The Invergordon Archive

For me this is a very poignant and nostalgic picture. It doesn’t look it here, but the pontoon was a major "hang out" place when I was a kid. Apart from fishing from it, it was a good place to just sit and watch activity around the harbour. When the fleet was in, this was where many Liberty boats disembarked sailors heading for the NAAFI canteen at the "Rec" or the 3 Bars in the town. I was always impressed to see sailors standing at the bow and stern with their boat hooks held above their heads ready to pull alongside the pontoon. Every move was carefully choreographed and smartly carried out. It was as if the arriving sailors were all important dignitaries rather than a bunch of matelots about to get plastered! I wonder if the harbour basin still has a terrible pong at low tide?

I also remember spending a lot of time there and watching the drills performed by the sailors and may have had something to do with the fact that I went into the services; besides, at that time there was very little to do! I could have ended up the oldest message boy in town (Charlie Wilsons)!

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