The Tall Ships left Greenock on 12th July, and I hope like me, you thoroughly enjoyed the event. Here’s a video showing the Parade of Sail.
Over 750,000 people attended the event over the 4 days. I wonder how many of them left with a bad taste in their mouth! Don’t get me wrong, the tall ships were fabulous, and the entertainment was excellent, but many people felt let down with the venue, the lack of facilities, parking costs, and the prices charged by vendors.
Let’s start with parking. Some people parked beside Tesco in Port Glasgow and paid £10. They had a fair walk to the event itself, which wasn’t exactly ideal.
On to the event venue, and the ground underfoot was a nightmare for anyone who had a pram or a wheelchair to push. Loose stones and gravel would have made it very difficult for anyone with a disability. Lack of toilets was also a problem, and even when more toilets arrived, some had no water, and no baby changing facilities.
There were also complaints that it was too far away from the town centre, and as a result, local businesses suffered badly. This was nothing like the previous Tall ships event in 1999. Some of the food prices from the onsite stalls was extortionate.
One of the organisers, in response to the complaints about the cost of car parking, said that if a car had 4 people, the £10 charge worked out at £2.50 per person, to attend a fabulous event that was totally free of charge.
If you, like me, you pay taxes, nothing was free of charge! And what a pity so many visitors may have left without having seen the very best of Inverclyde!
