The Hidden Glasgow Forums

Thanks for the info Clincher, would be nice to see her restored and retained in Glasgow.
BTW Where was she built was it Denny's of Dumbarton? I know the Cutty Sarks Keel was built there before it moved to another yard for completion. Was she used as a tea clipper?

On the topic of sailing ships, I paid a visit to the Glenlee a couple of years ago as she was being re-rigged. One of the trustees gave me a personal tour around her He pointed out a bulkhead in the bow that when they opened it they found a long forgotten sack of hemp intact, which made for a rather ambient aroma in the closed space . A little something left over from its former jute cargo days!.

Hi Pgcc....

The Carrick was built in Sunderland by W. Pile Hay & Co in 1864! I used to think she was made in Scotland, but not so! She was acquired by the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1949 and was used as a drill ship in Greenock before being berthed in Glasgow (as a private club for the RNVR) from 1955 onward.

ps....here is a pic of her former berth in Glasgow at Clyde Street (bottom of Stockwell Street) also here is a close up of the "Private Members Only" sign

http://www.geocities.com/savethecarrick/GlasgowBerth.html
http://www.geocities.com/savethecarrick/privatesign.html

I am sure the old ship was berthed beside the Jamacia St bridge in the early 50's and later moved upriver beyond the suspension bridge after 55. It was much better cared for in those days and its use as a club had more class. It is a lot of money to spend on its renovation and one wonders what percentage of the old ship will remain?

True about the boat being moved, Targer. Apparently a fire chief deemed the boat a fire risk at Glasgow Bridge and had to be moved to the Custom House Quay berth(see link).

Not sure about what original percentage of the ship would be in place following restoration, but the hull is the main thing for me, whereas all other parts could be replicated to original spec.



http://www.geocities.com/savethecarrick/berthfromCaltonPlace.html

I rememebr when the Carrick sailed into Irvine harbour. Was like Shtoopit o'clock in the morning. My Father and I went to visit it that day, I remember all the harbour guys standing around talking abou it. You were allowed on for a look around. There was a glass box for donations, my Father put a tenner in it.

WELL SPENT!!! Bloody people who don't fix things properly. Way to go and give it to North Ayrshire, the council don't know jack about anything!!!

Anyway, it's sat for what, 10-12 years, and I see little difference all these years it's been in dry dock. Poor management of the project has caused funds to be drained from the Scottish Maritime Museum which is constantly under threat of closure in Irvine. Now that Ayrshire Metal has shut shop, the land'll be sold to a developer, so they gotta get rid of that ship, since they own the dock.

Have you seen the bridge to the defunct Big Idea (Some Idea!!!)? How the hell is that boat gonna fit through that opening???

Anyway, good luck to whoever gets it, whenever, would be nice if it was fixed up.

I've been in contact (Today-22/5/04) with the SMM regarding The Carrick, and the correspondance was as follows-

"Hi Clincher, thank you for your enquiry. The hull has been surveyed and it is feasible to repair. The forecastle deck has been lifted and replaced with three quarter ply (temporarily), and some weak planks have been covered with ply. It is proposed to fit intermediate frames in her, and that should allow her to be moved off the slip."
regards
Mike

Finally they begin to do something with her

Found a nice picture of the Carrick from late 70's/early 80's:

Remembered i had this wee gem in my collection...here she is sinking after a low tide in 1978....she was put right again though

Got an update on what's happening here...

The boat is staying where it is until at least next year. As I thought, with Ayrshire Metal Products shutting down, the land will likely be sold, this includes the dock where the boat is, and the lease runs out on that at the end of 2005. Nobody knows what AMP plan to do with that piece of land.

Over the last three months a substantial amount of work has been done preparing the upper decks for cover. Biggest change to her that I've seen in years.

Workers have stripped through all the concrete to the iron frame allowing them to assess condition and determine where the frame was made. Turns out it was a company called Hopkins and Co, from Middlesbrough that made it. Which wasn't known before.

However survey work wont be complete till around February or March 2005. Only then will the museum decide if the ship is suitable for restoration. Last price I saw was £1 Million, give or take a few pence.

All the funding concerns of the past have been laid aside just now, things are fine and work will continue. Expect funding issues to arise as the lease draws to an end though.

Also I think the dock land should be gifted to Irvine, and the museum. It's the least those fat cat bampots in England can do after deliberately winding down our 150+ year old factory these past few years to move work south of the border. Without that factory and the workers they wouldn't have a business to speak of now.

Well done for getting that info, Del! I was down at the site on Saturday and took a pic of the "single ply membrane covering" as we call it in the building game...(It's a glorified vynl covering to prevent water ingress).
Progress is being made which is good, hope it continues in the positive vein of late.

ps....The pic has not been artificially manipulated...all lighting, clouds etc are natural...didn't realise how effective it was til i saw it on screen!

clincher your photos are great m8 the blurred one inside it looks creepy

Aw jeez, it breaks my heart to see her in that state...just looked at the Clinchers excellent photographs and I must say they've put me on a real downer. How great would it be to have her back again sitting at the key that bears her (old) name, a Gentlemens club once more.
We could all go down and hang about smoking cigars and drinking whisky out of big cut glass tumblers...

Don't you think anyway that the quayside has never looked very complete since they moved her? It's just a bare concrete pad. I always thought it was a bit of a shame for the people that bought those flats behind the quay that she got moved. It left them looking kind of marooned.

I remember her when i was a boy. Sometimes on a Saturday my dad used to park there. (it was free. remember when there used to be free parking anywhere in Glasgow?) It had pink velour seats and little pink lampshades on the tables.

Isn't there still a Gentlemens club in Royal exchange Square? The Western club? It's got the same sort of lamps.

There is indeed a private club in Royal Exchange Square, although I think it allows women in. They've got a website, can't remember the address but a Google search will come up with it.

It has some nice pics of the inside if I remember rightly....