Gourock
The environmental enhancement of Gourock town centre was a key local business development opportunity associated with the proposed improvements to the railway station and ferry terminal operations as it was designed to encourage passengers awaiting their connection to explore the town centre which is currently poorly signposted and advertised. The Gourock TCRF works covered environmental improvements of a cosmetic nature and do not impinge on any future redevelopment proposals for the Pier Head area, the railway station or associated car parking.
In order to attract customers to Gourock and maximise the footfall within the town centre, the entrance to Kempock Street from the east required upgrading to provide a more attractive and welcoming image to visitors. This was be achieved by remodeling the pocket park area adjacent to Cleats Bar, which included new surfacing, walling, railings and seating and a reconfigured elevated soft landscaped platform on which to place a piece of public art. The landscape works are completed and the sculpture, which was the winner of a local voting poll, is currently being constructed and will be installed sometime before Christmas.
Directed at securing improvements to access, appeal and appearance, each element of the project was designed to provide an immediate local retailer and community benefit and legacy whilst continuing to support the wider Pier Head/ Gourock waterfront development strategy. Key elements of the proposed enhancements are all located within the town centre retail area and included providing independent shopkeepers with shop frontage improvements, an updated exterior graphics package and signage enhancement. In addition Inwork, a local training group, provided floral displays in the form of hanging baskets and new street furniture in the in gap sites.
Gourock Sculpture Unveiled
Today at the Pier Head in Gourock, Anne Williams and Stuart Hunter of Gourock Community Council unveiled the bronze sculpture of the “Girl on a Suitcase”. The sculpture, part of the Scottish Government’s Town Centre Regeneration funding initiative, was the very popular winner of a public vote in Gourock, which saw the sculptress, Angela Hunter of Innerleithen, being commissioned by Inverclyde Council and Riverside Inverclyde to produce the figure.
The charming piece of public art, sitting on the grassy knoll outside Cleats Bar on Kempock Street, depicts a young girl, sitting on her suitcase, about to go on holiday “Doon the Watter”. She is scanning the horizon, full of anticipation and excitement about exploration and discoveries that may lie ahead. The words, “The Sweetest of Songs is the Song of the Clyde” are inscribed on the base of the sculpture.
Geoff Gregory, Riverside Inverclyde Implementation Manager, welcomes the Girl On A Suitcase
To mark the event, Gourock Primary School, St Ninian’s and Moorfoot accompanied by Kenny Wilson of The Wherries on the guitar, sang three Scottish songs, including the above song. The schoolchildren’s melodious performance was the result of excellent tuition enthusiastically provided by Kenny to the pupils in their classrooms.
Children from St Ninian's and Moorfoot Primaries singing "The Song of The Clyde" at the sculpture
The judging panel, appointed by Gourock Community Council, felt that this particular piece of distinctive public art would be relevant and sympathetic to the site and reinforce Gourock’s visitor appeal. The sculpture celebrates a child’s spirit of freedom, sense of wonder and adventure and sitting at its chosen location, resonates harmoniously with the breathtaking views across the Clyde to the mountains and islands beyond.
This graceful and eye-pleasing art form marks the entrance to the town from the ferries and railway station and is also highly visible to road users. The sculpture complements the recent landscape improvement works to this park, where the landform has been carefully shaped to take the sculpture. The bronze figure was cast and installed by Powderhall Bronze in Edinburgh, who also provided Moorfoot Primary School with an educational tour of the foundry to view the figure as it was being made.
Bill Nicol, Chief Executive of Riverside Inverclyde said, “ I am delighted to see the “Girl on a Suitcase” in place at Kempock Street. The sculpture will hopefully add to the attractiveness of Gourock as a specialist shopping area and a tourist destination for day visitors. Angela’s sculpture was a popular choice with the judging panel and will complement the wider improvements being carried out by Inverclyde Council and Riverside Inverclyde in the area. I would like to also thank the schoolchildren from Gourock Primary School, St Ninian’s and Moorcroft for their marvelous singing – a job well done.
Ronnie Ahlfeld , Convenor, Inverclyde Council Regeneration Committee, said…
“This evocative sculpture captures the vibrancy of Gourock from former days. The improvements and developments which are currently underway will I’m sure restore and maintain that sense of community which makes Gourock a very special place for all of us”.
ri's Santa's helper, Heather Johnston
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