Stories of the Clyde: As part of Inverclyde Council’s wider commemorations of Port Glasgow’s 250th birthday, Inverclyde Libraries in partnership with the Beacon Arts Centre are delighted to present a series of talks exploring how the River Clyde has shaped the townscapes of Inverclyde, powered its economy, and defined its industrial heritage. These stories of the Clyde will celebrate the river’s social, cultural and environmental significance, offering fresh perspectives on one of Scotland’s most iconic waterways.

An illustrated talk exploring the profound impact which the West of Scotland town had on the artist Stanley Spencer, commissioned to portray the shipbuilding activity of Lithgow’s Kingston Yard during the Second World War. As well as Spencer’s paintings and sketches, we’ll look at the places the artist stayed and visited, and celebrate the local people he met – some of whom were even immortalised in art.

Neil Johnson-Symington is a curator of transport and technology with Glasgow Life Museums, based at the Riverside Museum. He looks after the collection of cars, motorcycles, bicycles and emergency service vehicles, although his interests also extend to music, cinema architecture and art. Among his career highlights was curating Riverside’s display on Spencer’s Shipbuilding on the Clyde series from 2010-2014.