The Trust Afloat & In Prison 1981

The arrival of "St. John Crusader I" meant that The Seagull Trust could at last launch its long awaited cruises, but to do so meant acquiring the right crew to man the boat.

Fairmilehead Church & Ben Line Captains

Amongst the original crew was the treasurer Norman Simpson, who recalled the sailing days of his youth on the Firth of Forth as manned "Crusader I" every Monday along with his friends from amongst the congregation of Fairmilehead Church, who just happened to include two retired Ben Shipping Line masters, Captain Seton Murray and Captain Alec Paterson. They brought along with them Seton's brother in law Arthur Farrell and another money man, Chartered Accountant, Austin Anderson.

"We really enjoyed these Monday outings. The happier our first handicapped guests turned out to be the happier we were as a crew." (NS)

As Trust members were so keen to get cruises underway "St. John Crusader I" was pressed straight into service without a refit, which was delayed for two years until 1981.

The association with Fairmilehead church continues in that its members are still represented in the Trust volunteers. Many of the Trust volunteers have continued to come from common origins - the Royal Forth Yacht Club, the Order of St John, Standard Life retired staff, Edinburgh Napier University retired staff, the Neilson family to name a few.

Public Relations

Our problem over the first four years was the lack of a Public Relations Officer. Our first one was Mr Gordon Caseley of Glasgow, who had many good ideas and in August 1978 I was asked to liaise with him on the drawing up of a brochure but before we could proceed, Mr Caseley’s doctor advised him to tender his resignation, due to ill health, and thereafter the first brochure was produced by Mr Mackay and Major Simon Campbell with a little bit of help from me.

A new PRO was necessary, and it so happened that the PRO of the Royal Bank became a Bank Pensioner – Mr Allan Bremner who I knew well as we both worked in a city branch then in Head Office. I approached him and luckily he was eager to fill the vacancy but alas it was for a very short period as he died suddenly in September 1979. The position was soon filled, thanks to Professor Arthur Duncan, by Mr Ian Smith the PRO of the Regional Hospital Board in Edinburgh. He was very willing to act as our PRO but it was on the understanding that if the job should become over demanding and interfere with his duties with the Board he may have to withdraw. From January 1980 he served us proudly with the issuance of Newsletters and arranging conferences etc, but his work with the Board had increased and he had to resign in January 1981 as Trustee.(NS)

Saughton Prison, Governor Charles Hill, Inmate Jimmy Boyle

“The old second hand boat the “St John Crusader” was never refurbished on coming to Ratho and by 1981 required to be refitted. Thanks to Charles Hills, Governor of Saughton Prison, it was arranged to have the work done in the prison. Under the watchful eyes of the press, she just and no more scraped under the old archway of the prison entrance. That time was quite an adventure. Never having been in prison before, I would go in every afternoon to supervise the work. I was never more relieved when I would be let out and the big old prison door would bang behind me – free at last! Her visit coincided with the BBC film “A Cry for Freedom”, a story made about the notorious Jimmy Boyle the most infamous prisoner in Saughton. Jimmy worked on the paintwork and sign writing for the boat. In those days money was very scarce and we have to beg and borrow, not steal, any materials. This job was helped by Hall Russell's the shipbuilders in Leith. All the cabin lining came from a mock-up of a new lighthouse ship that was intended to have a part time role as a replacement to the royal yacht Britannia.

Charles Hill the Governor of Saughton Prison was very involved in community work and had become a Trustee of Seagull Trust.Thanks to his co-operation the work of refurbishing Crusader I was undertaken by inmates at Saughton Prison at Sighthill in Edinburgh.

This proved very successful in three entirely different ways because as well as giving a new lease of life to "Crusader I", it gave the prisoners at Saughton a worthwhile new interest and it caught the imagination of the Scottish Press which resulted in marvellous publicity for the Trust.

Reporters and photographers were out in force to watch as "Crusader I" on a low loader inched her way beneath the entrance arch at the prison. According to Ronnie Rusack who had brokered the deal it was a tight thing. "Crusader literally scraped under the old archway but at last it was safely inside Saughton and work could begin. It was not only a great adventure for "Crusader" but also an entirely new experience for me. I had never been in a prison in my whole life before that day. Every afternoon I went inside to supervise how work was progressing, but I never ceased to breath a high sigh of relief when I was let out at the end of the shift and the big old prison door banged shut behind me."

The work on "Crusader I" in the yard at Saughton happened to coincide with the making of a B.B.C. television documentary film, "A Cry For Freedom", about high profile prisoner Jimmy Boyle and amongst the scenes in it were those of him working on the paint work and sign writing on the boat. The result was that when the programme was screened the Seagull logo was seen by millions of viewers who also learned about the work of the Trust. This free publicity was especially welcome as at this time funds were scarce.

Money was in short supply so to finish the refit of 'Crusader I' we had to beg and borrow, but considering where the work was being carried out we did, honestly, refrain from stealing. We were in fact very fortunate to have the support of Hall Russell, the well known Leith shipbuilding yard. All of the lining for 'Crusader's' cabin came from a mock up which Hall Russell had created to give the Commissioners of Northern Lights an idea of how their new lighthouse support vessel which was the latest of a long line called 'Pharos', would appear when she was eventually built with the dual purpose of providing a vessel for short sea voyages by members of the Royal family after the Royal Yacht 'Britannia' was decommissioned and one which she has subsequently fulfilled with Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal aboard." (RR)

In 1984 Trustees The Countess Of Mar and Kellie, Sir W Ferguson Anderson and Prof A.S. Duncan left the Trust. Mr Easton of Yarrow Shipbuilders and Mr Webster of Telford College joined the Trust. Dr Brian Baxter who had indirectly been involved since 1978 through the building of the Yarrow and Govan Seagulls took over from Hugh Mackay as Trust Hon. Secretary.

In 1995 Mr lain MacNair, chairman of the Kirkintilloch Branch succeeded Brian Baxter as Honorary Secretary. Brian continued as a Trustee We also welcomed as new Trustees, Brigadier Alan Alstead, Mrs. Margaret MacPherson, Mrs. Elinor Milne and Mr Michael Weir. (NS)