Letter: Baton charge

Dick Mungin (Letters, 3 August) rightly praises Joan McAlpine for her article which asserted that the Tall Ships had put the wind in Greenock's regeneration sails.

If she genuinely wishes to put a spring in the step of Greenockians, she could follow the example of the late James Cameron Kennedy (Ken) Ferguson, a local councillor who, with Andrew Wilson, another local man, fought for 15 years to rescue Greenock Harbour from falling into the hands of developers.

Sadly, both are now dead. With them may go the good people of Greenock's unique asset that was stated to be theirs for "ever more".

In 2008, when I spoke to him, Ken Ferguson had spent his life savings of 30,000 on lawyers' fees trying to protect the assets for his fellow citizens, while at the same time condemning those selfish politicians of Inverclyde Council who had sold the people's birthright and used rate-payers' money to do it.

A fitting tribute to Ferguson and Wilson would be for Joan McAlpine to pick up their baton and continue their fight for the Greenock common good.

Now that would put the wind in Greenock's sails.

Tom Minogue

Victoria Terrace

Dunfermline