Friday 9th June 2023 was a very special day for the Tall Ship Glenlee family. It was exactly 30 years since our ship returned to the Clyde after leaving 97 years ago when launched in 1896. To mark the occasion, the families of the three men who crewed the ship back to Scotland were invited onboard for a celebratory afternoon of tea, talks and cake.
Captain Alistair Miller was represented by his two daughters Audrey and Jo, as well as his grandson Ross who did a stand-up job of ringing the bell!
Murray Scrimgeour was represented by his grandson Tom while Charlie McIntyre was represented by his daughters Anne, Elaine and Frances, as well as his great-granddaughter Mia.
All the descendants shared their memories of what the ship meant and continues to mean to their families.
We were honoured to welcome aboard the Spanish Consul General Señor Ignacio Cartagena Núñez, who spoke very movingly about the connections, both visible and invisible between Spain and Scotland. He also did an excellent job of cutting our beautiful cake with the help of Elizabeth Allen, the Vicechair of the Tall Ship Glenlee Trust. Baillie Ann Jenkins also attended to honour the involvement of Glasgow City Council over the past 30 years.
To the sound of bagpipes, all attendees were invited to assemble at the bell with their glasses of bubbly. At exactly 3.50 pm, Ross rang the bell to mark the exact moment in 1993 when the ship was finally made secure on the River Clyde.
A brass plaque was unveiled, commemorating the men of the riding crew and the Tug Wallasey who accompanied Galatea back home. Their names are now forever part of the ship’s fabric and story.
As Fiona Greer, Development Director, stated
“That one courageous act of accompanying the ship back from Spain to Glasgow didn’t just bring an old wreck of a Clydebuilt ship home, it sparked off a new journey that touched the lives of so many more people- the hundreds of volunteers and staff who have cared and loved for her since, the tens of thousands of children who have been inspired on a school visit, or indeed the lives of the now millions of members of the public from across the world who have stepped aboard and experienced Glenlee in their own ways. What a legacy to leave.”