A song lamenting the scandalous neglect of Kilcreggan’s ferry service has been recorded – and a public meeting is being planned to debate the issue.
Frustrated after months in which the Island Princess has been beset with ‘technical issues’, Gracey Flair wrote new lyrics to the tune of the Song of the Clyde.
With SPT and Transport Scotland both seemingly unable to fix the issue, the song complains: “So many officials, no-one takes the rap for having a service haphazard or crap.”
The song was recorded by the Peninsula Choir in Cove Burgh Hall last week and this afternoon its hilarious refrain could be heard across the village as a video was filmed on the pier.
The project was co-ordinated by John McMurtrie, who said the video would be posted on social media: “It was great seeing so many people on the pier to support this and raise awareness of the importance of our ferry service.
“The idea came to do this when instead of holding numerous meetings along with around 40 elected members, whether community councillors, councillors, constituency MSPs, regional MSPs involved and all coming from a different perspective, it became evident that nothing was likely to be achieved, besides waiting for the end of the contract.
“So a community project to demonstrate the importance of the service along with the visual of people standing together has a much stronger impact.”
The choir’s director Stephen Adam wrote the score, Andy Logue recorded the performance and Dave Dunbar is producing the videoAndy recorded performance and Dave filmed the video,
Meanwhile a public meeting could be held to debate the issue in January – anyone who wishes to be kept in touch with this should email Rev Christine Murdoch – cmurdoch@churchofscotland.org.uk
The full lyrics are below:
Oor Kilcreggan Ferry, written by Gracey Flair (Oct 2017)
(tune = Song of the Clyde)
Chorus:
(tune = oh the River Clyde, the wonderful Clyde)
Oor Kilcreggan Ferry’s
went aff again,
and a technical fault
is what aye gets the blame.
But behind this tale
of a boat that won’t bodge,
are elected officials
who couldnae run a menoge.
Verse 1:
With all of their powers
and all of their might
and all of their salaries
you’d think it’d run right.
But a quality service
from Gourock tae here ?
Some officials decided
that it was too dear.
A cheaper-priced contract
would dae folks like us,
and if the boat broke doon
we might get a bus.
But a ten minute journey
tae over an ‘oor ?
Are we getting ripped aff
or shortchanged, or poor?
Chorus
Verse 2:
An outpatient off to the
Inverclyde Royal?
Could be cauld, tired and tearful
‘fore back on home soil.
‘Them workers for Coulport
maybe missin’ a shift,
likely costing them holidays
and leaving them miffed.
It’s the West Coast of Scotland
who’s surprised we need boats?
Big waans and wee waans
and waans that can float.
A schedule that also
serves the punters that use
this vital wee route
with spectacular views.
Chorus
Verse 3:
We pay for a layer
of Scottish Government.
A big buildin’ in Edinburgh
called oor Parliament.
We pay for a department
of transport, that too
and a Minister of Transport
and all his large crew.
From a West Scotland list
We pay seven MSPs.
And directly elect waans
tae fix things like these.
We fund SPT Transport
from oor public purse
and they’re most likely guilty
And caused all this fuss.
Chorus
Verse 4:
So many officials
no-one takes the rap
for having a service
haphazard or crap.
Leadership’s fuzzy
and woolly, no blame.
Or is fuzzy and woolly
all part of the game ?
There’s millions for councils,
such as Argyll and Bute
but with Inverclyde
cannae work this waan oot.
There’s community councils
in towns far and wide
But no fix for this problem
on our River Clyde.
Chorus
Verse 5:
Not all these officials
are paid from the pot,
but most of them are
and the top ones, a lot.
They take from the tax
and it makes quite a dent
and leaves us to wonder,
could it better be spent?
Perhaps instead on a Kilcreggan Ferry?
And a decent waan at that.
No’ any old vessel
or junk piece of tat.
You can tell that this service
it gets on oor goat
Please, can somebody get us
a reliable boat!
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