The Ferry That Was

Jessica and Matthew are seven-year-old twins who go on a school trip across the Mersey river. Miranda the magic doll appears to them and whisks them back in time. The ferry they are on turns into a boat and they find themselves back in the twelfth century. The boat is full of characters from that century. They have adventures with them and visit an old castle near the dockside. They meet the inhabitants of the castle and interact with them. Matthew gets dressed up as the court jester and tries to entertain the lord of the castle. The lord of the castle thinks they are spies, and knights in armour chase them through the castle corridors. They escape through a secret passage with the help of Ned, a boy they have befriended. They are finally whisked back by Miranda into the twenty-first century.