Greenock 1959

Various shots of GREENOCK filmed in 1959 on 8mm film
. Filmed directly from the projected image with a camcorder. The image qualty is considerably reduced by using this method but professional scaning is being considered.

[@cr1s69]

Easily the best 10 minutes of my day today 😁

[@allanscot1]

I wasn't born until 1964 but much of what was on this wonderful film was still in existence into the 70s and this brought back so many memories.Town of Ships and Sugar....and so it was! My uncles used to work at Walkers and I used to love when they brought home the syrup.Seeing the cinemas was interesting - I remember the Gaumont, Regal and Odeon, but only remember the BB and La Scala as bingo halls.Hamilton St and Clyde Sq looked so much better than now.I live in England now so ta for posting!

[@williambraid]

Thanks Allan-----------You missed seeing the best cinema in the area by not seeing the BB which is now in a sad sorry state as it awaits the demolition men! Sad!----------Regards Bill.

[@w3stcoastcr3w]

Thanks for uploading. Makes you realise how much we've fucked things up in the relatively short 50years since.... This footage a show vibrant town centre, extremely busy shipping industry, great nightlife and properous place to be.... how things can all turn round so quickly in 50 years eh?!? Junkies, Pound-shops and Tescos Extra now. Thanks again for taking time to gather, process, convert and upload. Great you made the effort :) JH

[@williambraid]

The future Doesn't promise anything better or am I just growing even older?---Regards Bill.

[@xliztayx]

★ That was amazing...watching that...brought a tear to my eye...★

[@doro8856]

Greenock was where the Empress of England left for Canada when my mother and older sister dragged me aboard. I wanted desperately to stay in Scotland (I was 13), and the day I left was the saddest day of my life. I've thought of Scotland every single day since then and don't think I ever fully recovered from the trauma of being taken from my homeland. Thanks for posting this video.

[@MartyFaeScotland]

looking back then, things where a lot more easier in life, no one was rushing about on mobiles and computers... the river Clyde was buzzing.. excellent stuff....

[@neiltaylor8198]

Never truer words spoken, now a mad world . all the best 🤔🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@williambraid]

Thanks for your comment ------sorry for the late reply! Regards Bill

[@mariongalbaith4073]

I was two & living in Greenock when this footage was taken. Have showed it to my parents who really appreciate it. We all remember the rain - thanks for putting this on.

[@williambraid]

Thanks for your comment Marion----------I am 83 yrs of age now and remember the town where a real sense of community existed especially in the years of the war when women had food rationing to contend with plus shortages of very many commodities whauch we now take for granted-----Kind Regards Bill

[@neiltaylor8198]

Absolutely fantastic, me I was born two years later , port glasgow man , well done .😉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@969CALLY]

THE YEAR I WAS BORN, JEES, IT BRINGS BACK SOME MEMORIES

[@williambraid]

Thanks for responding---Very grateful Bill Murray

[@toddf9321]

Thank you William for sharing this historic film. I wasn't born in Scotland and I only became acquainted with Greenock in 1984. Surely the decline had begun in the late 1960's, but a lot of what is shown in this film was intact. I have returned many times, the latest visit was September 2019. I feel depressed to see Blackhall St in its current state, it once was a nice shopping area with some great restaurants. I wandered down to the old yards area and recalled walking through this when could see the industrial might of Greenock. Even sadder is the Greenock Central station! Money...money and job security changes everything.

[@kategreen-adarkcarnival6747]

Filmed the year I was born, the Greenock of my parent's generation. Many thanks for you efforts. x

[@williambraid]

Thank you Kate I greatly appreciate your comment

[@williambraid]

Sorry Kate for such a late reply--Kind Regards Bill Murray

[@hujjesb]

great film / love it . see it was raining all the time back then too. never changes

[@williambraid]

Thanks for your comment but rain is just part of our environment and We'd probably miss it if iw was removed--------Regards Bill.

