Yard office is shipshape once again

A LONG map spans the wall in the former offices of Fairfield's on Govan Road pinpointing the more than 40 shipyards which once dotted the Upper Clyde.

This was the heyday of shipbuilding on the river in the early years of the 20th Century, when Glasgow was the 'second city of the Empire', the powerhouse of the nation, and entire communities depended on the industry to earn a living.

Fast forward to today and there are only three yards left.

"Not just the number of yards but fact that they were all driven by engineering is a surprise to most people," explains Pat Cassidy, managing director of Govan Workspace, as we walk around the recently refurbished offices.

"People think of this area as all about shipbuilding but these were the greatest engineers in the world."

The elegant, A-listed red sandstone building is a local landmark, with the imposing doorway managers and dignitaries walked through still flanked by carvings of Neptune and mermaids.

When it was built, it was arguably the most prestigious shipbuilding concern in the world.

This was where first class Cunard liners The Campania and the Luciana were built, where 10,000 men worked in its heyday and where Jimmy Reid led the legendary Upper Clyde Shipbuilders Work-In, when the Conservative Government of the time tried to pull the plug on the yard.

It has taken five years and nearly 6 million to restore the offices to their former glory, revealing trompe l'oeil, paintwork, teak and mahogany panelling, mosaic flooring and marble work.

Now, some of the space is available to rent to businesses, while the ground floor houses a heritage centre, celebrating 150 years of shipbuilding in Govan.

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Yard office is shipshape once again