IN this week in March, 1936, residents of Port Glasgow, Greenock and Gourock were swept up by what the Telegraph described as the greatest day in the Clyde’s history.

It was the “maiden voyage” of the Cunard liner RMS Queen Mary from John Brown’s yard at Clydebank to Greenock on Tuesday 24 March.

Leaving the fitting-out basin at 9.55am, the three-funnelled vessel took just over four hours to reach the town.

She was assisted down river by five Clyde Shipping Company tugs — the Flying Kite, Flying Eagle, Flying Falcon, Flying Foam and Flying Spray — plus the Anchor Line tender Palladin and the Southampton tug Romsey.

The accompanying photograph shows the liner passing Lithgow’s in Port Glasgow. The scenes mentioned in the Telegraph’s report of the ship reaching Port Glasgow were repeated elsewhere in the district.

It stated: “Port Glasgow, the town that created the Comet, turned out en masse to see the latest and greatest product of Clyde workmanship.

“It would be difficult to estimate the numbers who lined the waterfront from Carnegie to the boundary and massed together on the steep hills above the town, as they were spread over a wide area.

“It is safe to say that almost everyone in the town caught a glimpse of the wonder ship. Little work was done in houses, shops, works and even in households between noon and three o’clock.

“People downed tools earlier than arranged, as reports reached the town that the vessel would pass Port Glasgow about midday.

“Most people had a long period of waiting. For two hours eyes were strained trying to pierce the mist that lay on the channel up the river.

“Then, at one o’clock, above the haze was seen a cloud of smoke. Gradually, the lines of the Queen Mary, familiar to those who had never actually seen her, could be discerned.

“Suddenly, the sun broke through and the full outline of the vessel was disclosed, her three red funnels standing out vividly.

“As she passed Port Glasgow at 1.20pm, a wonderful broadside of the Queen Mary was afforded. Spectators were visibly impressed by her gigantic proportions. The sunshine, glinting on her new paint, was nature’s finishing touch to this masterpiece of marine efficiency and grandeur.” In addition to residents viewing the liner’s arrival, Greenock received thousands of visitors from south of the border.

It was reckoned the Esplanade alone accounted for 50,000 spectators, with positions being taken up from 11.00am.

Around 70,000 gathered at Gourock in the evening to see the magnificently floodlit liner as she lay at the mouth of Loch Long between Kilcreggan and Gourock, about half a mile from the Ashton shore. The Queen Mary is now a floating hotel/museum at Long Beach, California.