Cromarty Archive

Last post to Invergordon

Last post to Invergordon

Date Added: 08 November 2006 Contributor: Margaret Cassie (Clelland) Year: 1969 Picture No: 1783

The last mail bag to go from Cromarty to Invergordon by ferry is handed down to the ferry skipper, Mr Albert Watson, by Postwoman Mrs May Clelland, watched by John Gilles. The mail was carried by van from then on. See also picture #967.

The large version contains the full text of the newspaper article. Not sure which paper it is though.

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Groups: Cromarty & Poyntzfield Post Offices

3 Comments

As a young boy I lived in Cromarty. My father was the Station Officer for H.M. Coastguard and knew Albert Watson very well as he was also the lifeboat coxswain when it was stationed in Cromarty. When not at school I used to go over to Invergordon on the ferry with Albert and he used to let me steer the boats. It was like a mini adventure for me. The ferries were called Enterprise and Endeavour. Sometimes we used to pick my sister up at Invergordon who at the time was a nurse at Invergordon Hospital (now living in Alness). Comment left on 09 November 2006 at 11:04 by William Long
This was the last trip under the former GPO Contract my father had with the mails. The service was run by a steamer initially, called the AILSA, which was sold in 1939, to be replaced by the Enterprise(designed & built by my Grandfather in the Factory) and the Endeavour as relief boat. This is the Endeavour in the photo. The year 1968. Paper was from memory 'The North Star'.
To Margaret, thanks for this photo, and to William Long, thanks for your memories in print.
Comment left on 11 November 2006 at 23:14 by Clem Watson
Memories indeed. As a young lad I would regularly catch the ferry ropes at Invergordon and give a hand with the cargo handling. Most of the cargo was delivered to the pier from the station at Invergordon on the Railway lorry and consisted of supplies for the shops in Cromarty, also the beer wine and spirits for The Control. It was a good learning experience for a young lad to observe the techniques used by Albert to handle some heavy items from the pier to the boat, often single handed.
The date of the last mail run is quoted in the news cutting as 31st September, obviously an error, so was the last run on Monday the 30th or Tuesday 1st of October 1968?
Comment left on 15 November 2006 at 00:08 by Ron Stewart
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