We are grateful to Gordon Wilson, a former employee of Campbeltown Shipyard, for this photo of him with the then Secretary for State for Scotland, Malcolm Rifkind. Gordon remembers that the yard had been working on the Thorsvoe (Yard No. 89) in 1990, a ferry launched in 1991 and which is still operating in Orkney, when they had a visit from Rifkind. Gordon, who worked with Willie “Tyre” McIntyre, Robbie McGown and Jamie Martin during his 13 years at Campbeltown Shipyard, was working in the confined space of the cabins, putting in brackets.
I had squeezed into the cabin – “Snake hips” – I was thin – I was still working working away and everyone had left, except for the tumbleweed. Then suddenly I was asked the question “What are you doing in there?” – and it was Malcolm Rifkind with the “Paparazzi”, who then took this photo, which ended up in the papers.
Gordon’s uncle, Bertie Brown, who lived in Dunoon, had the picture blown up and used it to wind up Gordon’s father, David Wilson, also a shipyard worker in Campbeltown. David was a died in the wool Labour man and he couldn’t stand Rifkind or the Thatcher government!
Gordon has lots of memories of the shipyard which we hope to share soon.
Malcolm Rifkind and shipyard worker, Gordon Wilson. Courtesy of Gordon Wilson. C 1990. Courtesy of Gordon Wilson.
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