Comet Rebuilt

National Poetry Day - Lines on the Loss of The Comet

2011-10-06T12:00:00.000+01:00

To celebrate National Poetry Day, we are publishing poems all day across our different blogs.

The Comet Rebuilt project is now at an end, however you can read about our new Heritage Lottery funded Inverclyde wide project Identity here. Part of that project will involve an animation by St John's Primary School, Port Glasgow, celebrating the history of The Comet, to be released during the bicentennial next year.

Information on The Comet Rebuilt project forms part of a case study for the Employability and Tackling Poverty learning Network, which you can now read here.

This poem was composed after the second wreck of The Comet on 21st October 1825, when 70 souls were lost. Read all about it on this broadside published at the time.

LINES ON THE LOSS OF THE COMET

“A strain of music echo’d o’er the deep

And sounds of feet responsive to that strain

“Tis midnight now- yet still in fitful sweep

Across the water comes that sound again

And hark! The glad shout of the festive train

Now mingles with the pibroch’s martial yell

Oh never to a mountaineer in vain

Is pour’d the music of his native dell

To him it speaks od things no language ere can tell

“The moon hath sunk-still the heaven is bright

And o’er the deep a cold effulgence throws

No sound of pleasures now alarms the night-

The wearied heart of joy hath sought repose

But hark! It was a cry of woe that rose

A cry of woe and terror-and the stroke

Of timber crashing in the fearful close

Of bark to bark wild rushing to the shock

Far through the silent night in thunder accents broke!

“A pause! A momentary pause!-Where now

Are the gay revellers?- Lo! the splintered deck

Still bears a darkened cloud but mark ye how

That troubled mass doth heave and toss and break

Like toiling waves by sunk-rocks held in check

Again the wild astounding cry of fear

Rings o’er the waters- while the shatter’d wreck

Half reels in madness round-its last career-

Oh must so many die-and yet is help so near?

“Once more a shriek arose-a wilder shriek-

A cry of mortal anguish and despair

One more a hundred frantic voices break

Through the calm stillness of the midnight air

“Tis past heard ye the rushing waters there

The momentary plash-the chocking groan?

Where is the gallant vessel now-and where

The hearts that beat so high an hour agone?

Over their lowly bed the night-wave maketh moan

“Alas for them the beautiful the brave

The young the lov’d the happy the rever’d

Cold was their portion in the gloomy wave

Far from the home to which they were endear’d

Far from the friends who every pang had cheered

But many a strangers heart for them hath bled

And often yet when Dian’s lamp upreared

O’er yonder hill shall light their watery bed

The silent tear for them shall unrestrain’d be shed.

Requiem for The Comet

2011-06-12T10:00:00.010+01:00

"Requiem for the Comet" was a lament written following the wreckage of the original Comet. This recording by Paul McLaughlin was made in 2005 as part of a Heritage Lottery Fund supported project called "Downriver"; over a dozen local folk songs and ballads were re-recorded by contemporary Inverclyde bands and performers.
To hear more of the songs and to explore Inverclyde legends and folklore, have a look at the Tales of the Oak blog.

While our Comet project is now at an end, The Trust have another exciting new heritage project about to launch, head over to our new Identity blog to find out more....

The Comet Returns!

2011-06-05T16:28:00.004+01:00

On Sunday 5 June, Comet was successfully returned to Port Glasgow Town Centre following a year long renovation. There is an excellent online gallery of the move back on Inverclyde Now.

Over the year, a team of Future Jobs employees at Inverclyde Community Development Trust have been following the process, producing a documentary which follows the history of the original Comet and the creation and refurbishment of the replica. The documentary will be premiered in Port Glasgow Town Hall as part of Doors Open Day 2011 in September.

Over on the Tales of the Oak blog, you can hear a recording of a ballad which was written following the wreckage of the original Comet.

2010-10-25T11:20:00.003+01:00

A lot of work on the paddle boxes still needs to be done. The men have already started placing out new floors on the deck and cabin area. Also the work on the engine is now completed.

Below there's a video footage filmed on 21st Oct 2010.

Video Footage

2010-09-28T12:58:00.013+01:00

The new team of men have been busy over the past couple of months. They have now completed painting both sides of the Comet to her original colours before attaching the paddle boxes. The team are now working on the deck. So far they have sanded and undercoat the wooden planks and marked out a template on the floor area.

The videos below show the progress of the work which has been done.

31 August 2010

20th September 2010

27th September 2010

Photos from the Doors Open Day

2010-09-28T11:29:00.012+01:00

Below we have some photos from the Doors Open Day and a short 10 minutes film which was shown at the exhibition.

