The foundation stone of the Sailors’ Centre on Dalrymple Street in Greenock was laid on Tuesday 7 September 1943 by Lord Inverclyde (1897-1957), after whom the Centre was named. Lord Inverclyde (Alan Burns, 4th Baron Inverclyde) of Castle Wemyss was Scottish chairman of the British Sailors’ Society. The British Sailors’ Society’s Greenock Committee was chaired by Edward Mackay. Money for the Centre was raised by the Society from near and far with many local people and businesses contributing. Lord Inverclyde himself made a personal contribution.
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She went on to state “The River Clyde, was famous throughout the world as a great shipbuilding centre. It had seen during this war and in the days of peace, many events of vital importance to our national life. It had seen the departure and return of thousands of sailors from these islands and from other nations – men on whom our very existence depended. The least we could do for them while they were ashore was to give them every comfort and recreation and a home-like atmosphere.”
You can view a short film of the Duchess at the opening ceremony in Greenock at the National Library of Scotland's Moving Image Archive here Film 0258.
The three-storey building’s interior had kitchens, well-equipped bathrooms and a “cabin” for each resident, as well as a lounge, dining room, reading room and billiard room which were said to contain artwork by French artist Leopold Pascal (1900-1958). In 1940 Pascal had joined the Free French Forces and was the official painter of the Free French Navy. He signed his work with an anchor and the Cross of Lorraine. An exhibition of his work had been held in Glasgow under the patronage of Lord Inverclyde.
In May 1946 Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) visited the Centre and was received by Lord Inverclyde.
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In 1978 the building became a hostel for the homeless. It closed earlier this year and is shortly to be demolished.
Read a previous Greenockian Blog Post about Lord Inverclyde (click on link).
