Getting Started 1978

Minutes of 16 May 1978 indicate plans well in hand for starting operations in Edinburgh. There was the offer from the Order of St John to purchase a boat and if funds permitted erect a boathouse. The Edinburgh Branch of the St John Volunteers would support the running of the boat under the Chairmanship of Major Simon Campbell (who was manager of Lady Haig's Poppy Factory).

The Trust started operating from Ratho in 1979 with the arrival of St John Crusader using the facilities of the Bridge Inn as a base. Ratho was intended to be temporary and a site at Calder Crescent in Sighthill had been obtained from the Lothian Region Council for Administartive Headquarters for the Trust, a Local Amenity, as an Education Centre and as a base for expanding activity on behalf of the disabled. Negotiations went on for some time about infrastructure for "Port Calder".

In 1978 the Edinburgh City By-Pass was under consideration and this threatened to cut the Union Canal at Hermiston. The Union Canal was already cut at Wester Hailes. This would have left any boat operations at "Port Calder" restricted to a short length of canal. This added weight to the argument for an aqueduct across the By-Pass and the Scott Rusell Aqueduct came about.

In 1986 there were discussions about an offer from Barett about them providing the Trust with a complex of facilities as part of a development Barett wished to carry out at Hermiston.

In 1990 a donation of £57,500 from Glass Edin Securities allowed planning to proceed for the reception centre and dry at Ratho on Edinburgh District and Bridge in land.

Being the founding branch of the Trust, Ratho has tended to set the pace over the years, not only in accumulating passengers and volunteers but also in finding sponsorship and fund raising.

Art Competition

The art competition during the eighties and nineties generated funds and inspired many. Paintings, drawings or pictures of any canals related subject were submitted for judging by one of Edinburgh's most eminent artists, Richard Demarco. All of the pictures were displayed in The Bridge Inn during the summer months and a commission paid to Seagull Trust if they were sold. This was the beginning of a very imaginative period for Seagull fundraising.

Canal Jump

The Scottish Open Canal Jump ran for many years and raised many thousands of pounds for the Trust. The idea was for 100 competitors to run along the back of a lorry, grab hold of a pole and make it all the way to the opposite bank of the Union Canal basin at Ratho. Fancy dress, although optional was also the order of the day. Apart from being great fun for everybody, by charging £1 per go, selling raffle tickets and taking charity tins round the crowd the donations from these days was always in excess of expectation. The other great side effect was of course the publicity gleaned from it. The media took a great interest and journalists, photographers and TV crews were the order of the day.

In 1991, while he was a Blue Peter presenter, John Leslie did the jump almost, but not quite, making it. When he left the programme, viewers voted that piece of film the third best of all he had made for the programme.

1999 Royal British Legion Ladies Thanked

Early in the sailing season the Trust hosted a lunch at Ratho to thank the ladies of the Royal British Legion Scotland for their strong support and continuous contributions over 21 years to the Trust’s funds. Indicative of their continuing commitment to the Trust, their President, Lady Bruntsfield, who was also on the cruise, subsequently arranged for some of the residents of the Young Offenders Institution at Polmont, to assist the Falkirk Branch with the care of the garden area around the Boathouse. On the return leg of the cruise, the Honorary Treasurer gave the group an analysis of the magnificent financial contributions the Ladies of the Legion had made to the Trust since its inception.(NS)