[@janinefarnell8570]

I now know what my dad Robert Hughes saw walking down the street when he was 24 years old. Fascinating for me thank you:-)

[@williambraid]

Thanks Janine--------your comment is appreciated.-------Regards Bill

[@LexyLame]

I thouroughly enjoyed these. Thanks for uploading. It brought back so many memories of the town. The things you remember when you were a kid. One of my first memories was on West Blackhall St, shopping at Christmas. Lovely job. I bet there's not a lot of film like this around, it's historical. Thanks for sharing.

[@williambraid]

Thanks Alexandria-------Your very kind comments are greatly appreciated----Regards Bill.

[@gourockguy]

What a fabulous piece of history, filmed the year I was born....This footage is priceless as a former professional photographer for ove 22 years I strongly urge you to noy let anyone however good their intentions may be get a hold odf the original or offer to buy copyright to it from you. It is priceless and if you do wish advice on restoration or improving let me know I will help and will NOT charge you a penny for anything I can do

[@williambraid]

Thanks Gourockguy-------Your comment is valued and I take in board what you say--------my films are stored in film cans and kept in a cool atmosphere and most of them I have transferred to video by the very crude method of filming the projected image from a very small screen----------the price of professional transferring is very expensive and as a very amateur film maker working with very basic entry level equipment I felt that the results suited my purpose. Most of my work is in the home movie category and I look back fondly at the days when we had a cine club in Greenock but now nobody seems to be interested other than taking clips on their phonel I would be interested in any advice on restoration but have not researched the topic as I felt that most of the material I have is not of a standard which is worthy of preservation-----------Regards Bill Murray Email [e-mail]

[@robbeale]

Cracking, absolute gem.

[@darachrecords]

I was still in High school when this was filmed but getting ready for my first job as an apprentice dental technician with Mason and Armitt. left for Canada two years later.

[@janeyd5280]

hi Carl I think it's amazing the people who packed up and left for America and Canada what confidence they must have had. did you go with parents. I was 7 buy already left for Glasgow when 3 yrs old as parents couldn't het a house in greenock.xxx

[@williambraid]

Thanks Carl Sorry to hear you're no longer local but I can understand you going overseas.--------Regards Bill.

[@hughmagee]

i really enjoyed watching that it was good to see the river so busy i live in govan but i have worked in greenock for 20 odd years keep them coming

[@williambraid]

Thanks Hugh------sorry not to reply sooner but I've been out of filming for some time but now back at my favourite hobby -------your kind comments are appreciated.---Regards Bill

[@greenockelton]

I was only 4 but brilliant to see auld Greenock thanks so much

[@williambraid]

My Pleasure Billy glad you liked it!--------Regards Bill.

[@Janeinwales]

Wonderful, I loved this. I was still living in Greenock then!

[@BeggarsOperaOfficial]

It is really wonderful to se this :-)

[@VPGillen]

Fantastic video - congratulations on putting this together. Vincent at the McLean Museum

[@williambraid]

Thanks Vincent--------I love making films but where in the past we had a thriving cine club no one now seems to be interested and with phones which record video they seem to be happy to just take random clips------Regards Bill

[@DavyNicol]

Very interesting. Shows the value of keeping films!

[@williambraid]

Indeed it does------I'm a born hoarder and now 83 yrs old I look back a lot and often regret the way our town has lost its soul!------Regards Bill

[@neilbain8736]

It's great to see Princes Pier, and inside the station which is not a common view. It was a shame it was closed. It was an amazing building right up there with Wemyss Bay and could rival Gourock for style. 2:47 - 2:54 the scene jumps from the bow of the Waverley to the midships of the Talisman which reverses away from the pier, then back to the Waverley reversing. The Talisman was powered by a double ended electric motor, with the paddle wheels directly mounted on each end. The placing of funnel(s), bridge and forward deckhouse is the clue to identifying the ships. Talisman had one funnel on the deckhouse and the bridge was right at the front. Waverley has two funnels on the promenade deck and the deckhouse extends forward from the bridge.

[@edowds]

Wonderful memories - I look forward to the better version.

[@pmckerna]

Fascinating - many thanks for posting this.

