PREFACE

The superb images in this book are a remarkable record of Scottish steamers over the period from 1927 to 1937. Then the world was somewhat different to the one we know today. People managed somehow without the internet, social media, mobile phones or television and it would be some years before the demands of the motor car imposed significant changes to the ships and services.

Although a start had been made in providing improved homes, many occupied poor quality housing and a trip on a steamer was a chance to exchange the smoke and grime of the city for fresh sea air. Only the better off could afford holidays abroad creating the tradition of ‘Ma, Pa and the weans going doon the watter at the fair’ when Pa would visit the engines (en route to the bar!) and lunch in the magnificent dining saloons would be a real treat.

In those days, on the sail from Glasgow, passengers could see and hear the activity in the many Clydeside shipyards building some of the finest ships in the world. Sadly, like so much of our heavy industry, they have all but disappeared.

Although J. B. MacGeorge contributed some photographs of MacBrayne vessels in Hebridean waters and of ships on the River Forth, the vast majority depict Clyde Steamers, obviously his greatest interest. At that time there were a few motor vessels, driven by diesel engines but the vast majority were true steamers, powered by steam generated by coal fired boilers, including both turbine steamers and paddle steamers with paddle steamers preponderant. Talisman, built in 1935, introduced a new concept for she was a paddler powered by electricity from generators driven by diesel engines, a precursor of today’s hybrid ferries.

The book will bring back many happy memories, firstly for those who were around during the period covered and for many others recalling later periods as many of the ships and services continued for several years. The last to retire were PS Caledonia in 1969, TS Duchess of Hamilton in 1970, TS King George V in 1974 and TS Queen Mary in 1977. PS Caledonia became a floating restaurant on the Thames until, sadly, destroyed by fire. TS Queen Mary followed suit but has returned to the Clyde to undergo extensive restoration in preparation for a new life as an educational, heritage, conference and function centre. She will be well worth a visit when the restoration is complete.

In addition, we are indeed fortunate that, thanks to the determined efforts of those who have preserved that icon, PS Waverley, it is still possible to experience the delights of a trip on a paddle steamer similar to that enjoyed by the passengers on the earlier steamers featured in this book.

John Whittle was Manager of The Caledonian Steam Packet Company from 1969 – 1973, and General Manager of Caledonian MacBrayne from 1973 – 1983.

Waverley (1899) in Loch Long 27th August 1932. The magnificent Waverley speeds through the tranquil waters of Loch Long on her homeward journey from her daily sailing to Arrochar. After having allowed her passengers an hour on shore she was due to leave at 1410 and make her way to Lochgoilhead before returning to Craigendoran via Blairmore and Kilcreggan. At Craigendoran she would put ashore her Glasgow and local traffic then load those passengers returning from the Three Lochs tour plus evening commuters and then set out again, via Helensburgh to Kilcreggan, Kirn, Dunoon, Innellan, Craigmore and Rothesay thereafter providing a sailing back to her base. Having collected LM&SR passengers at Gourock on the way out she would put them ashore at Kirn to return on any LM&SR sailing to Gourock. A busy life indeed! In 1933 she was fitted with a forward deck shelter which sadly served to slow her down.

INTRODUCTION

On 4th July 2019 Mrs Helen Gillies arrived at the Waverley Office in Glasgow with a large box of material which she thought might be of use for fundraising towards new boilers for the old ship. When the box was opened by Gordon Wilson and Iain Quinn of the Scottish Branch of the Paddle Steamer Preservation Society they found, to their delight, that it contained hundreds of old slides of Scottish steamers taken in the 1920s and 1930s. Although initially the photographer’s name was not known, by chance it was spotted that the 1972 edition of Clyde River and Other Steamers contained one of the images, credited to J. B. MacGeorge. All the old slides were in individual envelopes with copious details in the same handwriting, so it seems certain that all had been taken by J. B. MacGeorge, that they had been presented to Helen’s father, John Young, upon Mr MacGeorge’s death and that eventually they had fallen to Helen upon the death of her father. It was quickly realised that the collection was a veritable treasure trove of material of great significance and the decision was taken that they should be shared with the wider public in the form of a book.

