Castle Comfort Stairlifts offers top brand stairlifts, keen prices and fast installs for all those seeking stairlifts in Inverclyde, Strathclyde . And all work comes with our no-quibble guarantees and famous customer service satisfaction.
Give us a call today on 0141 278 3929 If however, you are looking for fascinating facts about the area then feel free to read on.
Stairlifts Greenock – Stairlifts Strathclyde
Greenock can be found on the south bank of the River Clyde just as it joins the Firth of Clyde. The Firth of Clyde is a vast stretch of coastal water sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean by a peninsula of land known as Kintyre. At the entrance to the Firth it is 26 miles wide. As Greenock sits on the river bank, it is no surprise that its history and industry has long been linked with the water. For yacht charters on the Clyde visit http://www.clydeyachts.com where Colin will provide you with a great selection of boats.
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| Source:Wikimedia Commons |
The Port of Greenock timeline
· In the 1500’s Greenock was a fishing port
· By the late 1600’s shipbuilding was already important here. Through the following centuries some of the biggest shipbuilding and ship engine manufacturing firms were established here
· It was the departure port for Scotland’s second fleet attempting colonisation of the New World
· The first dock was built in 1711
· Flourished through trade with the Americas particularly sugar from the Caribbean
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| Source:Wikimedia Commons |
· Further north of Greenock is the Tail of the Bank, a place of anchorage in the Firth of Clyde. This was home to the Home Fleet for part of World War II and also the Free French Navy
· This area was also used in the 20th century as the embarkation point for those emigrating to Canada and the USA
· The shipbuilding industry died in the late 20th century. All that remains now is some repair work at Garval and Inchgreen dry docks. The last shipbuilders Fergusons, continue shipbuilding at nearby Port Glasgow
· Greenock is now predominantly a container freight port and a cruise liner terminal operating from Prince’s Pier
· Greenock also offers support services to the Royal Navy
· The Navy’s submarine base is at nearby Glen Loch
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| Source:Wikimedia Commons |
Castle Comfort Stairlifts and Greenock
Our timeline isn’t nearly as long as the Port of Greenock’s. Our family business was started about 15 years ago after our own family had found ourselves in the position of a loved one needing a stairlift or some means of transport up and down the stairs. We wanted to make sure that the process was easier for others.
So now we are able to offer you stairlifts from all of the UK’s manufacturers including our own brand as well as reconditioned ones. No matter what you need we have a solution from perch lifts for those of you who cannot bend your knees to curved or straight stairlifts depending on your staircase. We even have stairlifts that are wider and take more weight so no one needs worry.
Once you have looked at the range and made your decision we can actually arrange for the stairlift to be fitted in your home in less than half a day. We offer a 24/7 after sales service so that you don’t need to worry about being out of action or stranded – we are just a phone call away on 0141 278 3929.
Industry in Greenock
As you can tell from the port of Greenock’s timeline, the water has influenced industry in the area. Initially the industry was fishing but soon became boatbuilding and then trade with foreign places.
Both shipbuilding and sugar imports had a big effect on Greenock. Shipbuilding employed thousands of people in the 19th and 20th centuries. With the demise of the industry, many jobs were lost and unemployment soared.
Sugar refineries grew up all around the port of Greenock the first in 1765! Around 400 ships a year brought sugar – and tobacco – to Greenock by the end of the 19th century. There were 14 sugar refineries in Greenock plus a sugar beet factory. It was the home of sugar refining for the famous Tate and Lyle. When they closed in 1997 it also closed the town’s 150 year link with sugar importing and refining.
The sugar warehouse at James Watt Dock was declared an A listed building with its unusual colonnade which gave unloading protection from the weather. The building stood empty for many years but is now being carefully refurbished into apartments.
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| Source:Wikimedia Commons |
From the 1950’s electronic companies moved into Greenock making this the main source of industry in the area. These companies have also moved out to other areas where production is cheaper and now the town is home to several call centres.
Greenock’s rich and famous
The engineer James Watt is Greenock’s most famous son. He improved the steam engine making it more efficient with a condenser. He also created horsepower as a measurement of energy. The watt, a unit of power or energy was named after him. In his home town he is well remembered by the local James Watt Memorial College and the library which is ‘instituted in his memory’.
The love of Robert Burns’ life, Mary Campbell came to visit her sick brother in Greenock. She nursed him once he contracted Typhus which she unfortunately caught too. She was buried in the Old Kirk graveyard. Her grave was marked by a monument with an inscription later installed at the public’s request. When the Old Kirk site needed to expand in the 1920’s the monument was moved to its present location in Greenock Cemetery.
Political novelist John Galt who commented on the industrial revolution lived in Greenock periodically and featured the town in his novels. He travelled a lot and worked for the Canada Company, founding a town near Toronto for the company’s headquarters, called Guelph. Today this town is renowned for its high living standards, its low unemployment and crime rates. One of Galt’s sons became one of the Founding Fathers of Canada. Galt is buried at the Inverkip Street Cemetery in Greenock. There is a memorial fountain in his honour in the town.
Famous US Comedian and TV host Jay Leno’s mother, Catherine Muir was born in Greenock but emigrated to America when still young. American actress Julianne More has a similar background. Her mother Anne Love emigrated from Greenock too.
Actor Richard Wilson best known for his role as Victor Meldrew in the TV series One Foot in the Grave was born and brought up in Greenock. Actor Martin Compston got his acting break with Ken Loach in his film Sweet Sixteen.
Chick Murray, the controversial comedian was also from Greenock. Composers Hamish MacCunn and William Wallace were both from here as were Bill Bryden a playwright and theatre director, Neil Paterson who won awards for his screenplay for Room at the Top and TV screen writer Peter McDougall.
Two infamous characters: the pirate William Kidd claimed to be from Greenock before his trial but he was actually born in Dundee. The Libyan officer imprisoned for the Lockerbie bombing was held at Greenock Prison until his release in 2009.
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| Source:Wikimedia Commons |
You might not be famous, but if you or a loved one in the Greenock area needs a stairlift, we can help. We can even advice on purchase options from 0% finance to grants. Get in touch with us today to make your life easier on 0141 278 3929 .
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