Helensburgh Advertiser archives: Our favourite 2008 pictures

All the pictures and stories in today's selection were first published in the paper on Thursday, June 19, 2008. 

How many of the events featured below do you remember - and how many faces do you recognise? 

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THE organisers of Rhu Gala Day hoped that the event would be a memorable one — and were not disappointed.

A record-breaking crowd flocked to the event, as Rhu and Shandon Gala Committee pulled out all the stops to make the day a worthy 10th anniversary fund-raising celebration.

Provost Billy Petrie, who attended with wife Jean, welcomed the huge number of people, estimated at 2,000, to Ardenconnel Field. They enjoyed a variety of displays and stalls, many of which sold out of goods.

The event was presided over by Gala Queen Jessica Scobie and her Princesses Hope Hastings and Elizabeth Plenderleith.

The committee raised approximately £500 at the 2007 event for charity and were hoping to top that this time round.

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A Rosneath water expert who embarked on a life-saving mission in war-torn Iraq was awarded an MBE.

Douglas Smith was included in the Queen’s birthday honours list for services to the water industry, particularly overseas.

The 46-year-old TA member served two terms in Iraq helping hundreds of thousands of people gain access to fresh water.

After spending six months rebuilding the shattered water infrastructure in the city of Basra, he was head-hunted by an American aid agency and tasked with rolling out a country-wide utilities upgrade.

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A SAILING team from Hermitage Academy finished on the podium in the Scottish Islands Peaks race.

The race, which celebrated its 26th anniversary, began in Oban and finished at Troon harbour, with the Hermitage team, sailing in the Clyde Challenger - owned by the Clyde Sail Training Trust - finishing third.

Team Hermitage comprised Roy Graham (skipper), Martin Leatherby (mate) and Giles Hart (mate) assisted by Lizzy Burt and Megan Cormack, youth runners Neil Manderson and William Currie, Allan Douglas, Gemma Henderson, Christine McKenna and Gordon Turnbull - with valuable support from sponsor Glenn Porter and team co-ordinator Peter Proctor.

And the event wasn't just about sailing on the water, with three island runs - on Mull, on Jura and up Goatfell on Arran - also included in the touch challenge.

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A FEARLESS teenager combined her love of horses and gymnastics — and reached her first finals of a major championship event.

We spoke to Hermitage Academy pupil Joscelin Craig, 16 - a member of the Wee County Vaulters team, who performed gymnastic movements on the back of a trotting horse going on a circle line.

Despite having only taking up the event in 2005, Joscelin and her other team members qualified for the European Junior Vaulting Championship in Brno in the Czech Republic.

Joscelin, from Cardross, said: “I have a horse and went riding on it but I wanted something more. I like gymnastics as well and when I saw vaulting I thought it was ideal.

“As I have been only doing this for two and a half years, I never expected to be in a championship already."

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KIND-HEARTED staff from a Burgh supermarket put their best feet forward to raise cash for cancer relief.

Seven workers from Tesco Express in West Clyde Street laced up for the Cancer Research UK Race For Life in Glasgow, with Audrey McTernan, Jan Miller, Jacqui Diamond, Katie Diamond, Isa Szeles, Joanne Dade and Danielle Baxter all taking part in the fund-raising 10k.

Thanks to generous customers, friends and family they raised more than £1,000 between them - with a whip-round at the Station Bar and a 40th birthday bash at the Drumfork Club also helping bring in cash for the cause.

Audrey said: “We just decided to go for it. Everyone has lost somebody to cancer and we thought we’d raise some money. We were hoping to get about £500, so to raise so much is just amazing. It’s for such a good cause."

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ONE of the USA’s top innovators jetted into Scotland - and he had a particularly special message for Helensburgh schoolchildren.

Richard Tait, originally from Helensburgh, was visiting home from his Seattle base - and spoke to pupils at Hermitage Academy and Lomond School to explain how he invented and developed the board game Cranium, the fastest-selling independent board game in history.

Richard, who died in 2022, told the pupils that his key to success in business was simply — “follow your heart, live life with a passion, be the best you can be, and have fun!”

He flew in from America at the special invitation of Helensburgh and Lomond Chamber of Commerce, who had asked him to be guest speaker at their annual John Logie Baird Lunch.

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AND FINALLY...we reported on hopes that Helensburgh's own Ardencaple FC could help to establish a satellite centre for English Premiership giants Newcastle United.

The Geordie side wasconsidering expanding its professional youth set up around Great Britain and turned to the Caple club to facilitate a base in west central Scotland.

Caple already had a well-established relationship with the Magpies — whose multi-million pound squad boasted players like Michael Owen and Mark Viduka — having visited the club earlier in the year.

The Caple players received training sessions from the Newcastle Youth coaches before playing a bounce match against a select side.

Newcastle chiefs were impressed with the Caple club who were one of the first to be awarded the highly prestigious SFA Standard Quality Mark.

Coach Craig Holborn said: “I cannot think of a better place for a young footballer to develop his skills whilst enjoying himself and hopefully winning at the same time.”