George White: My Argyll

The story you are about to read is perhaps more like a love affair and I make no apology for that.  I would like you to sit back and enjoy.

My story with Argyll started at a very early age. My father was a marine engineer from Greenock and my mother hailed from the fishing village of Tarbert, Loch Fyne.

Every summer we would get the David MacBrayne steamer (usually the Loch Fyne, but sometimes the Loch Nevis) from Gourock to Tarbert. The air of excitement was tangible as the mail for Port Ellen, Jura and Gigha was thrown aboard by the Royal Mail and sorted on deck by crew. The run from Gourock to Tarbert carried the Royal Mail for Cowal, Bute and Kintyre. Our journey would take us to Dunoon, Innellan, Rothesay, Tighnabruich and Tarbert with onward connections to West Loch Tarbert to the Kintyre islands.  As a youngster it was always a thrill as we glided through the Kyles of Bute with the engines at dead slow ahead. The run from Tighnabruich to Ardlamont Point seemed to take forever, but as we turned into Loch Fyne, we could see Tarbert in the distance.  Past Skate Island with its ever present seals to arrive at the pier bustling with buses, tourists and family members.

Arriving at the home of my Aunt Agnes (Jackson), lunch would be boiled potatoes and herring.  My shennar (grandfather) would have pride of place at the table and you could only speak if he said it was OK to do so.

The quay in the village was always busy and my Uncle Tommy (Jackson) was the local Fish salesman, he worked incredible hours every day as the herring boats landed in the early hours and the white fish and prawn boats would land throughout the day.

I would spend most of my time at the quay and it wasn’t long before I was going to ‘the fishing‘ with the ring net fleet and the prawn trawlers.  I gained a reputation for being a hard worker and worked on many different boats as cover over several years of summers in Tarbert.  My first trip was aboard the Evelyn (TT58) and we got a hundred or so baskets of herring before dawn just off Arran.  I was to go on and work on many of the boats in the fleet, the longest being aboard the ‘Village Belle’ skippered by Neil Jackson.

During those formative years, I was to make many friends, including Billy Prentice who remains a close friend even to this day.  My Aunt Agnes put me into Tarbert Primary when my mother had pleurisy and my father was at sea.

Educated at Greenock High School and then Paisley College of Technology ( now University of Paisley ) , at the latter, I was to meet another good friend from Kintyre – the late Norman MacDonald of Muasdale and Low Askomil, Campbeltown. We were to become good friends, meeting at our agreed half way point between Gourock and Campbeltown ; namely The Stagecoach Inn at Cairndow. Always an enjoyable lunch and beers in front of the log fire , catching up on the blethers.  My mother in law moved from Gourock to Innellan and we were to spend many summers there raising the children in the quiet village.

I was to make my own way in the world, being fortunate enough to travel the world with IBM and have four wonderful daughters, but the grounding I got in my younger years in Argyll was to stand me in good stead throughout my life.  Working hard and having a passion for your industry, looking out for your colleagues, respecting your working environment and those who share it with you. On leaving IBM , I became skipper and owner of my own fishing boat (the Numora from Carradale) and fulfilled a lifetime’s dream.

My Argyll was to give me an understanding of how important the lifeline ferry services are , how important the fishing industry is and above all how important fairness is to all those in rural and island communities who need access to jobs, education and hospitals.

My Argyll made me what I am today.

Every year I visit Argyll as often as possible as my love affair continues and regardless of the outcome of this election, I will continue to do so and remain enormously proud to be called ‘ a son of Argyll’.

George White

George White is the Liberal Party’s candidate for the Argyll and Bute seat at the Scottish Election 2011 which will be held on 5th May.

The photograph above shows George White with one of the ferries from Wemys Bay to Bute.