大象传媒

Posted: Monday, 28 June 2004

20 comments

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Comments

Last time i saw the Vital Spark would be back in the 1988 Glasgow Culture Festival in Govan docks, after that the 大象传媒 series featuring the late Rikki Fulton & Gregor Fisher. Shame its rotting but its probably costs too much to repair these days. Oh i forget the classic film 'The Maggie' which is more a Puffer ship that reflects the life back in the 1950-1960s before Caledonian MacBrayne's ships get bigger to squeeze the Puffer industry out, oh outside Salen in Mull you would see at least three Puffers that are lying in a mooring, aye rotting just like the poor Vital Spark.

Dudebhoy from mull

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Thanks for the picture of the"Vital Spark" laid up at Crinan. It is sad to see her in such a sad state of degenaration,a little boat which hit the headlines in literature and on tv.
The answer now, I don't know.It appears to be too late.Will someone come along,let's hope. It would be nice to see the lady saved,
Island Wanderer.

Blog Blog from 大象传媒

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Surely the star ofTHE MAGGIE hasnt been abandoned and left to rot, or was this another puffer? Whatever,no puffer should be treated so poorly when millenium funds are used to build useless domes etc!!!!!!

Cathy from Devon

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Born and brought up in Millport Isle of Cumbrae home of the Saxon used as the Vital Spark, ahe was our coal boat.
The Vital Spark was not used in the film
THE Maggie
I can't remember the name of the puffer used ,but my father was working on the boat at the time the film was made and show his head briefly on the film,

Moira Berry from Fife

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I wrote an article about the history of Puffers, incl the Vital Spark and the 'Kyles,' built 1873 and now moored at Braehead (Scottish Maritime Museum, Renfrew.
If you'd like a copy, I'll Email it to you. Please send Email address for this.


Yours aye,
Barry

Barry Robertson from Uplawmoor Glasgow G78 4DF

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Does anyone have any photographs of the Vital Spark in its hey-day - or even better of the old Puffers doing their job. I am also interested in memorabilia of the puffers. Can anyone help.

bella

isabella dalgarno from bucharest

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I not only found the Vital Spark at Crinan but also another at the pier at Inverary. can anyone explain why there are two Vital Sparks?

Ann Stewart from Helensburgh

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The Vital Spark moored alongside the pier at Inveraray is in fact called the Eilean Eisdeal and was used for filming by the bbc.

CTB from Colchester

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Great to see so many positive info about the puffers. As a Dutch boy I have seen the movie mid 50-ties (in NL !) and was much impressed. Do you know that there is (or has been) such puffer in NL ? For a long period an old version, named VICTUAL, had been berthed in the Wolwevershaven, Dordrecht and a well-known Dutch artist, Oscar Verpoorten, made a very nice, sturdy etching (52 x 72cm) of her. I am the owner of issue 17 / 25 but mine is not for sale. I shall check whether VICTUAL is still in Dordrecht and will report.

Jouke van der Baan from Bennekom, Netherlands

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There never has been a puffer called Vital Spark registered with the MCA, the puffers in question are both dressed for filming purposes. The Auld Reekie and the Vic32 are moored at Crinan. More puffer information can be found at www.inveraray.tv

Grant McArthur from Inveraray Maritime Museum

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The puffer used in the series which was based in Millport was the Saxon. It was only used for the series in the 60s with Roddy Macmillan and John Grieve. When the owner, Walter Kerr, retired, the boat was scrapped. It was a different boat which was used for the later series. I know this because my father, Robert Hill, was the mate of the Saxon for 11 years and was working on the boat while it was chartered by the 大象传媒 for the filming. Puffers were vile horrible boats to work on. The Saxon had no heating, no running water, no sanitation and the conditions under which the men lived and worked would not be tolerated today. The Vital Spark is a myth created by Neil Munro and did not reflect the reality of life on a puffer. I love the book, but it has little to do with life aboard the puffers.

Jimmie Hill from Edinburgh and Millport

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i was away for the day to invererie the vital spark is moored at the wee pier and a guy was doing repairs on it .11/5/06

andy from glasgow

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The good news is that there is now a puffer with the name 'Vital Spark'. The puffer 'Eilean Eisdeal' at Inveraray pier, part of the Maritime Museum, has now been officially re-registered as the 'VItal Spark' of Glasgow. All we need now is a real 'Para Handy'...... read more at www.inveraray.tv

Stuart Kidd from visit-inveraray.co.uk

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http://www.isle-of-bute.org.uk/cgi-bin/gallery/index.cgi?album=/Aug2006/&mode=viewpicture&picture=20Aug.jpg

sparky from bute

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The good news about the puffer 'Auld Reekie', that's the one at Crinan with the name 'Vital Spark' painted on her, is that the owner of the Inveraray Maritime Museum has acquired her and she will shortly be moved to Inveraray Pier for repairs before being treated to a complete restoration. 10th Oct 06

Stuart Kidd from visit-inveraray.co.uk

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I took some wonderful; photographs of the Vital Spark (Vic 32) as she sailed into the Holy Loch on Saturday the 21st October 06 and she was looking fabulous with her Saltire flying from the mast head. A wonderful sight.

Eddie Drummond from Dunoon

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Vital Spark was indeed a great site in the holy loch, she is of course the V.I.C.72.not 32. She was on her way back from the MOD at Dunoon.More info at inveraraypier.com.

para handy from dunoon

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one of the puffers used in the movie THE MAGGIE was called the BOER , my late father sailed on her when he was a laddie.

william black from livingston west lothian

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my brother sent me this link,and i thought i would add to it.in the early 80,s i worked aboard the auld reekie out of oban.it was owned by the bathgate bros and we ran charters around the west coast.i was the stoker and i really enjoyed it.i have seen her moored at crinan i think in bad state of repair,but i was taliking to a guy at the river festival in glasgow and he told me that somebody or organisation had bought it.would be great to see her back to her former glory.

simon paterson from glasgow

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Like William Black my father , John McLellan also worked on The Boer during the filming of 'The Maggie'..He had many a tale to tell of Jan Sterling and Paul Doudlas and some of the pranks that he used to get up to !! he also had a pice of paper autograrhed by the stars and some crew members

hugh mclellan from clydebank

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