Mum’s Diary
At Dunoon. A&E went on walk. I went on coach trip to Helensburgh, Luss & Loch Lomond. Bit depressed all day – v lonely. Rained off & on. Social in evening. Prayed prayer of helplessness. Sid Collins talked to me in evening. Told him about me. Said he loved me – but I think he meant it in the right way. Seemed very understanding – but I didn’t “take” to him like to Cecil. Wished Cecil was here – or someone. Prayed at night that I didn’t understand why we had to come this week but tried to do God’s will – so very difficult as I just don’t understand what to do. Prayed for someone – a male just to talk to.
My/Roger’s Diary
Roger – At school today we started our 6th form timetable which seems to me to be a waste of time. England have virtually lost the test match but it may rain. I rang Caroline up but unfortunately she’s arranged to go with the French people to the Samson & Hercules. I spent all evening watching TV. Patricia got back at about 9. It is now 12.35.
Diary Entries
Mum’s Scrapbook
Dunoon to Arrochar
Went by coach past Holy Loch, then Loch Eck which is Scotland’s narrowest loch in proportion to its length & is known for its reflections. The mountains on both sides are high, green & steep sinking directly into the lake with but little intervening space for pasture land or road. Then we passed by a small part of Loch Fyne & then through Glen Kinglas & by Loch Restil a little hill loch.
Leaving this loch we passed the stone which is inscribed “Rest & be Thankful” at the top of Glen Croe. This stone is at the top of two roads, the first was built by General Wade, the new straighter road was built during the 1939-45 war with the help of German & Japanese prisoners of war. At the bottom we saw Loch Long – 16½ miles, another sea loch & the northern end is used by the Royal Navy for testing torpedoes. Loch Long gained its name from the Vikings who sailed this loch in their long boats which were then manhandled over land to Loch Lomond two miles away. We could see Arrochar across the loch & we drove round the loch to Arrochar.
Arrochar to Loch Lomond
We travelled down the side of Loch Long, through Garelochead at the head of Loch Gare & here we could see Loch Goil & on to Helensburgh. Helensburgh is a town which looks across the Clyde & Gareloch. In 1872, a granite obelisk was erected & commemorated to Henry Bell who first applied steam to navigation. He was born in 1766 & died in Helensburgh in 1830 after being Provost of the town. Leaving Helensburgh we travelled over to Luss, which is a delightful little village with an enchanting church on the banks of Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond has several islands rising from the mid-waters. It is 22½ miles long, 623 ft deep & is 5 miles at its greatest width. Some of the islands used to be monastic retreats. Ben Lomond overlooks the loch and is 3192 feet, the view from the top is magnificent so we were told. The steamer “Maid of the Loch” sails several times a day during the summer months around this lovely loch. From its deck visitors have an opportunity to enjoy the unsurpassed beauty of the loch, its thickly wooded shored & Ben Lomond.
Loch Lomond Back to Dunoon
The road by the side of the loch runs within a few yards of the lapping water for nearly 30 miles & we travelled up to Tarbet which is about halfway up the loch & is on a road that runs over the narrow ridge separating Loch Lomond from Loch Long & from here we rejoined the road at Arrochar & travelled back to Dunoon.
Postcards
Mum’s entry contained 16 postcards, the first three of which were labelled Loch Eck. The fourth was labelled Loch Restil and the fifth “Rest & Be Thankful”. Mum described the sixth postcard saying… “Arrochar across Loch Long, in the distance is the peak of Ben Lomond“. The seventh postcard is also described saying… “From Arrochar, across Long Long, seeing “The Cobbler” (Ben Arthur – 2891 ft). This used to have another piece of rock which looked like a hammer.” The title of the eighth postcard is “Helensburgh – The Beach & Esplanade from the Pier“. The ninth postcard is of Colquhoun Square in Helensburgh while the tenth is of the village of Luss.
