A CalMac port assistant is sharing the unique and vast collection of ferry memorabilia he has gathered since childhood.
“Where The Sea Meets the Road -
Artefacts include model boats, flags, postcards, silverware, and albums full of photographs. One of the most interesting items are charts from the Cold War, when CalMac was officially tasked with scanning the west coast waters and reporting back to the UK Government on sightings of Russian warships or submarines. This surveillance project was entitled Operation Hornbeam.
John, an unofficial CalMac ambassador who has worked as a port assistant in his hometown of Lochmaddy for 18 years, began collecting CalMac and David MacBrayne memories when he was eight years old and used to spend time at the harbour watching the vessels dock. John loves his job and has wanted to work for CalMac since the age of 16, with this dream being realised following college and a spell working in Glasgow.
He said: “My dad used to work at the port, and I was always down at the pier, watching
the boats; I really wanted to work for CalMac one day. The crew were so nice to me,
they used to let me visit the bridge and the car deck. I started off collecting magazines
and souvenirs, and it is now a full-
“My house is still full of boxes of CalMac memories, and I enjoy it so much that I will keep collecting. I would really like to find a David MacBrayne signature to add to the collection.”
As for his favourite part of the collection, John added: “Probably the Operation Hornbeam charts. A lot of the documents were destroyed, but for some reason, these charts were kept. It would be interesting to find out if we did report any Russian activity off the coast.”
Fiona Galbraith, area operations manager for CalMac’s Hebrides’ area, said: “John is an extremely dedicated member of the Lochmaddy team, he always puts a smile on people’s faces and is a fantastic asset to CalMac.
“His amazing, museum-
John Macdonald at his exhibition in Lochmaddy
Treasure trove of CalMac memories on display
30 March 2024