The swans say farewell to the paper boats

Although it was Cowal Games day I had - ages ago - agreed to leave Dunoon for a couple of hours to take part in the launching of the paper boats made in honour of George Wylie ( and which were to have been released at Hogmanay but the weather prevented that).

This all took place at the magnificent new Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock and involved me making a wee speech about George, handing over the boats to these swans whilst the children who made them sang "The Paper Boat Song" and watching as a tug (carrying fellow blipper Pepysman in his unaccustomed role as Ship's Captain) moved off into the Clyde and let the boats loose into the river. Then it shot off it's water jets in great style. All this was witnessed by a big crowd and accompanied on the pipes by Stuart McMillan MSP.

In other words it was a wonderful anarchic & creative mixture which encapsulated just what George was about and which entertained , inspired and informed his home town - just as he did.