LAST Tuesday I published an old postcard of the Cut and today’s photograph shows some of the men responsible for its maintenance in days gone.

It was handed in by Greenock reader Alec McAfee whose father, who was also named Alec, can be seen on the extreme left of the back row.

Alec reckons the picture of Greenock Corporation labourers belonging to what was called the Hill Squad was likely taken just after the end of the Second World War.

He recalls several other names. Dan McCabe is fourth from the left in the back row and Charlie Fredericks is on the extreme right, Bobby Holmes is on the extreme left in the middle row and Willie Meek is on the right in the front row.

Previously a member of the corporation’s parks department, Alec was also employed with the Hill Squad between 1965 and 1967.

Alec said the work included repairing dry stone walls around the dams and removing vegetation from the course of the Cut. The latter task, which involved the water levels being lowered, was carried out during August and September. The removal of vegetation was to stop ice forming in the depths of winter.

Alec told me that Jimmy Meikle was the Hill Squad’s foreman at that time.

He lived in one side of the cottages at the Greenock end of the Cut and waterman Neil Bowes stayed in the other side.

After leaving the Hill Squad, Alec became the caretaker of Hawick Court, the first high flats in Belville Street, and he and his wife were the first tenants.

Alec was to spend around 40 years with the housing department and was also caretaker of Whinhill and Regent Courts.