the Three Graces in the foreground and the cruise line’s newest vessel on the left, the familiar grey landmarks are framed by a sea of red as flares and fireworks lit up The Strand and waterfront.

And award-winning cameraman Gareth Jones was deluged with so many requests from people wanting to buy the photo that he decided to make it available for donations that would go to the Liverpool Spirit Appeal, raising money to help those most affected by the devastating incident which happened soon after on May 26.

Gareth says:

“It was a gesture of goodwill to bring some joy to a day which had started off with happiness, but which ended in tears.

“I’d had hundreds of emails and people writing to me, asking if they could buy the print. But I thought instead of me making money, why don’t I make it available to people digitally so they can print it themselves, however they want, and raise money for the appeal.”

“I thought it might make about £500 – and it’s incredible that it’s made so much more.”

Gareth was commissioned to take the photograph by Cunard, who wanted to capture the scenes in the city on such a historic day.

The 51-year-old father of three from Ainsdale had to climb to the top of the Queensway Tunnel’s main ventilation shaft in Woodside to get the image which soon went viral after it was released.

“Cunard arranged for authorisation from Merseytravel to go up the vent with someone who works there because it’s a climb. There are ladders and steps to get to it; it’s not brilliantly accessible with a backpack and camera!

“I was up there for a couple of hours in the rain and, as soon as I took the picture, Cunard issued it to local media. Sadly, the incident happened on Water Street about 15 minutes after I’d taken it and everything changed.”

But Gareth goes on:

“The picture had already gone out and everyone started to message me and write to me on LinkedIn, Instagram and X saying it was a fantastic picture, and they wanted to buy it. My social media went berserk.

“So I spoke to Cunard who agreed it was a great idea to make it available to raise money for the families affected in the incident and that, as I owned the copyright, I would do it off my own back with support from them.

“I put it up last Friday and now it’s made over £5,000 – with Gift Aid it will be a lot more.”

Gareth, who’s worked for local and national media in the past and is now a commercial and wedding photographer, smiles as he reveals some have suggested the photo is doctored, but he says: “Believe me it’s a real image. It was a grey day and then all the flares and pyros went off together.

“That was it. I just thought, well that worked out well. It had impact – and when it went out to the press it went viral.

“I’m an Evertonian – so it’s quite bizarre that I’ve maybe got more Reds followers than Blue now – but I think, for me, it shows we are all together. It doesn’t matter if you’re Liverpool or Everton, it’s one city. 

“So many people wrote to me and were so nice with comments about how amazing the photo was and how it brought them such happiness. It was nice for me to do.

“I’m still getting emails now and I’m sending the image out to people via We Transfer so the quality is there – one guy’s created a huge mural of it for his back garden, and people are saying it will make a great present for Father’s Day!

“The skyline is iconic and for a Liverpool fan to have that, showing Liverpool FC and the city in one shot, is wonderful, and if it was Everton it would be the same. It just captures a moment.

“It’s incredible.”

Follow Gareth on his Instagram page @photogarethj

Gareth has suggested a minimum donation of £20 for the photograph. To get a digital copy go to his Just Giving page.

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