The remaining six postcards feature Loch Lomond. The first of these is entitled “Luss Pier & Loch Lomond from Strone Hill“. The next is entitled “Loch Lomond & Ben Lomond from Luss“. The next two were not labelled by mum. The first shows Ben Lomond and Loch Lomond while the next is a multiview car of Loch Lomond. The next one features the steamer “Maid of the Loch” while the final one is titled “Sunset over Loch Lomond, Balmaha“
Scrapbook Entries
Notes
Dunoon
Mum and my two siblings Alan (A) and Liz (E for Elizabeth) were away for a two-week holiday at Dhalling Mhor, the Christian Guild place in Dunoon, see Chapter 122. Those Guild holidays usually offered activity options often including a walk and a coach trip. On this occasion, my siblings, aged 14 and 11, went for the walk option while mum opted for the coach trip.
Coach Trip
Mum went on a coach trip to Helensburgh, Luss and Loch Lomond. Although this trip was mentioned only very briefly in her diary, it was covered in a lot more detail in her scrapbook, see below. They went north from Dunoon to Loch Eck, a narrow loch noted for its reflections. They then passed along a small part of Loch Fyne, Scotland’s longest sea loch, before going through Glen Kinglas to Loch Restil. From there, they went to the “Rest and Be Thankful” stone at the top of Glen Croe. From there, they could see the sea loch, Loch Long, and Arrochar across the loch.
They went to Arrochar from where they could see The Cobbler which mum also called Ben Arthur (Beinn Artair). They then travelled down the side of Loch Long to Garelochhead, at the head of Gare Loch. From here, they could see Loch Goil in one direction and Helensburgh in another. They went to Helensburgh and then to the village of Luss on the banks of Loch Lomond. From there, they went to Tarbet. They then went back to Arrochar and returned to Dunoon, see Chapter 122.
Depressed and Lonely
Mum struggled with depression and anxiety during this period, see Chapter 116. Also, after mum and dad separated in June 1973, mum often noted feeling lonely, see Chapter 114. On this occasion, she noted feeling a bit depressed all day and very lonely.
Notes on the Weather
Mum noted that it rained off and on that day. While I did not refer to the weather, I perhaps implied it was not raining in Norwich, or in Manchester, where the cricket was being played. I saw rain as the only way England might avoid defeat to the West Indies!
Evening Social
Mum noted that there was a social in the evening. It was usual for there to be organised evening events on Christian Guild holidays, see Chapter 122.
Prayer of Helplessness
One thing mum tried, to help with her loneliness, was prayer, see Chapter 114. On this occasion, she described praying a “prayer of helplessness”. This is one of the eight types of prayer identified by Catherine Marshall in her book “Adventures in Prayer” which mum read a month earlier in June 1976. The other types of prayer identified there are prayer of asking, prayer of relinquishment, waiting prayer, prayer in secret, prayer of joyous blessing, prayer that helps your dreams come true and claiming prayer. I am not sure it helped much.
Other Prayers
Mum noted that she prayed at night that she didn’t understand why they had had to come that week but she was trying to do God’s will. I confess to not fully understanding this as they had gone that week because those were the weeks mum had booked! It is possible those were the only weeks Dhalling Mhor had available. It seems that she had taken Alan and Liz out of the last week of school which seems out of character for my mother!
She was finding it difficult and did not understand what God wanted her to do. She prayed for “someone – a male just to talk to“. I confess to finding this baffling. As noted below, she often used the term “someone” to refer to someone special/a life partner. She does not seem to mean that here but, if all she wanted was someone to talk to, why did they need to be male?
Sid Collins
Mum noted that Sid Collins talked to her in the evening. She noted that she told him about herself which I fear was one of her favourite topics! She noted that he said he loved her but she thought he meant this in the right way. I am not entirely sure what she meant by this but perhaps in a Christian brotherly kind of way. She commented that he seemed very understanding which in my experience meant that he did not challenge or question her. However, she did not “take” to him as she did to Cecil.
I am not exactly sure who Sid Collins was but this is the first time he was mentioned in mum’s diaries. He is mentioned a few times after that as he phoned mum on a number of occasions between October 1976 and January 1977.
