Greenock Zoo

Actually, Greenock doesn't have a zoo!  But an old lady told a friend of mine that when she was a very little girl, her Dad would take her to "Greenock Zoo".  Here's a clue -

 

It is the beautiful carved archway of the carriage entrance to Greenock Municipal Buildings at Cathcart Square.

 

 

There are different carvings of birds and animals.

 

They show the wonderful talent of the mason who created them.

Clydeport Cranes - Greenock Landmark

The Clydeport cranes have become iconic landmarks in Greenock.

 

While some may think that industrial structures are ugly and pollute the skyline, I think that these cranes have a strange beauty of their own.  In a way they are a visible reminder that Greenock still has a working port - something to be proud of.

 

They are used at the quayside at Greenock Ocean Terminal for loading and unloading containers onto ships.  They are one of the first things that passengers on cruise ships see as they dock at Greenock.

 

They are visible for miles up the coast.

 

Seeing the Clydeport cranes means I've come home.

Weir's History of Greenock, 1829

Anyone wishing to know about the early history of Greenock would do well to read Daniel Weir's History of the Town of Greenock which was first published in 1829.  This is a photograph of a new edition published in 2004 by The Grian Press, Paisley (ISBN 0-954799615).

The History of the Town of Greenock is also available to read online at the excellent Inverclyde Council website (along with many other online resources).

The front picture shows part of a painting of Greenock  by John Fleming (1792-1845).  He often painted scenes of Greenock and many of his works can be seen at Your Paintings on the BBC website.  The views of Greenock are very interesting in their details of ship building, ships in dock and steamers on the River Clyde.

I would highly recommend this book for its details about various aspects of Greenock's history - from the landowners, church history, shipbuilding and other industries to lists of lawyers and doctors at the time Weir was writing.  At the very end is a list of subscribers to the book.  Many of the names will be familiar to anyone with an interest in the history of Greenock.

The Greenockian