Piper Lyle Templeton welcoming the arrivals.

To find out information about Piper Lyle Templeton you can visit his website:

www.westcoastpiper.co.uk

P.S. Comet short film

New Team of Men

2010-09-28T10:45:00.016+01:00

Niall Ptomoley, our Heritage Assistant and Comet Rebuilt blogger for the last six months has now taken up his place as a student at University studying history. (All the best to Niall from all at 7 and a half John Wood Street and our Comet Rebuilt bloggers).

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Scott Grant, and I will be taking over from where Niall has left off.

Also, in August 2010, the Comet team downed tools as their future jobs placement, which lasted six months came to an end, however two men from the team have been employed by Inverclyde Community Development Trust to continue working on the Comet and to join a new team.

They kindly posed for these photographs so all of you bloggers can meet the new team.

The new team (missing from picture- Darren Connaghan).

Darren Connaghan

Ian Cochrane

James Campbell

Jamie Phillips

John Gallacher

Richard McCartney

Stuart McIntyre

William Kelly

200 Visitors on Doors Open Day

2010-09-14T13:48:00.003+01:00

Over 200 people turned out to visit The Comet at Fergusons this weekend...absolutely brilliant.

We've some footage and photos from the day which we'll post soon...including some video of Lyle Templeton...our piper who welcomed everyone over the doors during the morning session.

You can hear a new radio interview about the project at 6.15 this evening on Bute FM (96.5fm) or online at www.butefm.com.

Loads of folk had questions for us about when the boat was going to be completed and what was happening next, particularly around protecting The Comet from the elements when she returns. But we were really interested to hear a particular idea over and over again...keep The Comet out of sight in 2011, then bring her back with much more of a bang for the bicentennial in 2012.

Hmmmm.

Visit Comet Rebuilt!

2010-08-26T10:19:00.003+01:00

On Saturday September 11, as part of Doors Open Day you can come along to Fergusons Shipbuilders Port Glasgow and visit the Comet Rebuilt Project. We'll be open from 10-4.

We've had loads of requests for site visits since the start of the project and so we're delighted that folk will be able to come along and see what's been going on.

There will be the opportunity to chat to some of the staff involved, have a look at the restortation undertaken so far and also to see a small exhibition on the history of The Comet. As a special treat, we'll be premiering 10 minutes of the Comet Rebuilt documentary which has been getting produced since the project began in January.

We hope to see you along on the day.

We're just one of many interesting venues that can be visited on the weekend of September 11/12...for details of many more go to Doors Open Days

Photographs July 2010...

2010-07-22T16:32:00.004+01:00

BBC Scotland's L.A.B and Culture Café Broadcast...

2010-07-15T13:35:00.004+01:00

Last month, BBC Scotland's L.A.B (Learn at BBC Scotland) visited 7 and a half John Wood Street and Ferguson's Shipyard in order to give the Comet Rebuilt team the BBC experience of creating an audio package for the L.A.B website. Most of the interviews were also used for a radio broadcast on the Comet Rebuilt Project as part of the BBC's Culture Café . The broadcast featured some of the workers talking about their memories of the Comet from when it sat in Port Glasgow's Civic Square, and also featured them discussing their current experience with the restoration. Kay Clark the heritage co-ordinator here at 7 and a half John Wood street was also interviewed; along with the Senior Productions manager from Ferguson's Shipyard - Raymond Brown. Hopefully what they had to say sheds some more light on the Comet Rebuilt Project and outlines what the project is trying to achieve. A recording of the Culture Café broadcast can be heard below.

However, it should be highlighted that most of what was used in the broadcast can also be found on the BBC L.A.B website (link also below) along with additional interviews conducted by the Comet Rebuilt team themselves. This collection of interviews has been put over a slideshow of photographs that were taken by myself while the interview process was underway at Ferguson's Shipyard. The video, or slideshow with audio rather, also features a couple of interviews with members of the public who were keen to express their opinions on the Comet restoration. These interviews took place in the busy Port Glasgow Town Centre - not far from the Comet space in the Civic Square where the Comet used to lie.

BBC L.A.B
(Culture Café recording coming soon.)

Buckie...

2010-07-01T10:58:00.014+01:00

Recently, some of the staff from 7 and a half John Wood Street went on a trip to Buckie in the North East of Scotland to talk to some of the workers who were involved with building the Comet replica hull back in 1962.

