THIS week’s look back into our archives takes us back 12 years – when angry staff from a Gourock nursery claimed they were owed £1,500 each after it closed down with no warning.
Workers at Growing Places Nursery on John Street were stunned by the sudden closure — which left them jobless and had parents scrambling to find alternative childcare.
A local employment rights expert said the axed workers had been left ‘high and dry’, as they considered setting up their own nursery.
LAST WEEK'S GREENOCK TELEGRAPH FLASHBACK: Warring gangs caused trouble in Greenock
One of the staff, Nicola Campbell-Brisland told the Tele: “We were upset for the kids because they were confused — we didn’t even think about ourselves.
“We’ve looked after some of them since they were six months old — we were like part of their family.”
Meanwhile, a weightlifter had become British champion — despite being told she would never compete again after a career-threatening injury.
Jane Armour, of Greenock, had won the British Seniors Championship less than five months after returning from a serious elbow injury which deprived her of a possible place at the Commonwealth Games last year.
The PE teacher was a candidate for the Delhi Games but snapped ligaments and tendons in her left elbow only days before vital trials took place.
For the next ten months, Jane was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch as fellow competitors geared up for the competition in India.
But the former Greenock High pupil had come roaring back to prove doctors wrong by scooping the title, in Lilleshall, Shropshire, in only her third event after injury.
Elsewhere, a Gourock beach was on to a ‘shore’-fire thing with tourists — after landng a top accolade from inspectors.
Lunderston Bay had been awarded a Good Beach Award 2011 seal of approval from the Marine Conservation Society.
This meant the popular beauty spot would feature in their Good Beach Guide — and Inverclyde’s Depute Provost believed the honour could encourage more people to visit the area.
Councillor David Wilson, who was vice-chair of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park, which runs Lunderston, said at the time: “This is great news, especially after the problems we’ve had at Lunderston Bay with vandals.”
Mr Wilson said a lot of work had been done to make it one of the best beaches in the country — and said its new approved status was a real boost.
In other news, a Gourock man was given the Royal seal of approval when he met the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
Charlie Street was honoured to be chosen to meet HRH after the firm he works for received the prestigious Queen’s Export Award.
Charlie, who was the operations manager for Peak Scientific UK in Inchinnan which makes gas generators, described his meeting with the monarch as ‘surreal’.
Charlie worked for IBM for 28 years before moving to the small company.
In sport, Andy Jackson had stashed the match ball he had earned the weekend before in a safe place — so he could show it off to his daughter when she grew up.
The hotshot striker bagged four goals against Stranraer as Morton completed a demolition job on the Third Division outfit by securing an 8-0 Ramsdens Cup win.
And Jackson admitted his Ton team-mates were only too happy to sign his souvenir to help celebrate his first career hat-trick.
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