Boy to man

A few months ago I was driving into the ferry car park en route for Mull, and was surprised when the guy in the kiosk greeted me by name. He did look vaguely familiar, but it was only when he identified himself that I realised that he'd been one of a team of unemployed boys from Duntocher who'd been working with me at Ross Priory, an earlier place of work on Loch Lomondside, back in the 1970s. They were involved with what was in those days known as Community Industry and were working under a stone mason on the rebuilding of the Walled Garden wall. 

It was quite a shock, as it was getting on for forty years ago! At the time he seemed a cut about the others, kids who didn't really seem to care whether they worked or not.  It was very good to catch up with him.

I went down the pier this morning to pick my daughter up from the boat and heard my name called again. Here he is tying up the 'Isle of Mull'. How time flies!