Provost backs bid to preserve history of Gourock swim club

Gourock Amateur Swimming Club folded in recent years after over a century in the town, but a small group of former committee members have been working hard to ensure the organisation’s legacy is safeguarded.

John Howieson, Anne-Margaret Lawson and Alison Clark have searched high and low for old trophies given out at club competitions in the hope of one day exhibiting at the Watt Institute in Greenock.

Their search led John to reach out to Inverclyde Provost Drew McKenzie, who helped organise a search of the Municipal Buildings for a trace of the trophies.

Provost McKenzie then invited the group along to the council buildings, along with several former club members and relatives of former club members who John managed to re-connect with.

John told the Telegraph he had been delighted when councillor McKenzie offered to help them.

He said: “It’s been a lot of hard work to get here.

“We’ve got quite a few trophies in and found some really old ones now and people associated with those trophies.

“There have been a lot of great stories told too.

“It’s people who’ve swam in the races or had family who have swam in the races, it’s incredible.

“It would be nice to get the trophies back but it’s also important just to be able to hear the stories behind them for posterity.

“We’ve been speaking to the Watt Institute about it and hopefully we can do something with them at some point.

“It’s fantastic to have the provost backing us and it’s brilliant to have been invited along by him.

“The intention is to preserve some part of the club’s history, rather than having it just disappear.

“That history has to be held on to.”

Millie Thomson was one of those who attended the small reception at the council buildings.

The 92-year-old had reached out to John after she realised her uncle had won one of the trophies he was searching for.

She said: “The cup was my uncle John’s, I think he won it before Gourock Outdoor Pool even opened, back when they used to swim in the river.

“They would go along the prom at Gourock, my uncle’s family were all swimmers.

“I got in touch with John and told him I’d given the trophy back to the swimming club some time ago and he was able to track it down and get it back.

“I’m so glad I spoke to him, I was quite worried about the cup and what happened to it.

“It’s brilliant that they’ve been able to find so many cups, having it still be in good hands is fantastic.”

Councillor McKenzie said that he had been delighted to host the group in the Provost’s chambers and urged anyone with information about the amateurs to reach out to John.

He added: “They’ve managed to trace a good few trophies and put forward a good collection which hopefully we’ll be able to display somewhere so they can be enjoyed by folk.

“There’s a lot of history pertaining to the club, there’s a lot of stories and a lot of characters among the names on the trophies.

“Gourock’s a small community, people will recognise the name.

“Mr Bob McGaughey for example is 93 and he came along today.

“His name is on most of the trophies, including one he presented to the club himself.

“He would train off the Esplanade back in the day – they call it wild swimming now but it was just swimming then.

“It’s fantastic to have everyone along and they’re all very passionate about it.

“There are bound to be people out there with trophies in their attic or who have information about the club, John knows a lot about the history but there will be people with further stories.

“It’s a great way to keep that history alive.”

Anyone with information about the trophies is asked to contact the former club members by emailing gasctrophies@outlook.com.