PLANS are underway to bring a much-loved monument to Port Glasgow‘s shipbuilding heritage back into the heart of the town.
A new £340,000 Comet replica is set to be installed in the town centre in the coming months, with hopes it can be reinstated at its old spot next to the Comet roundabout before the 40th edition of the annual Comet Festival in June.
Work to build a plinth for the vessel to rest on is currently taking place at Port Glasgow’s main plaza, while an exhibition explaining the original Comet’s history ran at the town hall last week.
The showcase told the story of Henry Bell’s original Comet paddle steamer, which was built in 1812, as well as sharing the replica’s history and allowing locals to record their memories of the vessel.
The replica was installed in Port Glasgow in 1962 and was a proud part of the town centre for decades.
However, in recent years, its exposure to the elements began to take a toll on the replica, and in 2023 Inverclyde Council made the decision to take the Comet apart and remove it from its place in Port Glasgow.
Worl is underway to create a plinth for the new comet replica (Image: George Munro)
Work is underway to create a plinth for the new Comet replica (Image: George Munro)
Alex Fox, heritage co-ordinator with Inverclyde Council, said: “We have been making oral history recordings of people’s memories of the 1962 launch and things that were happening in the schools at the time.
“It’s not a consultation or what they think of the new version. It is about recording people’s memories to use in storyboards for the future, in people’s own words.”
Alex Fox and Ellie Brennan, front of house supervisor at the Watt Institution (Image: George Munro)
Alex Fox at the exhibition (Image: George Munro)
The exhibition aims to renew the relationship between the Comet and Port Glasgow’s people.
Alex and the other organisers hope it can help spark other memories of industries and infrastructure associated with Port Glasgow’s maritime and shipbuilding heritage, such as the Goliath Crane and Gourock Ropeworks.
Comet Exhibition (Image: George Munro)
Comet Exhibition (Image: George Munro)
He said: “We’ve had a range of people coming in, and kids have been building and colouring in paddle steamer pictures.
“There have been a lot of guys who worked in the shipyards making audio recordings, and New Scots who arrived in Port Glasgow giving their views of what they thought when they saw the Comet.”
Memebers of the public view the display (Image: George Munro)
Eleanor Robertson, chair of Inverclyde Heritage Network, said: “We’ve had a really good response from the public recording their memories.
“We had around 10 people today and quite a few yesterday.
“We are very pleased to offer people the opportunity to share their memories.”
Last month, councillor Chris Curley, whose ward includes Port Glasgow, revealed that the new Comet replica is expected to be installed in Port Glasgow’s town centre in time for this year’s Comet Festival.
Ahead of the Comet Festival, its organisers are holding an AGM on April 29 at 7pm.