THE RENFREW FERRY
The Renfrew Ferry is a ferry service in Scotland linking the north and south banks of the River Clyde between the area of Yoker in Glasgow and the town of Renfrew in Renfrewshire. It is the last Clyde Crossing this far upstream to remain operational, and is the closest to the City Centre of Glasgow. SPT announced on January 22, 2010 that the service would close in March as part of SPT budget cuts across all services. After much discussion a new ferry is now in place.
Please take time to watch some of Darrel`s footage of the ferry. http://www.youtube.com/user/darrelhendrie#p/a
Here is Darrel`s photo`s.http://darrel817.fotopic.net/c1806952.html
The new Renfrew Ferry £1.60 for the new Renfrew tub
My Story
From the age of 12 I lived in Pennan place Scotstoun with my parents.
When I turned 16 I left school and went to work in GKN on South Street just along from Yarrow`s the famous shipbuilders. In 1981 I married my wife
Lorna and moved to our first home in Broadloan Renfrew.
Top flat above the Crosskeys
Every day my wife and I would walk down to the Renfrew ferry to cross
the river to get to work. Our family and friends all lived on the northside of the river so we would have been lost without the ferry. To travel by public transport would have added another 90 mins to our journey.
We moved back to the north side of the Clyde when they did away
with the old chain ferry. Below is my photo of the chain ferry which ran 24
hours a day. I now work in Govan and use the ferry to get home to Clydebank.
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FAMOUS STARS ON THE FERRY.
One Saturday afternoon, after working the half shift at GKN I headed home to Renfrew. I stood at the Yoker side waiting on the boat coming over.
There was the normal small group of punters from the shipyards and the Albion car factory. I noticed the ferry was rather busy and a lot of the passengers were staying on.
As I walked up the ramps on to the boat I noticed young people
running up and down the stairs. At first I thought nothing of it but I overheard someone talking about Simple Minds and I clicked that it was their lead singer Jim Kerr. Simple Minds were shooting footage for their new single waterfront.
"Waterfront" is a 1983 single from Simple Minds, the first release from the album Sparkle in the Rain.
& 
The lost night on the Ferry.
Around December 83 I had just been at my works Christmas night oot in the City Centre. There had been a lot of free beverage and as the night went on I was the worse for ware. It was not long after I was married and was enjoying my first night out for a while.
As they called last orders I said my goodbye`s to my fellow workmates and headed for home. Being just married money was a bit tight so I decided against a taxi.
I`ll get the ferry over from Yoker. So I got the 62 to the Ancourage pub and walked down to get the boat over. I staggered down to the ferry to my delight THE BOAT WAS IN. Thought to myself it`s great this runs 24 hrs a day.
I got my ticket, didn`t cost much then. Went and got a seat inside because it was bitter cold and there was hell of a wind. After a few minutes ,all you heard was the gates shutting, followed by clug,clug,clug that was the ferry leaving.
The next few hours are a bit of a blank. I was wakened by the ticket collector.
He screamed at me in his broad highland accent.
YOU CANNAE SLEEP ON MY BOAT SON
I am sorry mate I replied. I am really sorry mate.
He explained I had been back and forward for two hours and I would have to get off. It`s not a hotel you know son.
The ferry landed so I said good bye to my new highland friend and he said to me watch whit yer daein son.
I walked up the slip way and headed for home. I was finding it hard to get
my land legs and my heed was goin round as if I was still on the boat.
It was about 15 to 20 minute walk to my house. After ten minutes of thinking up excuses to tell my new wife where I was.
I thought to myself WHERE THE HELL UM A.
There was nobody about to ask so I walked on a bit. It was stoating down and blowing a gale. I was just about tae start greeting when i noticed high rise flats.
Then I CLICKED when I woke up I must've forgotten I WAS MARRIED and I GOT AFF ON THE WRANG SIDE. I was heading tae ma maws hoose.
You can imagine what my new highland friend said when I walked back on his boat. Or should I say hotel .