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Tanking around Glasgow
By Stewart Noble:
‘It was just to be a Glasgow city tour, so I was looking forward to a problem-free afternoon - but I was wrong! The German coach was sitting in George Square and the driver greeted me with the words "I've got a problem!" It turned out that he had come down the A9 from the Highlands past Perth and Stirling, thinking that he would see a petrol station somewhere - but he hadn't, and so by the time he had reached George Square his tank was extremely empty. Immediate racking of brain to try to think where the nearest petrol station was! I could think of one behind the King's Theatre, but it had been closed fairly recently and I could not remember if it had reopened. I have a friend who works on a Scotguide open top bus and it happened that he was in George Square so I asked him for ideas. He and his driver felt that the petrol station behind the Theatre was perhaps a bit small for a coach, even although this one was not big. They therefore suggested a petrol station at Partick beside the Clydeside Expressway.
‘I went back and told my driver and he asked "how far is it?" I pointed it out along St Vincent Street and said "about two kilometres". A look of anxiety crossed his face, and he asked "can we avoid going up any hills?" I then began to appreciate just how empty his tank was! Consequently, we headed along St Vincent Street, down Union Street and then under the Highlandman's Umbrella. His engine was misfiring because sludge was obviously now being used. About one block past the Highlandman's Umbrella his engine cut out completely, fortunately at a bit where he could easily pull over into the side of the road.
‘I was then dispatched by taxi to the filling station at Partick where, fortunately, fuel cans were for sale and I brought two cans of diesel back to the coach. This then gave it enough fuel to get to Partick itself and fill up there. Thereafter the city tour, somewhat curtailed, went smoothly, but I would not have liked to have been a passenger sitting waiting in downtown Argyle Street and then at a petrol station in Partick!’
Nearly missing the boat...and missing the boat!
By Jean Blair
‘I was lucky enough to guide on the cruise ship Lord of the Glens when it first started on the Caledonian Canal and Isle of Mull. Visitors were mainly North American and we had two coaches and two guides who
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