Cecil
Mum wished that Cecil was there but he would only be arriving the day she left! While I am not exactly sure who he was, he and mum seemed close in the late seventies writing to each other frequently. My impression is that they had met on a Methodist Guild Holiday prior to 1975. Their correspondence gradually reduced and the last letter mum noted receiving from him was in July 1977. In June 1978, mum heard from Joyce Boxall that Cecil was remarrying and this upset her, see Chapter 114.
Someone
Mum used the term “someone” frequently in a way that makes me think she was talking about a male life partner, see Chapter 114. While part of her might have thought this could be Cecil, she does not seem to have been certain of this and was open to the idea of it being someone else. However, her approach of trying to find such a person through Christian Guild holidays seems fundamentally flawed to me as most of the people who went on those holidays were either couples or women on their own! I think this explains why mum often felt frustrated, disappointed and even more lonely during and after these holidays!
Sixth Form Timetable
In my diary, I noted that I was at school and that we started our sixth form timetable, see Chapter 118. I thought this was a “waste of time” but did not explain why. I think we were probably doing one week before the summer holidays and I was not sure we gained much over waiting until the start of the following year. Also, in my case, I had not finally decided what subjects I would be doing so this week was potentially difficult for me.
Cricket
I noted that England had virtually lost the test match but I thought (or hoped) it might rain, see Chapter 123. I was referring to the third test between England and West Indies at Old Trafford in Manchester. It was the fourth day and England were in their second innings. West Indies had left them a mammoth target of 552 to win. They started the day at 21 without loss but by the end of the day were 125 for 9!
Caroline Kingham
Caroline refers to Caroline Kingham. She and I had just started going out. I noted that I called her but found that she had other plans, namely she was going with “the French people“, presumably an exchange group, to the Samson and Hercules.
I recall her and would consider her as my first “proper” girlfriend, see Chapter 122. We went out for a relatively long period by the teenage standards of that time, but it was probably less than a month all told! I confess that I was unable to recall her surname but was able to track it down as my mother and her mother later worked together. I don’t know much about what happened to her but I believe she may have married Marcus Adam Batch in June 1982.
Samson and Hercules
Samson and Hercules was a very well-known Norwich night club which many people remember. However, I don’t think I ever went there.
Since the nightclub closed in 2003, the building has been used for various things including a Mexican restaurant and a swimming pool. The night club also had different names, including Ritzy’s from 1983.
A prominent feature of the building were statues of Samson and Hercules on each side of the doorway. In July 2024, they were still there although the building was then a Mortgage Advice Bureau possibly with flats upstairs. However, what I hadn’t realised was that the current statues are replicas, which were placed there in 1998. The originals dated back to the 17th century when the original house was built by mayor of Norwich Christopher Jay. Apparently, the statues were taken into the care of the Norfolk Museums Service in 2003. Samson turned out to be original but Hercules was a Victorian copy. The original Samson is on display in an environmentally-controlled glass case at the Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell.
TV
I noted that I spent the evening watching TV, see Chapter 122, but did not note what I watched. By the time I was writing my diary, it was 12.35.
Tricia Came Home
My older sister Tricia (Patricia) came home about 9 pm. She had been on a youth hostelling trip with school friends, see Chapter 122, She was 18 at this time and I was 16. I had been left on my own from the time mum went on holiday until when Tricia got back. One thing that is odd is that I referred to her by her full name which I can’t recall ever doing!
The Coach Trip to Loch Lomond and Back
Mum’s scrapbook contains a lot more detail about this trip than her diary does. Recently, my wife and I travelled much of this route on our way back from a holiday in Cumbrae, Bute and the Cowal peninsula inspired partly by this holiday of mum’s.
Loch Eck
Mum noted that they travelled in the coach past Holy Loch and along the side of Loch Eck. Mum claimed that it is the narrowest Scottish loch in relation to its length. However, this may be a matter of dispute and may depend on exactly how this is defined! Loch Eck may be overlooked in such discussions as it is relatively small.
Similarly, mum noted that Loch Eck is known for its reflections and two of her three postcards illustrate this point. However, others comment that its very narrowness creates a wind tunnel effect and reflections are not seen under such conditions. Mum noted that the mountains on both sides are high, green and steep “sinking directly into the lake” and presumably these conditions also lend themselves to good reflections. She noted that those very same conditions also mean there is little intervening space for pasture land or road which is partially true although a road does run more or less along the length of Loch Eck!
