A SUCCESSFUL product once manufactured in Greenock came about because of a mistake.

The story relates to the former Greenock Worsted Mills, known locally as the Merino Mill (pictured in 1982), built by Fleming, Reid & Co to take advantage of water brought by The Cut from Loch Thom.

A 42-inch diameter pipe fed the water to a turbine which supplied power to the various flats of the spinning mills.

I do not know exactly when the aforementioned error happened other than it was before the First World War.

It led to Scotch Wool and Hosiery Stores being established in High Streets throughout Britain.

Fleming, Reid and Co got into the wool trade after a consignment of single tweed yarn was returned because it was not the correct shade.

It was twisted four-fold into knitting wool and sold to the workforce.

Townspeople quickly learned of the wonderful wearing qualities of this new knitting wool and a shop had to be opened in Greenock to meet demand.

This was the first Scotch Wool & Hosiery Store, which eventually grew to 365 branches.

Possibly in 1969 or early 1970, Fleming, Reid and Co merged with an English concern and not long after that the store name started to be changed from Scotch Wool & Hosiery Stores to Bellman’s Scotch Wool Shop.

However, in the summer of 1970 the original name was still above the Greenock shop in West Blackhall Street.