PS Waverley Greenock

PS Waverley Greenock, originally uploaded by class 50.

This is my old nautical home. This was my home and job for twelve years. This vessel took me round the UK on five occasions and taught me about the journey from boy to man. I saw many interesting places and met many people who remained friends into my adult years.

Back after a week on holiday

looking West down the River Clyde

Last week I was in the company of a very hot paintbrush and the family. In other words I spent last week on holiday and doing all those jobs around the house that I had been meaning to get done.
But this week I am back in the saddle and have had a busy week. A slow start at ALC on the Monday meant that I did'ent get of to Scotland till late on the Monday afternoon. I had one drop to Thornton nr the Fife town of Kirkaldy. I ran as far as Moffat in the Scottish Boarders on Monday night. The weather on the Monday in South Wales was clear blue sky's and warm sunshine. Tuesday in Moffat was no exeption. I had a short walk around the town in the morning before I left to see if I could get a few shots, but I could'ent find a descent angle to show off, what is a pretty wee town, so I pushed on North up the 74 and over a very colourful Beattock. By ten thirty I had arrived at Thornton and got the nine packs of 10 metre hockey's off. Back over to SPS in Bellshill to collect a very hefty 25 ton of steel bound for Teeside.

The 25 ton of Steel for Teeside

It soon transpired that Carwyn wanted to swop trailer's and me to return North with the second of Mondays ALC loads, but this load consisted of another four drops.Bonnybridge, Perth, Thornton again, and lastly Edinburgh City Council at Sighthill. I arranged to meet Carwyn in the truck stop at Lesmahagow, about ten miles back down the M74.
I arrived down there around half three and found a very hot and flustered Carwyn, with his Jesus sandle's on and a oil streaked face, plus the mop of , now very bright mop of ginger hair. His aggravation seemed to have been braught on by the load from ALC being a bit temperamental. So we swapped trailer's and I went back up the 74, and left Crawyn to take the better of the two loads down to Teeside, and then He was going down to Fabritec. As I wasn't going to get any more of these drops off today, I on the other hand decided to pay a visit to my old pal Robert.

Crossing the Kingston Bridge Glasgow M8 Westbound

I made my way onto the M8 and joined the usual que of Glasgow rush hour traffic heading West over the Kingston bridge, its like the sheep following the sheep, but what can you do, when in the field you have to do as the other sheep.

Glasgow Bridges

As the weather had been so good we hatched a plan to go down to the Gourock area and do some sunset shots looking out over the Tail O the Bank. We had an other outing on the previous week and been robbed of any decent light in the City Centre area, where we did some shots of the new Swinty Bridge as Its known on the Broomilaw, so this time we felt that a good sunset would provide us with some long sought after quality images.

Costa del Port Glasgow

We were right the evening was stunning with a sunset that exceeded our expectations, with light in the sky till eleven thirty we got some fantastic shots which you can see on my flicker page's. As a bonus we got some shots of our old nautical home, the PS Waverley, at Cutom House Quay in Greenock on her return from an evening Cruise for the PSPS, which is the preservation arm of the Waverley, but also works with the Maid Of The Loch down at Balloch on Loch Lomond.

The PS Waverley at Custom House Quay Greenock

In complete contrast, Wednesday morning was dull and overcast. I made my way to my first call at Bonnybridge and managed to get a quick turnround and be on my way to Perth by eight. By late morning I was making way over a very sunny Forth Bridge and on my way to my last call at Sighthill in the Western suburbs of the Scottish capital. I had a good idea what was coming next, a visit down to Fabritec.
Its a long haul down to Hollington Nr Derby but I got down there just with in my 10 hours driving time limit and mangaged to get off a few sunset shots. The area around Fabritec is a very flat arable area allowing room for a clear view to the west and east, which gives for some great photographic opportunities at sunset and sunrise times.
Thursday started as it had on the Wednesday with overcast and light drizzle. the first job of the day was to run down to a large farm near the Village of Twycross, famed for the Tywcross zoo.

Loading grain at Twycross farm

A short run back up to Fabritec via the M42 & the M1, got me back by lunchtime, in time to load the next two drops for Haverfordwest and Little Kineton, which is close to Stratford Upon Avon. The farmer at Little kineton apparently couldn't tip me till Friday morning, but a quick phone call on my way south on the M40, soon sorted that out. He organised a neighbour to tip me on another farm, which allowed me to get away round four, and start my way down to Haverfordwest.
Fortune was about to smile on me in the form of Carwyn calling me and suggesting I do a changeover with him at Carmarthen on the Thursday evening, enabling me to get up to ALC that night. I got down to Carmarthen by eight and drop the trailer with Carwyn and then make my way up to Cymmer. As I made my way East I encountered some fairly spectacular thunderstorms and heavy rain, which had been sorely needed after the sultry heat of late. The thunder and lightning persisted as I made my way North east up the Cymmer Valley. I was entertained to a long show of thunder and lighting through the late hours as I went to sleep at ALC.
Friday brought the usual routine of loading my load for the Scottish run next week. However I was delayed in getting on with the task of loading, as a lorry with the delivery from Nedal, ALC's main suppliers of the poles, arrived with a P&O curtainsider and a Scania 140 with rear lift axal, which meant that he could not get the courtainsider into the factory due to the added hight created by the higher fifthwheel on the Scania. So I had to tie onto the Curtainsider and push it into the factory. After he was tipped I pulled the curtainsider out to the yard and swap over again, which meant I could now start loading my charge.

A very unusual site, my lorry on a P&O curtainsider

It turned out to be a pig of a load to put on, which meant that my usual friday half day was not to be. But a four thirty finish was ok
Next week looks like a bit of a run around with calls at Dundee, Forfar, Aberdeen, Strichen and Elgin, Im sure that lot will produce an interesting start to the week.

This weeks route


Photo of the week


This weeks photo has been selected by Molly Harrison. It's a lovely scene looking west down the River Clyde from Port Glasgow.

New Website

One of the best received shots. Surfers on Porthcawl beach. Taken summer 1992.

Come and have a look at my new website called appropriately Jimmys. Meanwhile I uploaded a few old prints from my ever wilting collection of prints. Have a look at the ones I have put on flicker.

Another very early shot. This shot shows the terraces of Tylorstown in the Rhondda Valley. The shot was taken from the Llanwanno Rd going over to Mountain Ash in the Cynon Valley. Ther road is closed regularly in the winter months by snow blockage. The shot shows the long streams of terraced housing which is sinonmous with the Rhondda Valley.