CRSC : Clyde River Steamer Club November 2012

On Friday 16 November 2012 more than 60 members and friends gathered at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, for a dinner to celebrate the CRSC’s 80th anniversary. John Whittle, former managing director of Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd, and his wife Evelyn were guests of honour.

Deryk Docherty, Club President, was master of ceremonies. The event will surely go down as one of the most successful social gatherings in the Club’s history.


	Order of Ceremonies		The anniversary cakes, baked by Ursula Quinn

A glass of sparkling wine was offered to everyone on arrival in the hotel’s Jura Room. Each dining table had been named after a steamer of the 1930s, with pride of place – the top table – going to the Duchess of Hamilton, launched in the same year as the CRSC.

After Deryk’s welcoming address, Honorary President Robin Boyd gave a short speech peppered with personal memories – of the Queen Alexandra sweeping into Wemyss Bay pier, of the Cunard Queen Mary on trials off Arran – each of which created a vivid picture in words. He also spoke in more general terms of the quality of fellowship Club members had enjoyed down the years – a fellowship that, while drawing on individual experience, had a common theme, the shared love of the Clyde and its steamers.

After a three-course dinner, briskly served and much enjoyed by the assembled company, John Whittle was invited to propose a Toast to the Club on its 80th anniversary. Recalling its 40th anniversary in 1972, when he had also been guest of honour, Mr Whittle spoke of the apprehension and fear that had greeted CalMac’s modernisation programme at that time, and paid tribute to the calibre of the staff who implemented the changes. Regaling us with tales of his run-ins with islanders, politicians and unions, he said the interest and friendship shown by the Club had made his time at Gourock more pleasant than it would otherwise have been. Mr Whittle’s speech, delivered with wit, charm and style, had the assembled company enthralled.

Replying on behalf of the Club, Billy Tomlinson thanked Mr and Mrs Whittle for their attendance at the 80th anniversary dinner and for the kind remarks made about the Club. Billy described Mr Whittle as “a man of vision” in the way he had managed and modernised the CalMac fleet, and said he had also proved to be “an enthusiast…who became imbued with the spirit of the Clyde.”

Billy referred to the “remarkable personalities” who had sustained the Club over the past 80 years, and to the “friendships formed and conducted under the blue pennant” – the Club’s flag. He said the Clyde had provided Club members with a lifetime’s interest, “which holds us all together”.

The two large 80th anniversary cakes, made by Ursula Quinn, mother of Club member Iain Quinn, were divided up and consumed over coffee, to the evident delight of all present.

Neil Guthrie,

CRSC Cruise Co-ordinator and Publicity Officer

In his closing remarks, Deryk Docherty paid tribute to Neil Guthrie, CRSC Cruise Co-ordinator and Publicity Officer, for his superb organisation of the dinner, and thanked the staff of the Crowne Plaza for the quality of their service.

The following selection of photographs were taken during the evening.

For those not familiar with the website facilities, click on a thumbnail to open a larger image – you can then click forward (right) and back (left) through the whole collection by hovering the mouse to the right or left of the larger image and clicking the left mouse key. This saves continually going back to the smaller images and opening up a larger version each time. Enjoy the memories of the evening!


Pre-dinner chat, with (clockwise from left) Doris Hart, Marion Stewart, John Hart, Margaret Hart and Frank Stewart	Club President Deryk Docherty welcomes members and friends	Guests of honour Evelyn and John Whittle (right), with CRSC President Deryk Docherty	CRSC Honorary President Robin Boyd (left) with Iain Quinn and Billy Tomlinson

Iain Somerville (left) with Christine and Jim Buchanan	Eric and Margaret Niven with Elsie and Ken Hinshalwood	Iain and Ruth Jamieson with Richard Orr	CRSC Honorary Secretary Eric Schofield (left) with Vice-President Angus Ross and committee members Graeme Hogg, Robert Cleary and Stuart Craig

Roy Paterson, Gordon Law and Deryk Docherty	Alasdair Fraser and Robin Love	Captain Robin Hutchison (centre) with Susan and Alex Forrest	Archie and Sonia MacCallum

John Ballantine and Douglas Brown	Elizabeth and Ronnie L’Anson	Robert and Sandra Hosie with Helen and Iain Dewar	Hamish Munro and Karen Sutherland

Colin McNab and Ken Mills	Iain Young and Andrew Young	Top Table, with (clockwise from foreground) Robin Boyd, Deryk Docherty, John and Evelyn Whittle, Carol and Eric Schofield, Billy Tomlinson, Angus Ross and Gordon Law	The Wee Cumbrae table, with (clockwise from foreground) Jim and Christine Buchanan, Susan and Alex Forrest, Elizabeth and Ronnie L’Anson, Stuart Craig and John Ballantine

Bill Brockie	Elsie Hinshalwood and Donald McColl	John Whittle proposes a Toast to the Clyde River Steamer Club on its 80th anniversary	Billy Tomlinson replies on behalf of the Club

The Duchess of Montrose table, with Raymond Mills (foreground, followed clockwise by) Roy Paterson, Iain and Ruth Jamieson, Trudy and John Gallacher, and Ken Mills	Deryk Docherty and Robin Boyd cut the 80th anniversary cake, made by Ursula Quinn	Hazel Wright (left) with Derek and Janet Cant	Robert Cleary congratulates Carol Schofield on the 38th anniversary of her marriage to Eric (the Schofields celebrated their wedding anniversary on the day of the CRSC dinner)

The presence of a good number of wives and partners contributed to the relaxed and convivial spirit of the evening, which continued after the formalities ended.


	Front and Back covers of the Programme		Menu and Programme for Evening

The two images above will take you to PDF versions of the

Programme Cover and the Menu and Programme for the evening