Captain McCormick of Burns & Laird's "Lion" praises Ardrossan Harbour

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 24th September 1971.

CAPTAIN PRAISES THE HARBOUR

Captain Douglas McCormick, former master of M.V. "Lion," said on Wednesday that Ardrossan Harbour was as good as any port that was used for crossings to Northern Ireland.

He was speaking at a presentation dinner in his honour at the Eglinton Hotel, Ardrossan.
The captain, who retired recently, explained that there was now a good tug at Ardrossan, and it would not be often that ships would not get in or out, and Ardrossan could easily hold its own with Stranraer.

PLAQUE

Provost Joseph McManus, on behalf of Ardrossan Town Council and the townspeople presented Captain McCormick with a plaque in gratitude for his service as captain of the Ardrossan - Northern Ireland ferry.
He described the captain as a great seaman who allied the people of Ardrossan and northern ireland because of his channel crossings.
"Lion" belongs to Ardrossan," he added, "and the public have sung its praises because of Captain McCormick's courtesy."

Bailie William Currie said the captain would remain "one of the happy memories of Ardrossan harbour."

Mr. William M. Cummings, Town Clerk, described Captain McCormick as "Captain Ardrossan" and one of the best captains to sail from the harbour in the past 50 years.

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(Captain McCormick died on 2nd May 1978, aged 72 years.
Please see the item dated 2nd May 1978 for the inscription on his gravestone)

Winter steamer service from Fairlie to Tarbet to be discontinued

Winter steamer service from Fairlie to Tarbet to be cut

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 30th April 1971

STEAMER SERVICE TO BE CUT

The Scottish Transport Group are proposing to discontinue the winter steamer service starting on October 1 between Fairlie pier and Tarbet, Loch Fyne, which calls at Brodick, Arran.

An official of the group said that the service, provided by the "Cowal," was started in May last year.
On some occasions there were no passengers in the ship and they were proposing to discontinue the service because of the losses incurred.

Objections to the proposal must be lodged by May 31 with the Transport User's Consultative Committee for Scotland, 30 George Square, Glasgow.

Proposal to convert Saltcoats bathing pool into a marina

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 15th October 1971.

MARINA FOR SALTCOATS ?

A suggestion was made at Saltcoats Town Council on Monday that the bathing pool and the ground surrounding it should be converted to form a marina complex.
Councillor John Carson asked the shores and improvements committee to consider utilising the bathing pool and adjoining area instead of selling the pool as was planned.
He said that interest in boating and fishing was strong in the area and that the council could build a jetty for boats at the pool site.

Councillor Mrs. White, convenor of the committee, said this idea had been considered and the council agreed to leave the matter of the pool in the hands of the committee.

An offer to rent the pool from the council from Mr. Neil Gibson was refused because the council had agreed that the pool would be sold.

Smoke bomb washed ashore at North Shore, Ardrossan

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 29th October 1971

A smoke bomb was found washed up on the North Shore near the caravan site at Loup Cottage, Ardrossan, on Sunday morning.
Saltcoats police handed it over to Naval authorities.

Hoax bomb alert on Burns & Laird's "Lion"

From "The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald" dated Friday 5th November 1971

BOMB ALERT ON "LION"

A bomb alert on the Belfast ferry m.v. "Lion" as it made a crossing to Ardrossan on Monday was the result of a phone message - apparently a hoax - to Glasgow police.

An army bomb disposal squad were rushed to Ardrossan harbour to search vehicles aboard the "Lion" when she docked.

The alert started at 6.30pm on Monday when some person made a telephone call to Glasgow police warning that a bomb had been placed in a car aboard the ship.
Portpatrick coastguard station contacted the "Lion" and safety measures were taken on the ship which was brought into Ardrossan at full speed at 8.30pm.

At the harbour, four vehicles were taken from the vessel and sealed in a compound, where the disposal squad carefully attempted to detect if there was a bomb.

The drama continued for seven hours with a thorough examination of the vehicles until the army were certain there was no bomb.

During the alert a contingent of police under Chief Inspector Arthur Myles stood guard at the harbour.

A spokesman for Burns and Laird Lines, owners of the "Lion," told the "Herald" that the incident occurred as the boat was making its second crossing from Belfast to Ardrossan on the first day of its return to service after its annual overhaul.
The spokesman said : "The precautions taken and the drill carried out on the ship were a fine example of good seamanship and organisation."

Ardrossan fire brigade sent an engine and radio van down to the harbour and stood by until it was definite that there was no bomb.

Ellerman's chartered containership TAGUS opens 3 Nov at Liverpool for receiving cargo for Lisbon

ELLERMAN  CONTAINERSHIP  SERVICES

CONTAINERSHIPS  ITALY

NON-STOP  EXPRESS  CONTAINERSHIPS

Full container loads direct to Garston

up to 24 hours after advertised closing

date by arrangement.

