Keeping Watch

A* school friend of the SK is in town. She’d left Edinburgh aged 20 on her bike with a boyfriend and never returned, living overseas for most of her life. But following the recent death of her husband she’s decided to write her memoirs - of her early life and of her forebears. And talk to the SK and visit old haunts.
As for me, I was only tasked with two things - to take her out on the boat (her uncle’s boat had been in Granton) and to do a bit of research on said boat - she had a photo and said it was called Whitemaa, but that was all. What joy!

A fine day for it (and the SK’s birthday, so cake was smuggled aboard) and I’d found such interesting things! The uncle was badly injured in the war, losing one arm and damaging his other hand when his tank was hit.
In the early 70s he bought a 30’ motorsailor, a Silvers Silverette (in fact no1, built in 1931). He sailed it with another chap who is still around and who I traced. And then I found that when the uncle went into a nursing home, the boat was bought, and over three years, restored by one of the FCYC members. He took it to the Clyde where it was espied and then purchased by none other than Robbie Coltrane. Apparently the heads were too tight so he sold it (true)! Since then it’s been put up for sale again.
What tales, eh? Oh and happy birthday wee one!




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