Sadly, not a lot is known about the photographer. John Bernard MacGeorge was born in Glasgow in June 1897 to Bernard Buchanan MacGeorge and Ellen MacGeorge nee Whigham of 10 Woodside Crescent, Glasgow. They had been married in Ayr on December 4th, 1888. The young John was born into a prosperous background, his father being listed as a stockbroker by profession. One imagines John Bernard had a conventional childhood in a middle class professional family during which he became interested in Clyde Steamers and the joy of photography which he was able to combine together to our benefit. He followed his father into the profession of stockbroker and resided in a handsome villa in Wemyss Bay, an excellent location for a man of his interests. He was appointed a Burgess of the Trades House of Glasgow on 23rd October 1936, and remained a bachelor all his life. He passed away in Larkfield Hospital, Greenock, on 21st November 1965.

When the contents of the box were collected together it was found that there were over 500 slides, taken in the period from the late 1920s up to the outbreak of the Second World War. Most of them were taken on the Clyde in locations stretching from the river down into the firth, into its many lochs and ports and encompassed such parts as Craigendoran, the Gareloch, Gourock, the Cowal piers, Rothesay, the Kyles of Bute, Arran, Inveraray and Campbeltown. In addition, there were slides of steamers on Loch Lomond, at Oban and Kyle of Lochalsh, Islay, Dundee and Granton on the Forth. The period in which they were taken was one of profound change which witnessed the end of one distinct era in steamer history and the beginning of another. Thus, there are photographs of vessels built in the Golden Years of the late Victorian era and the beginning of the twentieth century when competition between the various railway fleets was intense while the smaller independent owners kept going and eventually began to add to their fleets. These years witnessed great technological change, the most profound element being the introduction of the turbine steamer, beginning with King Edward in 1901. This world was brought to a shuddering end by the calamity that was the Great War and its immediate aftermath was a period of retrenchment and a rearrangement of services, owners and vessels.

After a period of marking time, the mid 1920s began a process of gradual modernisation which saw some new vessels being introduced. However, the decade ended with the shock of the Wall Street Crash and the Great Depression. While this led to great hardship and suffering and the birth of an ominous new political reality it was paradoxically a great time for those still in work and for shipowners. Thus, passengers began to flock back to the Clyde and owners were able to take advantage of low building and running costs to introduce a whole array of new vessels and the 1930s witnessed the introduction of the marine diesel engine, the diesel electric paddle vessel and the concept of one class cruising vessels. As new vessels were introduced the older vessels were withdrawn and this process provided great excitement for the steamer enthusiast of the day. It was this transition that Mr MacGeorge copiously recorded with his camera.

When it came to deciding which slides should be included in the book we had great difficulty making decisions and many were the arguments over what should be in and what should be left out. We used the parameter of trying to use the slides to tell the story of the period. Thus, we included as many of the pre Great War vessels as we could and then followed this with the vessels of the new age that began in the late 1920s and really took off in the 1930s. However, we also tried to pick shots that reflected the everyday and the mundane as well as those that were truly unique. To those that lived through the period many of our choices would have seemed pedestrian; they reflected the everyday and depicted scenes that would probably not have earned a second glance. However, there will be virtually nobody alive today who was active during the period with the result that all we have chosen will appear both splendid and magical. To our generation the sight of the 1934 Mercury sailing across Rothesay Bay is a tremendous sight as is Columba at Tarbert, King George V at Inveraray and Davaar at Campbeltown. However, we have also included more unusual and historical shots such as Lochness leaving her builder’s yard to go on trials, Fusilier and Glencoe at Portree, Minard and Ardyne passing off Toward and Lochiel alongside at Bruichladdich. We have also tried to portray most of the vessels that were in service in the period, ranging from Wee Cumbrae, via Columba to the magnificent Duchess of Hamilton and not forgetting the vessels of the Clyde and Campbeltown Co. We have also tried to include as many calling points and locations as possible to reflect the various duties that the vessels undertook. Where possible, we have also tried to include shots that show vessels in slightly different guises from the remembered, such as the 1896 Jupiter with a deck cargo of sheep at Princes Pier. It may seem from the selection that some vessels appear to be more favoured than others. However, this reflects the contents of the collection – Mr MacGeorge seemed to have taken more shots of some vessels than others.

