The Comet - Cartoon Style

As part of the Identity project run by Inverclyde Community Development Trust, the team worked with St John's Primary School to produce an animation based on the story of the historic vessel.

The film was illustrated, scripted and recorded by pupils - it's smashing.

St John's also worked with the team to tell the story of their own school for the Identity Graphic Novel, The Archivist's Treasure.

Identity - The Archivist's Treasure

National Poetry Day - Lines on the Loss of The Comet

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

"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!

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.

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.

More Video Footage

A lot of work has been done over the past two weeks, the floor on the decking area was stripped off, the engine area has been sanded and an undercoat applied. The area below the deck has been hoovered and clean up before applying specialized paint to prevent the wood from rotting.

4th Oct 2010

12th Oct 2010

Video Footage

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