Post by tiddles on Jan 28, 2013 16:42:41 GMT 1
From the Tele archives January, 2003
He must have been psychic! I know where we went wrong, we should have been taken over by Volkswagen because look at Skoda now!
PROVOST David Roach of Inverclyde Council wishes everyone in the district a happy and prosperous New Year. He said: `One thing that always strikes me is that the people who most appreciate what we have in Inverclyde are invariably people who come from outwith the area. `I have to say that they appreciate that we have one of the finest outlooks in the world for any industrial community. `Many overseas visitors come to Inverclyde not just in the cruise liners, but also at the IBM International Call Centre and the James Watt College which has now become Scotland"s largest and most successful college. `There are also successes in Inverclyde to celebrate in the sporting field. `Fine cricket and hockey are played at Glenpark Cricket Ground or the Astroturf at the Battery Park where fans can see the Scottish cup holders in both sports, and indeed the Cricket Club are also the League Champions. Hopefully, both Morton and the Wanderers will see promotion this year. The arts are also strong in Inverclyde with numerous excellent play groups and the highly successful school choirs, orchestras and bands. `I have no doubt whatsoever that Inverclyde has got a very bright future. The highly successful Kip Village is being further developed and work will commence in the coming year on Port Glasgow Town Centre and the Broadfield sites. `There are at least another nine significant sites that will enjoy development in the coming years. `It has to be emphasised though that the future of Inverclyde lies very much in the hands of the citizens of Inverclyde. `We must leave behind our appetite for self-denegration and claiming undeserved and undesirable titles such as 'The Heroin Capital'. We must avoid depicting ourselves as a 'Skoda of communities' in Scotland and start 'talking up' our area. `If we learn to talk up our area and to give it its deserved place in the Scottish community, I have no doubt, and I have every confidence, that we as a community will succeed.`
He must have been psychic! I know where we went wrong, we should have been taken over by Volkswagen because look at Skoda now!