Groupage cargo to Braehead, Renfrew

TORMES   Receiving Nov 10 — Noon Nov 16    Sailing Nov 20 1971

     TORMES   Receiving Nov 24 — Noon Nov 30    Sailing Dec 4 1971

CONTAINERSHIPS  PORTUGAL

LIVERPOOL  —  LISBON

Full container loads direct to North Hornby Dock, Liverpool

up to 24 hours after advertised closing date by arrangement.

Groupage cargo to Braehead, Renfrew

TAGUS   Receiving Nov 3 — Noon Nov 9    Sailing Nov 12 1971

Booking for Irish and Scottish cargo

to be made with Scottish Operators

JOHN  BRUCE  &  CO.  (SHIPPING)  LTD.,

75 BOTHWELL  STREET,  GLASGOW  C 2

Telephone  041 248 3581    Telex 77151

Sailing Notice for Harrison's GOVERNOR closing for receiving cargo at Glasgow 4th November 1971

HARRISON  LINE

BARBADOS,  TRINIDAD,  LA  GUAIRA,

PUERTO  CABELLO  and  CURACAO

“  GOVERNOR  “    …….    Closing Glasgow 4th November 1971

KINGSTON,  VERA  CRUZ   and  TAMPICO,

“  DALESMAN  “    ……..  Closing Liverpool 9^th November 1971

For further particulars  apply  to

PRENTICE,  SERVICE  &  HENDERSON  LTD.,

68  GORDON  STREET,  GLASGOW  C  1

Telephone  041  248  4011

Advert in November 1971 for Deck Officer for Post Office Cable Ship ALERT

D E C K     O F F I C E R

holding  Master’s  or  First  Mate’s  Certificate  of  Competency

(F.G.)  and  aged  up  to  35,  required  for  employment  in  Post

Office  Cable  Ship  ALERT,  based  Glasgow.

Salary  :  Master’s  Certificate  £2335  p.a.

1^st  Mate’s  Certificate  £2027  p.a.

Write,  stating  age  and  qualifications,  to  the

SUBMARINE  SUPERINTENDENT,

NPD/NP6  4,  Room  509,

207  Old  Street,  London  EC1V  9PS,

or  telephone  01-253-4239  (reversing  the  charges)

to  arrange  interview

Some ship movements on the Clyde 8th and 9th November 1971

Some ship movements on the Clyde 8^th and 9^th November 1971

8th November 1971

FRAUKE shifted from Stobcross Quay to Prince’s Dock

SUEVIC arrived at Yorkhill Quay from lay-up at Kames Bay

NORSE MARSHAL (new ship) arrived at Custom House Quay, Greenock from No. 2 Elderslie Dry Dock

SCOTIA (new ship) arrived at Garvel Dry Dock, Greenock from Scott Lithgow Kingston Basin

ENGLISH STAR shifted from Elderslie Wall to No. 2 Elderslie Dry Dock

AMERICA STAR arrived at Yorkhill Quay, light from Zeebrugge

PELEUS sailed for Hong Kong via Liverpool with a general cargo

BAMENDA PALM sailed light for Liverpool

LAIRDSGLEN sailed light for Dublin

ELBELAND sailed light for Bremen

TABOR sailed for Haifa via Liverpool with a general cargo

BIDEFORD (82,506 tons) sailed for Rotterdam with a part-in cargo

GLENPARK (new ship) sailed on trials

9^th November 1971

EFYRA (26,860 ton tanker) arrived at Finnart with crude oil from Amuay Bay (Venezuela)

GOVERNOR sailed for Curacao via Liverpool with a general cargo

IBADAN PALM sailed for Apapa (Nigeria) with a general cargo

BALTIC SEA sailed light for Manchester

GAASTERDYK sailed from Greenock Container Terminal for Portland (U.S.A.) with containers

TORMES arrived at Greenock Container Terminal with containers from La Spezia via Belfast

FRAUKE shifted from Stobcross Quay to Prince’s Dock, Glasgow

SUEVIC arrived at Yorkhill Quay, Glasgow from lay-up at Kames Bay (Firth of Clyde)

NORSE MARSHAL (new ship) arrived at Custom House Quay, Greenock from No. 2 Elderslie Dry Dock

SCOTIA (new ship) arrived at Garvel Dry Dock, Greenock from Scott Lithgow Kingston Basin

ENGLISH STAR shifted from Elderslie Wall to No. 2 Elderslie Dry Dock

AMERICA STAR arrived at Yorkhill Quay, light from Zeebrugge