Ballantynes Distillary Dumbarton

Ballantynes Distillary Dumbarton, originally uploaded by class 50.

This is a favorite of mine from my own archives. It shows the whisky distillery at Dumbarton on the banks of the River Leven. The distillery was owned by Ballantynes, which was sold the world over, the bottle's were a very distinctive rectangular shape making them, stand out on a bar shelf. The world famous Denny ship yard was situated to the right of the distillary, which shut in 1966.

This week

Gloucestershire Sunset Lydney Harbour.

In complete contrast to last week I left Cymer in the Afon Valley under gloomy sky's and drizzle. It was straight to Glasgow for a Monday morning call. I parked unusually in McKalpine street in the Broomilaw area of Glasgow. I say unusually, because in years gone by ,you would not have left your dog alone in this area of Glasgow, but all has changed now and the Broomilaw has undergone some radical changes.The old transit sheds are now gone, the ship 's are gone the dockers are all gone, and the shed's are replaced with fancy penthouse flats, the dockers are replaced with yuppies jogging along the quays and the ship' s are replaced with empty water. I was taking the last of the lamp posts to the landscaping work being carried out on the upper quay walls close to the Central Station.
I tryed in vane to take a few shots of the new foot bridge connecting the North with the South bank, just one of many. This is part of the great plan to bring Glasgow into the 21st centuary. From a personal angle, yes its time that Glasgow needs to be cleaned up, yes Glasgow needs to be brought into the 21st century, but lets have boats on the river, or even better lets use the quay walls to import and export cargo's in big ships, use the port for what the Victorians intended them for.
I left Glasgow in a light drizzle, coming from a gray overcast sky, which only added to my sense of dismay. As a man that was brought up on the Clyde and was educated in Glasgow I have very mixed thoughts about the rejuvenation of Glasgow.
There were two calls now in Bonnybridge to get off on the way through to Dundee. I knew that these two calls would take up the best part of the morning, and they did. Lunchtime and I was Finlay clear of the cold dark wet drizzle of the Glasgow area. a very short call at Dundee and I was on my way to Aberdeen to tip a small pallet of flood light brackets for Aberdeen City Council at West Tullis. I decided to have a night in Aberdeen on the estate. I managed to do a short run around the south Dock area and then round the Greyhope road which runs round the Southern headland of the dock entrance. I got a few shot's off in the brief glimpse of the sun.

Aberdeen Harbour South Breakwater

Tuesday and I was off to my last call nr Dyce, where the city's airport is situated, and then off to a quarry at Daviot Nr Inverness to load 25 ton of loose boulders for a children's playground Nr Oxford.

Loading Boulders at Daviot Quarry Inverneshire

All Loaded and almost ready to go, just need to sheet it down

The run South over the next two day's brought improving weather the further south I went. I overnight ed in Cumbernuld on the Tuesday night and carried on. Mid morning on the Wednesday morning I had a break at tebay services in the Cumbrian fells and was pleasently surprised to find the sheer choice of picture opportunities with in a very short distance of the parking area. I went for wander up to the rear of the service area and with in a quarter mile I was in the middle of the Cumbrian Fells. I shot off a few shots and then carried on south to arrive in Carterton Nr RAF Briz Norton around five on the Wednesday. the boulders were to be used as perimeter stones for a children's playground project that was in the process of being built.
Two jobs awaited me at Fabritec in Derby, one for Ashby De La Zuch, Burton On Trent and the other was for nr Leamington On Spa. So without further delay I made my way North once more, up the M40 and on up the M42 to arrive in Fabritec late on the Wednesday night.

This weeks Route.

The local drop to Ashby was the first. Ashby being only about an hour away I was there and back by lunchtime. I loaded the drop for Nr Leamington Spa and was away by two thirty. The village of Weston Undre Wetherley is a very typical Warickshire village with a small village church and village pub.Its with in easy reach of Birmingham , Warick and Lemington Spa, so its predominately a dormitory area for the nearby conurbations. I was surprised to get this load of 25 ton panels off and away by late teatime. With a good few hours driving time left I was free to make my way home to the Rhondda

Cumbria Fells Tebay.

After a night in my own bed, all that was left was a morning at ALC to load the next weeks load to Kirkaldy in Fife. One great tradition that has grown up over the years now at ALC is Friday morning breakfast from the local Cafe, very high in cholesterol by very very tasty.