Although the bulk of the photographs are from the Clyde other areas have also been included to hopefully provide scenes that will not be well known to the modern enthusiast. Thus, we have photographs taken on Loch Lomond in winter as well as summer and scenes at Oban and some points north. Uniquely, we have also managed to include views from the Forth and the Tay. These range from the normal scenes at Granton and Dundee to the rare with shots taken on board Fair Maid when she relieved during the winter on the Granton to Burntisland service.

We hope that this book tells a story, on the one hand presenting you the reader with a collection that tells the story of the steamers in the period while also giving an indication of what life was like on the vessels at the time. We felt that we should do more than just produce a series of fascinating photographs of all the vessels. Instead, we wanted to give a feel for what life was like between the wars. We wanted in our selection to show modern enthusiasts and non enthusiasts alike the story of a bygone age when paddle steamers and turbines swarmed across the Clyde to a myriad of towns and villages in an almost endless procession. Although all the participants afloat and ashore did not realise it at the time it was a period on borrowed time which was soon to be swept away.

DC, November 2020

Talisman (1896) approaching Rosneath 1st March 1930. Talisman, like Kenilworth, was a vessel that was utilised all year round on the L&NER’s coast services. While normally serving Dunoon and Rothesay she was also used to relieve Lucy Ashton to allow the older vessel time off for her annual overhaul. Thus, out of necessity, a larger vessel was employed on the loch run when traffic was at its scarcest. Although most Clyde towns and villages had their own pier they were not always situated close to the community they served and this was true of Rosneath where passengers had quite a walk to get to and from the village. Talisman served her owners well in a career that spanned almost 40 years. She was withdrawn and scrapped in 1934 but her name lived on in a new vessel commissioned in 1935.

UPPER CLYDE & LOCH LOMOND

Lady Clare (1891) being broken up at Dumbarton April 1928. In this sad shot an old Clyde lady is meeting her inevitable end. Even by NBR standards Lady Clare was a basic vessel and had a life virtually unknown to most Clyde residents and enthusiasts. She was built as a simple ferry and spent her relatively short Clyde life sailing either to the Gareloch piers or to Greenock. She was withdrawn in 1906 during one of the periodic cullings the railways had when times were hard and was sold to Ireland where the Moville Steamship Co. employed her on Lough Foyle and for tendering. Apart from war service as a minesweeper based in Belfast she remained there until she was sold for breaking up in 1928. Latterly the political division of Ireland had inhibited her earning a living. Interestingly, part of her after saloon was bought from the breakers to be converted into a houseboat but this idea appears not to have been carried through.

Lady Clare (1891) at Dumbarton April 1928. As time passes most ships arrive at the point where they are considered not worth keeping in service and they invariably end up in a ship breaking yard where they are cut to pieces and all parts are sold off for whatever money the breakers can obtain. Here, the Clare has obviously not been in the yard for long as she is substantially still whole. However, her port telegraph has gone and work has begun in dismantling the port paddle casing. Ashore, an ancient steam crane is fired up to take the cut up pieces ashore where they will be taken apart and sorted for subsequent sale. If the vessel had been famous the breakers would invariably have done a roaring trade in selling off bits to the public but for lesser lights like Lady Clare public interest would have been minimal. So ended the life of one of the Clyde’s lesser lights.

Kylemore (1897) sailing down the river with Ardmore Point in the background. In this photograph Kylemore is paddling down the river with what looks like an exceedingly large crowd on board. The Williamson management were ever aware of possibilities for adding to their traffic and raising revenue and one such way was advertising Kylemore’s return cargo sailing as an afternoon cruise to Dunoon and Rothesay. Time ashore was available at the former but at Rothesay the passengers had to quickly change to a vessel returning to Bridge Wharf. Another opportunity was the various Glasgow holidays when the whole fleet was utilised in special sailings from Bridge Wharf and this gave Kylemore the opportunity to become a regular excursion vessel for