When the boat comes in...

Well the first of my projects is almost finished. Admittedly I started it in July! A good friend of my was photographing MacBraynes buses in the late 50's and has always wanted a model of his favourite bus, an Albion that started life with Skye Transport and ended up in public service of the Isle of Mull running from Tobermory to Salen.

He is probably the only person to have photographed it in any detail and when a kit of one became available I thought he'd like one. So seven weeks later, here it is in situ on Port Appin.

When I was writing my MacBraynes' Transport history John loaned me a lot of his work to include in my book. Another story spins off from there, one not for public consumption save to say both his negs and mine were never returned by a 'friend' who borrowed them for a few weeks to copy.

Anyway, this cameo is not untypical of a small harbour or port scene on the islands in the 1950's. A Morris Commercial ice cream van tempts small children. The Vauxhall Velox taxi and the Triumph Mayflower await passengers off a MacBraynes ferry from a neighbouring island.

There still is a jingle relating to the importance of David MacBraynes ships and buses to islanders and even though they detested parts of the organisation, it was and still is their lifeline.

Unto the Lord belongs the Earth
And all that it contains
Except the Kyles and Western Isles
For they belong to MacBraynes


With variations!