Clydebank: Literally, on the Banks of the River Clyde

Clydebank

My first trek into Clydebank was the simple task of going to visit my Dad who ran John Brown’s (now The Lounge by The Clyde) on Chalmer’s Street. It was a quick visit with no purpose other than to see my ‘Da’ in his new place of work.

Walking up Kilbowie Road to Singer Station, named after the factory that made the world famous Singer sewing machines that wrap around All Saints on Buchannan Street in Glasgow like armour protecting the shop’s clothing from the inevitable advancement of wear and tear, it never flashed in my mind that my future career was waiting for me through the doors of a radio station nestled behind Clyde Court Care Home.

The Bluemoon on the Forth & Clyde Canal

I currently live and work in the capital of the Highlands, Inverness with MFR and I am where I am now because people gave me a chance. That chance was bestowed upon me while I was doing a course with Bauer Media in Edinburgh:

‘Radio Clyde are looking for a tech op, do you want a shift?’

‘I have no idea what I’m doing.’

‘Don’t worry, you’ll learn…’

Learn I did. My first shift with Clyde 1 was from 10pm till 1am, taking the GBX into the break and then fading up the news and starting the next show…a simple duty for me now after nearly 10 years in the industry. Thus began my radio journey and what a glorious nightmare of mistakes that junction was. I was ready, notes in hand, ‘I can do this’ and did it, I did not. Bits & Pieces-esque music overlapping with ads about PPI while the news reader, mid bulletin looked through the window with a blank expression of rage, ‘’who’s this f****** idiot?” Ever since then, I’ve not looked back (but I have still caused more awkward silences on air than in my continuous saga of comical relationship stories).

Alexander's pub beside Clydebank train station

Radio Clyde began broadcasting from Anderston in Glasgow City Centre at 10:30pm on Monday 31st December 1973. ‘Radio Clyde, 261, All Together Now’ was the slogan of this radio behemoth and I can say quite confidently that working there made me the person I am today. During my tenure in Clydebank I worked on Bowie@Breakfast, I did two separate broadcasts from Orlando and produced Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, arguably the most famous football phone in in the United Kingdom, if not further from these shores.

The beauty of Clydebank is the resilience built into the fibre of this town in West Dunbartonshire. The Nazis caused untold terror and damage to the people over the course of March 13th and 14th in 1941 during the Clydebank Blitz, but the people were resilient. When the shipyards were slowly chaining their gates, which culminated in the closing of John Brown & Company in 2000, the people were resilient.

Holm Park - home of Clydebank FC & Yoker Athletic

To meet a ‘Bankie’ is to encounter someone who has pulled up their socks and carried on. Much like the rise and fall of Clydebank FC, who on two separate occasions had the late, great Scottish footballer, Davie Cooper on their wages and were sponsored by local legends, Wet Wet Wet, the town is climbing the ladder back to its former glory with new developments going up left, right and centre. Every trip through to Clydebank now sees a new addition to the skyline. Whether this will help Clydebank to prosper is something for the future to show us, but one thing is for certain. From these new developments, new stories will be created.

A visit to this town on the banks of the River Clyde can’t help but to bring Radio Clyde’s motto, ‘All Together Now’ into my mind as the town redevelops for all people, together, now.