Brew & Blether

A short walk took me to the Scottish Maritime Museum where the welcome was as warm as one would expect from Dumbarton folk.

The exhibition was entitled ‘Brew and Blether’ and it did what it said on the tin.

Fortified with a caramel wafer and a cup of sweet tea, I sat down at one of the tables, each littered with photographs from Denny’s Shipyards of yesteryear and its workforce and, as I enjoyed the enthusiastic chatter with the staff, I was encouraged to look at the photographs to see if I could identify anyone.

Each picture was of a specific department, outing or occasion from various times in the shipyard’s history. On the reverse of the photographs was a plan highlighting each individual and visitors were encouraged to add the names of any friends or family members they recognised.

Already some post-it notes had been added.

I was then ushered to one of the windows and saw a number of brightly painted Canadian canoes which are undergoing repair before the volunteers begin to make new oars for the skiffs.

We chatted away about Denny’s and its place in world maritime history and I felt I was amongst friends having…..’a brew and a blether’.

This was local history and community heritage at its absolute best - a little niche perhaps but that is to be expected, and I heartily recommend anyone from the town or Vale to visit, especially if they recall family members who worked for Denny’s.

'Brew & Blether' will be back at the Denny Tank Maritime Museum in Dumbarton on Wednesday May 20 2.30pm - 4pm.