A Bridge Not Too Far (Apologies to Cornelius Ryan)

Alan S, Davie Mc, Gus, Ian, Jim, Jimmy, Kenny R, Kenny T, Rex & Robert

The bridge at Arnhem may have caused great difficulties for Major General Urquhart and the British 1^st Airborn during operation Market Garden but the bridge we were to conquer today presented no such difficulties. Ours was to be the Erskine Bridge over the River Clyde and there was no enemy to prevent our crossing. To mount our operation – which we shall call Operation Fish-supper – we rendezvoused in Caulders Garden Centre in Erskine at 10:00 hours. There we enjoyed a casual cup whilst plans were made for this was to be an easy and short walk.       

Due to the easy nature of the walk it was good to welcome back our walking wounded in the form of Jimmy recovering from his back problem, and Gus nearly recovering from his Achilles injury.

On a warm but slightly overcast morning we came on to the walkway that would take us over the bridge. The views from the bridge are special on any day, and today was no exception. We stood on the highest point of the bridge, by the plaque indicating that it was officially opened by HRH Princess Anne in 1971, and looked down the river to Dumbarton Rock and the Tail o’ the Bank. Below us lay Erskine Golf Course with ant sized golfers trying their luck. Eastward the view was upriver to the city of Glasgow and nearer at hand Clydebank, our destination.

We came off the bridge into Auld Kilpatrick and found there the path alongside the Forth and Clyde canal. We would follow this to our destination. All along the path information boards told us something of the history of the area. One such told us that the last Erskine ferry sailed across the river in 1971 made obsolete by the new bridge. Reading the information boards and dodging the many cyclists who were enjoying the day as we were, we came to Clydebank.

Where the Dumbarton Road crosses the Canal we stopped to admire the Beardmore monument. Sir William Beardmore (1856 – 1936) was an entrepreneur and shipyard owner in the town. He sponsored Ernest Shackleton’s expedition to Antarctica in 1907, an expedition in which Shackleton named the largest glacier on the continent after his sponsor. The monument at the corner of Dumbarton Road and Beardmore Street is spectacular as befits a man of Beardmore’s standing.  (Ego, more like – Ed.)

From the monument we still followed the canal through the busy Clyde shopping precinct to McMonagal’s fish and chip restaurant.  Her we dined alfresco on some of McMonagal’s wares.

After the repast we returned to the bridge by the outward route. Once again on the high point of the bridge we halted, this time to watch a container ship with what looked like sections of wind turbines aboard crawl slowly under us. But why, we asked ourselves, was the pilot boat astern of the container one?

More ant-like golfers were trying their luck on the course but we were more interested in the path that ran down beside the water. We suspect this to be the Clyde Coastal Walkway and look for forward to trying it out some day.

Today was short and easy but for two it was enough. Perhaps their recovery will be sufficient to tackle something longer next week.

We returned to The King’s Arms in Fenwick for FRT today.