SOME help is needed by Helensburgh Heritage Trust for the Comet Bicentenary celebrations!
At the pier car park on Saturday August 4 Helensburgh will be celebrating one of the most important events in its history, and indeed in the history of the West of Scotland.
The first voyage of Henry Bell's Comet took place in August 1812 — this was the first commercial steamship in Europe, while Henry Bell himself was the first recorded Provost of Helensburgh.
To celebrate this, a number of events will be taking place in and around Helensburgh Pier in the afternoon.
- Participation by HMS Pursuer, a class P2000 patrol boat from the Royal Navy.
- Visit by small Victorian-style steamboats.
- Helensburgh Modellers Club will have their radio-controlled model of the Comet in action, along with various other ship models.
- Mock rescue by the RNLI lifeboat.
- Sailing events organised by Helensburgh Sailing Club and the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club.
- Display of what the proposed Comet Archway will look like.
Heritage Trust chairman Stewart Noble said: "The Trust is well ahead with these above arrangements but we could do with a little help. Specifically I am looking for help with the following:
- "A few folk to help with stewarding the event at the cordoned off area of the car park and manning stands in the afternoon.
- "Someone to go out in the Helensburgh Sailing Club rescue boat to take photos of the events.
- "The loan of a caravanette or similar vehicle which we can use as our base at the pier car park and which could house the public address system which we shall be using — particularly helpful if it were to rain!
"I should be very grateful if you could let me know as soon as possible if you could help with any of these, or know anyone who can. Please phone me on 675484 or