It is a little known fact around Port Glasgow that the hull of the Comet replica was actually built in George Thompson's shipyard in Buckie and only transported down to Lithgow's yard in Port Glasgow once it was finished.

We allowed some of the workers involved with the building of the Comet replica hull to tell their story on camera in order to see how they got involved with not only the Comet replica, but also the shipbuilding industry as a whole.

The interview mainly focuses on the men from Buckie reminiscing about their experiences with the Comet replica and discussing their methods and techniques with Colin, who is in charge of the current operation.

However, they also went on to discuss the decline of the shipbuilding industry in Buckie - a discussion we were able to conclude the interview with by drawing parallels and similarities with the situation concerning shipbuilding in Inverclyde; driving home the unfortuneate truth that shipbuilding is indeed a dying trade and a tradition lost.

A 2 part 20 minute edit of the interview can be viewed below.

Ferguson's 9th June 2010: Photos and Video Footage...

2010-06-16T15:03:00.028+01:00

The team have been extremely busy over the past couple of weeks and as you can see from the images above, a lot of work has been done on the Comet since the last update. The photographs and videos in this post give you an insight into not only the current state of the Comet but also into how the workers go about replacing the old exterior. And that is, exactly, what they have been doing since the last update - continuing to replace the old exterior by using a steam box to steam the new planks of wood until they are pliable and able to be bent into shape to fit on the hull. Both of the videos below, like one of the videos posted here before, allow you to see this process for yourself.

Approximately one half of one side of the ship has been painted, as you can see, and most of the exterior has been successfully refurbished and restored. The same goes for the isolated wheelhouse - which actually appears as if it is near completion.

Then and Now...

2010-05-19T10:44:00.013+01:00

Below is a short slideshow that shows old black and white photographs of the Comet replica in the shipyard along with a few photographs of the Comet in its current state.

BSL Translation

So Far, So Good...

2010-05-12T10:24:00.027+01:00

Quite a lot of work has been done on the Comet since the last update - as you may have gathered from the picture above. The team have focused mainly on the hull of the ship - replacing the old planks and damaged wood.

By watching the video posted here below, you will be able to see for yourself what progress has been made in the past month or so. The video features footage of the team working away on different parts of the boat and it also shows them placing a new steam bent piece of wood onto the exterior of the ship.

Note that the video uses collected footage shot over the course of a month.

BSL Translation

Progress...

2010-04-22T15:01:00.022+01:00

Progress has evidently been made on the cabin's exterior. The last update featured images of the cabin stripped and isolated from the ship with the team working on its restoration. The images above show what work has been done since and the progress that has been made.

In addition, the video below also demonstrates the progress that has been made by giving a quick pan and establishing view of the Comet. It also reminds us of the severely damaged state that the ship is actually in. Furthermore, the video gives close up views of the new steam bent planks of wood that have replaced some of the original exterior.

Hopefully this video gives you some indication of not only the sheer size of the Comet, which I myself found surprising, but also the sheer size of the task at hand.

It has to be said that it is both an odd and interesting juxtaposition; the original exterior and structure united with the new exterior. The images below give a closer look at this coming together of old and new.

British Sign Language Translation

"X Marks the Spot..."

2010-04-15T12:07:00.013+01:00

Work is now officially underway on the Comet Rebuilt project. The Comet has been stripped of its cabin...

...and a rough template for the new deck has been constructed in parts and put over the original damaged decking.

Furthermore, the exterior planks that need replaced entirely have been marked with a white X, as you can see in the picture below.

It is evident that the ship is extremely damaged due to its lengthy exposure to the elements while it was on display in Port Glasgow. Refurbishing the vessel to look pristine again is an extremely difficult task.

Nonetheless, the team is off to a great start and there is now a firm plan of action as to how they are going to tackle the difficult refurbishment.

British Sign Language Translation

Raising the Curtain...

2010-04-15T10:35:00.008+01:00

Three weeks ago I visited The Comet replica in Ferguson’s Shipyard for the very first time. It was only then, when I climbed up the scaffolding and walked round the vessel, that I realised and understood the sheer scale of the task at hand.

My name is Niall Ptolomey and I am a trainee Cultural and Heritage support worker and a prospective History student. I am, as of now, responsible for tracking the status and progress of the Comet Rebuilt project and logging all updates in this blog. However, I feel that it is not myself that should be introduced when a proper introduction of The Comet has not yet been written.

