2 weeks Ago
He also had a significant impact on the wider community. I believe his pontificate demonstrated the continued value of voices of faith can have in our society, including representations on social justice, migration, global poverty, peace and the environment. May he rest in peace.
This year is a big year for Port Glasgow with the 250th anniversary of the town becoming a burgh in its own right in 1775, rather than being controlled directly by Glasgow. This anniversary gives us the opportunity to look back, have a celebration, and also to think about how the town can develop over the next few years. There is a series of events planned during the year, including an extended Comet Festival on June 21 and 22, covering the full weekend and incorporating the Port Glasgow 10k race.
As Port Glasgow 250 was an idea initiated by the community, ideas for further events are most welcome. Still in Port Glasgow, I am pleased to see that the demolition of a large section of the Clune Park area has started, which should enable a once thriving area to be redeveloped; something as a community I think we can all celebrate. In my last column I touched upon building houses in the right places.
I think Clune Park is the right place for housing, given its location, and look forward to a new community being built there. My hope is that Port Glasgow 250, and the demolition of Clune Park, gives us an opportunity to present the Port, and Inverclyde, in a more positive light, with no more urban explorers attracted by a rather ‘unfortunate’ nickname for the estate. Touching upon tourism, Inverclyde is situated in a beautiful location on the Clyde estuary with the Clyde Murshiel Regional Park on our doorstep.
We have a rich history already promoted by the Inverclyde Tourist Group and Discover Inverclyde in particular. Recently, talk of visitors to Inverclyde has centred on the cruise ship terminal and the 150,000 visitors that currently come through its doors. I believe we should maximise the benefit of that facility both in encouraging people to stay in Inverclyde but also using revenue from a possible cruise passenger levy to improve our offer for visitors.
We also have 2.5 million people on our doorstep who live in the central belt of Scotland - it is all about getting them over the hill at Bishopton to see what Inverclyde has to offer! Finally, as school exam season is just around the corner, I would like to wish all students good luck with their exams and hope that you get the grades that you need for whatever career you wish to pursue. From my own experience of school exams, the only advice I would give is to make sure you read to the end of the paper, and if you’re asked to write about a sympathetic Shakespearean character, don’t choose Macbeth!.
