Goodbye John

John and I caught an early train into Glasgow Central, and then had a substantial Whetherspoon's Eggs Benidict to keep us going. I sent John off with a Snickers bar and a bottle of Iron Bru for the journey.
John has been a good crew member, more in tune with my pace. ie, snooze in the afternoon, listen to The Archers in the evening. None of this rushing to catch the first bus like one other crew member. I won't mention her name!
I called in at the Tourist information and asked about visiting one of the cranes which I had read was open to the public. They didn't have any leaflets but they said if I went to Clydebank I couldn't miss it. I took the bus and, sure enough, once at Clydebank the skyline is dominated by the Titan Crane.
It should have been closed! It only opens Friday to Monday, but because Neil Oliver was there filming an episode of Coast, the staff were able to give me a personal tour of the magnificent structure.
In her hay day she was surrounded by dozens of smaller cranes, busy workshops, and bustling docks. All has gone. The sheds have been demolished, the docks have been filled in, and some short little stumps are left by the foundations of the cranes. The Titan stands in total isolation in an industrial desert.
The lift whisked us to the top in seconds. The guide said that When she was working, the crane driver used to arrive half an hour before the rest of the shift to allow himself time to climb the ladders to his cab, carrying his flask and bucket.
The view was wonderful and the engineering impressive, but you can only wonder at past glory. One shipyard is left on the Clyde, with empty order books and an uncertain future. There used to be forty two.
I bussed it back into town, and rejoined the open top bus tour we had taken yesterday, the ticket being valid for two days. Today I had the Neil Oliver commentary.
I jumped off in Sauchiehall Street and went to the Willows Tearooms, famous for its Charles Rennie Mackintosh interior. I had the haggis!
Back to Calviere II for The Archers, after which I thought I'd go out on the Bickerton and perhaps get a late bite to eat and a glass of the local brew. I didn't get far when the pedal dropped off. I have stripped the thread and will have to see if I can get it repaired tomorrow.