Laying claim

“The recent picture of the Eagle Mill in the Craigie column caused a bit of amusement in our household,” emails Tom Dolan of St Andrews.

“Immediately when I looked at the picture I thought: ‘Hey! That’s me riding my bike back to work after lunch.’

“I worked in Charles Street off the old Wellgate, and every day, from 1956-58, I cycled from Kirkton to the Wellgate morning and lunchtime, passing the Eagle on my journey to work. Later that day while my wife was reading the Courier, she said: ‘This could be you on your bike in this photograph,’ thus confirming my earlier thoughts.

“But then, in subsequent days there appeared different claims of pretenders to the Throne (cyclist), which caused me to think back to the old film Spartacus.

“In the movie Kirk Douglas, starring as Spartacus, identifies himself to his Roman captors as Spartacus leader of the slaves in order to divert punishment from his fellow slaves. His call, in a famous scene was: ‘I am Spartacus’, but that was quickly rebuffed by each slave in turn calling out: ‘No, I am Spartacus’.

“Perhaps Craigie could find a way to identify this cyclist through DNA testing, or some current technology used within the printing industry!” the key provided snapped. The electric opener couldn’t cope with the shape of the tin, so the toolbox came out. I used a screwdriver and a pair of wire cutters to access the mangled tin. The seal on the milk carton was the same – it took a pair of pliers to access the milk. Sealed meat and sealed fish are a challenge. The tool box is required more often than not.” partially discharge the vessel by means of lighters alongside as the tide steadily fell away. A total of 300 tons was quickly transferred but it proved to be insufficient and the Fop Smit broke her back.

“The ship was assessed as a constructive total loss but attempts were made to salvage her cargo. Fifty men were employed and were successful in saving more of the grain than was originally envisaged.

“Salvage work was abandoned and the wreck was offered for sale by public roup shortly after in the Star Hotel, Montrose on November 13. Bids quickly reached £5,000 then slowed until the Fop Smit was ‘knocked down’ to W.B. Thompson and another Dundee businessman for £6,250.

“Action was implemented almost immediately to refloat the ship and by the turn of the year she was removed off The Scaup. She was beached across the river between the Old Quay and the protection wall and was partially repaired. She was then made ready to sail along the coast to Dundee under her own power with a powerful pump placed on board.

“The Fop Smit was renamed Success and was later fully repaired and then subsequently lengthened, with a 30-foot section inserted in her hull in the Graving Dock.

“A trial trip was arranged which took 250 ‘ladies and gentlemen’ along the Angus coast as far north as Montrose and returning by the Bell Rock. One report stated:

and the Success continued on to Dundee. When opposite Montrose those on board

“This cheeky postcard shows Brothock Bridge, Arbroath, as seen after a welllubricated day,” says an Angus reader. “Ironically, it is published by Davidson’s Real Photographic Series. The stamp on the back depicts George V, who reigned from 1910 to 1936 and the postmark is from Tealing, on July 15, 1920.”