Loch Fyne and Glen Kinglas
Mum noted that they then passed along a small part of Loch Fyne, Scotland’s longest sea loch, before going through Glen Kinglas.
Loch Restil
They then reached Loch Restil which mum described as a little hill loch.
“Rest and Be Thankful“
From there, they went to the “Rest and Be Thankful” stone at the top of Glen Croe. Mum noted that this stone is at the top of two roads, She noted that the first, the old military road, had been built by General Wade. However, although the road was envisaged by him as part of a network of military roads, its construction was actually overseen by his successor Major William Caulfeild between 1747 and 1749. Mum noted that the new, straighter road was built during the second world war with “help” from German and Japanese prisoners of war. This is the modern A83.
Loch Long and Arrochar
Descending from “Rest and Be Thankful“, mum came to Loch Long, She noted that it was a sea loch, 16½ miles in length. She also commented on how the loch got its name from the Vikings who sailed this loch in their long boats which were then manhandled over land to Loch Lomond two miles away. My understanding is that she was referencing a specific Viking raid which happened in 1263. Mum also commented that they could see Arrochar across the loch. They then drove there. At that time, the northern end was used by the Royal Navy for testing torpedoes but this ended in 1986.
Our Paths Diverge
It was here at Arrochar that my wife and I diverged from the route mum had taken. We went on to Tarbet and down the coast of Loch Lomond to return to Glasgow while mum travelled down the side of Loch Long to Garelochhead, at the head of Gare Loch. From here, they could see Loch Goil in one direction and Helensburgh in another. They went to Helensburgh.
Helensburgh
Mum noted that Helensburgh looked across both the Clyde and Gareloch. She specifically noted that, in 1872, a granite obelisk was erected and commemorated to Henry Bell who first applied steam to navigation. She recorded that he was born in 1766 although Wikipedia gives his date of birth as April 1767. He died in Helensburgh in 1830 after being Provost of the town. The obelisk is one of Helenburgh’s most famous waterfront landmarks.
Mum also had a postcard of Colquhoun Square in her scrapbook. The church that is visible is Helensburgh Parish Church. The celtic cross that is visible was built in 1903. A second bicentenary cross was added in 2005.
Luss
From Helensburgh, they went to the village of Luss. Mum described it as “a delightful little village with an enchanting church on the banks of Loch Lomond.” The church she referred to is Luss Parish Church.
Loch Lomond
From here, they drove north along the banks of Loch Lomond to Tarbet. For this part of the journey, they travelled the same route as we did recently but in the reverse direction. Mum noted that the road by the side of the loch runs within a “few yards of the lapping water” for nearly 30 miles. From Tarbet, they then went back to Arrochar and returned to Dunoon, see Chapter 122. Mum noted that Tarbet is on the road which runs over the narrow ridge separating Loch Lomond from Loch Long.
Mum described Loch Lomond noting that it was 22½ miles long, 623 feet deep and five miles wide at its greatest width. She noted that there were several islands “rising from the mid-waters” and that some of these used to be monastic retreats. Examples of these include Inchtavannach (the Monk’s Isle), and Inchmurrin (St Mirin’s Island).
Ben Lomond
Mum noted that Ben Lomond overlooked the loch and reached a height of 3,192 feet. She commented that the view from the top is magnificent “so we are told“.
“Maid of the Loch“
In her scrapbook, mum noted that the steamer “Maid of the Loch” sailed several times a day during the summer months around “this lovely loch“. She commented that, from its deck, visitors have an opportunity to enjoy the “unsurpassed beauty of the loch, its thickly wooded shores and Ben Lomond“. As with other descriptions in her scrapbook, I think she was quoting a guidebook and I don’t think she actually went on this boat trip! Apparently, by 1976, sailings had greatly reduced and it was not possible to board the steamer in Luss. The “Maid of the Loch” operated on Loch Lomond from 1953 to 1981.
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