As I am sure you already know, The Comet is a name of which Port Glasgow is immensely proud. This is obvious in the fact that the community organizes an annual festival just to celebrate its very being. It has been established earlier in this blog that we would take a look at some of the Comet’s history – both original and the 1960’s replica. An introduction to The Comet, taking the form of a post giving a brief history exploring the ship's life and death, is something that you can expect over the next few weeks. In addition, there will also be weekly updates featuring video footage and images of the reconstruction allowing you to not only read about the progress of the refurbishment, but to see it for yourself.

But why is The Comet so important? And to raise a question raised here before - why are we even bothering with the refurbishment at all?

The answers to these questions lie in the fact that The Comet is part of Port Glasgow’s cultural heritage; meaning that it’s something we have inherited from a past generation and it is our job to maintain and bestow it in the present for the benefit of future generations. That, generally, is the belief that the whole Comet Rebuilt Project is based on.

British Sign Language Translation

"No more prizes for predicting rain...prizes only for building arks..."

2010-03-07T20:55:00.017Z

The team are all ready and assembled and The Comet herself is all scaffolded out and ready to go.

Last week our heritage coordinator Kay went over to take lots of photos of the boat prior to refurb. We've included some below, you can certainly get a sense of the scale of the task ahead...

It's also really interesting to see The Comet and in particular the engine from a different perspective

Another Comet venture also needs Port Glasgow support...The Comet Festival.

Local people are being urged to get involved helping with this years event. Volunteers can join the committe or be involved in actively supporting the festival on the day. There is a public meeting on Monday 8 March at 7pm in Port Glasgow Town Hall.

If you miss this however, please contact Jan Donnachie for further information on 715472.

"This is a waste of time..."

2010-02-28T13:48:00.012Z

British Sign Language Translation

Two weeks ago, The Comet of Port Glasgow was lifted from her display space in the town centre and carefully transferred onto a low loader. Apart from one very scary cracking noise as the boat was first lifted...the whole process went off without a hitch. The Comet was then driven 1/4 mile to Fergusons where she now sits, ready for the refurbishment work to begin.

But why are we bothering at all?

Comet Rebuilt will refurbish The Comet in time for the Tall Ships event next year and also to provide a vital tourist centrepiece for the Comet bicentennial celebrations in 2012. It will employ 9 local people and all work will be undertaken at Ferguson Shipbuilders in Port Glasgow. Quite frankly, that would be reason enough for some folk - but there is another good reason - pride. The Comet isn't just a wee boat thats gotten stuck at the bottom end of Tesco's Car Park, it's a boat whose international and historical significance deserves to be celebrated in the town of her birth.

This project is the result of months of negotiation and planning and in the two weeks since it has been announced, it has already provoked some very strong opinions - positive and negative. Likewise, there's a lot of interest in "what happens next?" Lots of people are keen to know whether or not The Comet will be relocated after the refurbishment or if the "Comet plaque" held in storage in our local museum will be on display at any point. In all honesty, at this point...who knows? We're more immediately concerned with the work required on the boat...

Here's the thing, when you work "in the community" you very quickly have to accept that you cannot please all of the people all of the time. So for every person that's really excited or interested in what you are doing, there will be another who thinks it's a waste of time - especially if they aren't involved. It's really easy to criticize, and in Inverclyde we've almost turned it into an art form - I sometimes wonder how James Watt managed the whole "invention of the steam engine" project at all with all the people roundabout him presumably telling him that there was no point or that it couldn't be done. Or maybe this is a more recent trait amongst Inverclyders...who knows?

This is all by way of saying...this isn't a space to debate the perceived rights and wrongs of the Comet Rebuilt project - it's a space to find out how its going.

We'll take a look at some of the history of The Comet (original and 1960s replica), we'll be running a few competitions, looking at the art project to "fill the gap" left by The Comet and of course we'll be keeping you regularly updated with images and video of the refurbishment itself - warts and all.

This project is based entirely on partnership, Inverclyde Council, The Trust at 7 1/2 and Ferguson Shipbuilders are all working hard to make this a reality...the final vital partner is the community of Port Glasgow itself.

Comet Rebuilt

National Poetry Day - Lines on the Loss of The Comet

Requiem for The Comet

The Comet Returns!

More Video Footage

Video Footage

Photos from the Doors Open Day

New Team of Men

200 Visitors on Doors Open Day

Visit Comet Rebuilt!

Photographs July 2010...

BBC Scotland's L.A.B and Culture Café Broadcast...

Buckie...

Ferguson's 9th June 2010: Photos and Video Footage...

Then and Now...

So Far, So Good...

Progress...

"X Marks the Spot..."

Raising the Curtain...

"No more prizes for predicting rain...prizes only for building arks..."

"This is a waste of time..."