Happy Memories

Seagull Trust members have many happy memories of outings aboard the vessels of the Trust’s fleet, such as those by John Haddow.

Members of a Seagull crew based at Ratho once swapped their usual nautical uniforms of blue sweatshirts and fleece jackets, for formal white shirts and bow ties. This change of gear came about all thanks to a chance remark made by one of the helpers who accompanied a party of residents from Braeside House Residential Home for the elderly blind in Edinburgh on one of their regular outings aboard St. John Crusader II.

During her usual vote of thanks to the crew towards the end of the voyage, the home’s activity co-ordinator, Lynn, just happened to remark that while all of the ladies had thoroughly enjoyed both the cruise and the lively sing song which had been a feature of it, what they really would have liked, was a dance with John and the members of his crew.

John and his companions learned from Lynn that Braeside House does occasionally arrange dances at the home but that there were never any male partners for her “girls” who were all well into their eighties. He and his crew mates immediately offered to change that by volunteering to attend the next function.

News that the Seagull crew members had all promised to come to the next dance soon transformed it into the Braeside Summer Ball, with the ladies all having special hairdos and bringing out their best dresses and their make-up bags as they prepared for the big occasion.

On the night nine nattily dressed Seagull volunteers took to the floor, all immaculately rigged out in smart pressed black trousers, crisp white shirts and black bow ties. From the opening waltz to the closing conga, the dance to the live music of the accordionist, was a huge success. In her thank you letter to John and the rest of the crew, the matron of Braeside wrote that there was a palpable lift to the atmosphere at the home for weeks afterwards.

John comments that, “Our total commitment was only two hours, which otherwise might simply have been spent aimlessly watching television. Instead the time was transformed into an unforgettable night for the sixty ladies who took part and for the nine exhausted but happy Seagull crew members.”

The evening had a happy ending, because it was so successful that John and his companions have agreed to be dance partners again, but have declined a suggestion that they provide a Chippendale style finale!

Going the extra mile

A Seagull Trust cruise from Ratho was extended by an extra mile at the end of season 2004 for a very good reason. The duty crew aboard St. John Crusader discovered that one of their ninety year old passengers had a very special interest in how far the barge was going to sail. It turned out that the first home she had occupied after her marriage to a farmer 70 years ago was situated close to the banks of the canal. A quick check on a map showed that the old farmhouse was a mile further on than the cruise’s scheduled destination. After a discussion with the group leader it was agreed to extend the trip by 20 minutes which was just enough time to let the old lady see her earlier home. As she spotted the farmhouse she assured the skipper and crew that her former home had changed very little in appearance and was also most interested to see for the first time the new storage sheds which had been added. Sadly, this proved to be the old lady’s final outing. She passed away 3 weeks later. Letters of thanks from her relatives and the matron of the hospice both mentioned how happy that glimpse of the farm had made her during her final weeks and thanked the Seagull Trust volunteers for literally going the extra mile.