[@Andrew-fs5sw]

Very rich and beautiful ❤

[@billyboyle9822]

Really interesting to see my town Back then I was only 4

[@Janeinwales]

Thanks Bill, I have now subscribed and I will keep an eye out! Jane

[@jimph1]

This is brilliant, thanks for posting william very interesting to see how the town was before i was born.

[@williambraid]

Sorry for the late reply------I do appreciate your comment------Regards Bill.

[@hammbetta]

the year i was born cheers the black and white days

[@rella62]

Have you had this wonderful film converted to DVD before it is lost Im so interested Billy Sinclair.....GreenockI was 23 Yrs old when this was filmed

[@janeyd5280]

hi Billy I love your films.xx

[@itsjustme9179]

My grandad came from here. William Dalrymple.

[@hammbetta]

the year i was born cheers the balack and white days

[@arizonagcs]

Optmus I think you should have got your eyes out of the gutter. Greenock itself isn't the most glam of places but at the time of the film there was a thing called employment and only by raising your outlook you had world standard scenery around you. This had some wonderful clyde steamers and CP ship, keep up the good work in finding old 8mm film.

[@joeblog5338]

My dad was. 11. Born chamers St

[@nortonman1]

Any idea who the kids on the rocking gangway were?? Vague resemblence to my cousin. I lived in Ardgowan square from 1959 to 1966.

[@tony671]

look its raining !!!!!!

[@neiltaylor8198]

Inverclyde was buzzing with work aplenty , now drugs and antisocial behaviour have ruined the towns, wouldn't change it for the world when I was growing up in the sixties and seventies, now I feel it for the next generation of young people growing up in these towns, some mums and dads having to go to food banks just to feed there kids, desperate days in deed .🤔🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@williambraid]

Thanks Neil for your kind comments which echo my own feelings--------now at 84 yrs of age i well remember the totally different atmosphere of the Greenock where I was born------Kind Regards Bill.

[@derekheron5336]

I grew up in the port in the 90s after yards shut down with the rapid depopulation because of the shutdown the housing schemes became half empty and the kids from gibbshill and q.b who went to school with us where in the same boat . That caused its own problems and for years it had an impact . I now work in furgusons yard and it has plans to get a dry dock in greenock we already have a warehouse behind mcdonalds. No matter where a go working all over scotland a tell them a come from the port im still always called big del fae greenock lol . Im positive aboot the yard and hope it provides for familes of the 3 toons we noo call inverclyde . Hopefully my weans will be as proud of the area as i am

[@williambraid]

@@derekheron5336 Thank you Derek for your comment on my film---------I am much older than you but I share your sentiments and try with difficulty to remain optimistic about our area but looking even further back I can remember living here during the latter days of WW2--------if our community survived that then we have every reason to be confident about the future!------Best wishes Bill Murray.

[@derekheron5336]

@@williambraid thats the spirit . Our toon has so much potential loads of hard working tradesmen and all the facilities to match . I know we get a bad rap for things but so what am proud of the tough reputation to lol take the good with the bad 😁💪

[@knutfheifer]

Then along came the likes of tesco and robbed everyone of life long jobs and upset the whole applecart, sad loss

[@fionajordan7219]

Very awesome video. Trying to find My Family members in Scotland on my mom side Her sisters name was Mary Ann Dalrymple or her husband name was William Ian Darymple The other sisters name is Betty Ross and Jimmy Rose They had 2 son's Andrew and Alex yet Andrew is still alive but the other is not . My mom passed away I need to let them know we lost connection But I am saying prayers that someone will contact me on my post and let me know if there still Alive over In Scotland Greenock area and Gourock area and ashire Scotland My mom passed away please I pray someone message s me with there number and address new AMEN 😇🙏😇 Thank you Jesus AMEN

[@fionajordan7219]

We have family members called may murray Out there to

[@williambraid]

Thank you Fiona for your kind comments on my video-------regards Bill.

[@fionajordan7219]

Your welcome 👍😇👍

[@optimuspriime02]

Greenock was a dump then to lol

[@JanetRenaud-xs8uh]

Too fast and poor quality