LAST Monday, I had the pleasure of visiting the PS Waverley as she underwent her annual maintenance at Dales Marine dry dock in Greenock.

She is a magnificent vessel that people of all generations have fond memories of, either watching her sail up and down the Clyde or enjoying one of her summer excursions.

As we all know, the Waverley is not a young vessel and each year the cost of maintaining her goes up due to her age. If readers are looking for a great day out, I can recommend a sail. The summer timetable is online now and the first sailing is Friday May 17.

I also visited the Salvation Army’s new donation centre and store as I couldn’t attend their official opening day on April 11.

The store manager, Amanda, informed me about how busy they have already been in terms of quality donations and customers. We know that the cost of living is encouraging everyone to hunt for bargains, but reusing or reselling pre-loved items is also better for the environment.

The store is also providing local people with additional volunteering opportunities, and I was pleased to hear that they’ve recruited over 20 volunteers. I want to wish the staff and the volunteers all the best as they expand their services in the community.

Last week, I also met with the new interim chief executive of CalMac, attended the latest Cross Party Group of Shipbuilding and Maritime, attended the MND Scotland Parliamentary event and chaired the recent Kilmacolm Road meeting which was established as a result of flooding to the properties.