The Cutty Sark Story
- Thread starter SeaBreeze
- Start date
Capt Lightning
Well-known Member
- Location
- Historic Buchan, Scotland
There was a series of programmes on TV in Scotland called "Clydebuilt: The Ships That Made the Commonwealth"
Presented by actor David Hayman, the opening episode, to be shown on Monday at 9pm on BBC Two Scotland, focuses on the famous Cutty Sark, built in 1869 for the Jock Willis shipping line.
It also includes the CS Mackay-Bennett, a cable repair ship built in Govan whose crew was tasked with recovering the bodies of those who perished when the Titanic sank in 1912.
Paddle steamer Robert E Lee, built on the Clyde in 1862, arguably most captured his imagination.
"It is not a story of triumph," said Hayman. "The Robert E Lee reveals Glasgow's involvement in the American Civil War and perpetuating slavery for two years longer than it needed be. We built ships at the rate of one a week, oceangoing paddle steamers that went to Bermuda and loaded up with arms and munitions, then shipped them through President Lincoln's blockade.
"After Gettysburg, the south was more or less defeated and if it wasn't for our supply ships breaking through those cordons, the war would have been over," he added. "We were making a profit of something like £60,000 for each two week run. Today that would be worth £4 million. A lot of Glasgow's wealth is built on that."
The final vessel in the four-part series is HMS Hood, built at John Brown & Company in Clydebank, which was the world's largest battlecruiser until it was sunk by the Bismarck in World War Two.
Presented by actor David Hayman, the opening episode, to be shown on Monday at 9pm on BBC Two Scotland, focuses on the famous Cutty Sark, built in 1869 for the Jock Willis shipping line.
It also includes the CS Mackay-Bennett, a cable repair ship built in Govan whose crew was tasked with recovering the bodies of those who perished when the Titanic sank in 1912.
Paddle steamer Robert E Lee, built on the Clyde in 1862, arguably most captured his imagination.
"It is not a story of triumph," said Hayman. "The Robert E Lee reveals Glasgow's involvement in the American Civil War and perpetuating slavery for two years longer than it needed be. We built ships at the rate of one a week, oceangoing paddle steamers that went to Bermuda and loaded up with arms and munitions, then shipped them through President Lincoln's blockade.
"After Gettysburg, the south was more or less defeated and if it wasn't for our supply ships breaking through those cordons, the war would have been over," he added. "We were making a profit of something like £60,000 for each two week run. Today that would be worth £4 million. A lot of Glasgow's wealth is built on that."
The final vessel in the four-part series is HMS Hood, built at John Brown & Company in Clydebank, which was the world's largest battlecruiser until it was sunk by the Bismarck in World War Two.
Falcon
DV8
- Location
- So. California
Thanks Sea. A beautiful ship. I enjoyed its history.
Cutty Sark; Also very good BOOZE.
Cutty Sark; Also very good BOOZE.
