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1,000 postcards and photographs of the villages
of Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay and Click Here for More Old Skelmorlie Photos "Maid of Skelmorlie" and The Story of 'The Maids', The 'ABC Car Ferries' and The 'Glen Sannox (III)' - In 1951, there was widespread approval of Lord Hurcomb's announcement of a £1,000,000 plan to build seven new motor-ships - four passenger vessels and three car ferries - for the Clyde steamer services. The new, 15-knot, passenger ships having capacity for about 500 passengers and the car ferries, using electrically-driven hoists and side-ramps and allowing motorists to drive on from conventional piers at any state of tide. The "Maid of Skelmorlie" was the second of the 'Maids' to be built by A & J Inglis at Pointhouse and she was launched at their yard, just by the mouth of the River Kelvin, on April 2, 1953 by Mrs T. F. Cameron, wife of The British Transport Commission's “Scottish Region” manager.
* * * * * * * * * * * The Story of The Largs to Millport Ferries 'Ashton' and The Leven' - 1938 was the year of the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow and at the same the Cunard liner No 552, the "Queen Elizabeth" was completely building at John Brown’s yard at Clydebank - Early that year it was rumoured that a private operator was to put a small ship on route from Glasgow to sail down river to view the shipyards and the Cunarder. To forestall any opposition the Caledonian Steam Packet Company placed and order with William Denny and Bros on Thursday, January 6, 1938 for the construction of two small motor vessels based on the design of "Wee Cumbrae" for sailings from Glasgow. The "Ashton" and "Leven" began their association with the Millport ferry service in 1948, the single fare from Largs to Millport then 1/3d (nearly 7 'new' pence) - Sometime later, Innes Park Road's Bert Cook became one of their regular 'skippers', as did Calum Morrison, uncle of today's Inverkip School headmaster.
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Fair Weekends at Wemyss Bay - On Saturday mornings, particularly at 'Fair Weekend Holidays', there was untold congestion at Wemyss Bay between 1130 and 1200 and then, there were the regular vessels to Rothesay and Millport.
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Hovercraft and Catamarans - Even if you remember "Opportunity Knocks" with Hughie Green (who kept a yacht at Inverkip) and Monica Rose, you might not know that Canadian-born Hughie Green was invited to open Clyde Hover Ferries' new service from Tarbert to Gourock - Here too you will find out about the other hovercraft and catamarans which have run on the Clyde.
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The Clyde Pilot Boats, The 'Cumbrae', The 'Gantock' and The 'Nathaniel Dunlop' - The dry-docking of the "Queen Elizabeth" at Greenock in 1965 brought much publicity to a "silent service" which has operated with little fuss almost since the Clyde became navigable. It is, of course, The Clyde Pilotage Service and the only external evidence of its existence to be seen by the general public in these days was the pilot station on Gourock Pier and the two pilot cutters which spent much of their time moored alongside. The old steam-driven pilot cutter, the "Sir Nathaniel Dunlop" was called after a Campbeltown lad o' pairts. Leaving the town as a young man he got a job as a clerk in the offices of The Allan Line - The eldest of the five sons of Alexander Allan, founder of The Allan Line shipping business, James Allan. When failing health obliged him to withdraw from active involvement in business, he took up summer residence at Ashcraig, Skelmorlie, dying there in August 1880. Anyway, somehow or other the young office clerk met Miss Smith, daughter of the Chairman of The City Line. He went to Mr. Smith and asked for his daughter's hand. Mr. Smith pooh-poohed the idea that a mere clerk should aspire so high.
"Would it make any difference if you knew I was to become a director of The Allan Line?" "Oh, yes, that would alter the picture". Back to his office went young Dunlop, "Please give me a directorship". "Don't be daft !" "Would it make any difference if you knew I was to marry Miss Smith of the City Line?" He ended up with the Chairmanship, a bride and a knighthood !
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Dredgers - Piers like Wemyss Bay need to be dredged regularly and, until 1968, the Ayr-based "Carrick" would make occasional sorties north to prevent the water from shoaling around the pier's northern and southern berths.
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The Story of The Clyde's 'Banana Boats' - The ships which used to convey sludge from the Glasgow's sewage works, for disposal off Bute's Garroch Head, would regularly carry passengers in summer months but were rarely recognised as 'Clyde Steamers'.
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The Maggie and The Amethyst - One of Skelmorlie's residents in the 1950's was Franklyn Gollings, a close associate of Alexander Mackendrick, the Boston-Scots film director and though not quite directly responsible for the idea of making 'The Maggie", Gollings was responsible for the idea of making the film about HMS Amethyst and " The Yangtse Incident ". |
