293 February 19 - Gryffe Advertizer
The Advertizer - Your local community magazine to the Gryffe area. The Advertizer is a local business directory including a what's on guide and other local information and an interesting mix of articles.
The Advertizer - Your local community magazine to the Gryffe area. The Advertizer is a local business directory including a what's on guide and other local information and an interesting mix of articles.
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12<br />
The <strong>Advertizer</strong><br />
James Watt’s 200th Anniversary<br />
The Only<br />
Female Gas<br />
Engineer In<br />
Inverclyde<br />
“Gas with CLass”<br />
Businesswoman Julie McGowan<br />
from Kilmacolm decided that she<br />
wanted to learn a trade and start<br />
up her own business. She took<br />
the plunge and has never looked back.<br />
Julie said “I wanted a new challenge. I have been working in administration<br />
since leaving school. Some of the positions I have worked in are a CEO personal<br />
assistant, legal assistant and property manager, working for companies such<br />
as Rangers & Celtic football clubs and Digby Brown Solicitors.”<br />
Julie signed up for a fast track engineering course which was very intense,<br />
however most rewarding after completing the final ACS exams. She has always<br />
loved DIY and carries out all of the restoration work in her home along with her<br />
husband David who is a time served Joiner.<br />
“I knew there was a market in Inverclyde for female gas engineers and I<br />
absolutely love my job. After qualifying I worked for a Glasgow based company<br />
and the response that I got from customers was very positive and encouraged<br />
me to start my own business. I am Gas Safe Registered and I carry out domestic<br />
gas servicing/repairs, installations and landlords gas safety certificates and my<br />
business is starting to flourish. I feel that young girls should be encouraged<br />
more in school to learn a trade. Once my business grows I hope to take on a<br />
girl as an apprentice.<br />
You can view the current issue as well as<br />
previous issues of the magazine online.<br />
www.advertizer.co.uk/issues<br />
Inverclyde Council is building up a head of steam to mark the 200th anniversary<br />
of James Watt’s death with a year-long series of events, highlighting the life and<br />
work of the Greenock born inventor.<br />
The inaugural event was held on Friday 18th January at Cowan’s Corner,<br />
Greenock with the launch of a high-tech, James Watt virtual walk and the<br />
screening of two films about the engineer.<br />
The James Watt walk is a joint venture between the World Walking exercise app<br />
and Kilmacolm Primary School. World Walking encourages people to stretch<br />
their legs by matching how far they have walked with virtual images of routes<br />
from around the world, including iconic locations such as the Sahara Desert<br />
and the Great Wall of China.<br />
In November 2018 pupils from Kilmacolm Primary were drafted in to help<br />
develop the new commemorative route. Pupils started following in James Watt’s<br />
footsteps while doing their daily mile – a national initiative which encourages<br />
people to walk, run or jog a mile every day.<br />
The walk starts in Greenock and ends in Cornwall taking in key locations in<br />
Watt’s life, such as the University of Glasgow and Kinneil House. It’s estimated<br />
that nearly 1.7 million steps are needed to complete the 727mile (1,160km)<br />
walk.<br />
The pupils also became news reporters for a bespoke video about the project<br />
called Watt’s Walking Wonders. The video has been created with the help<br />
of students from West College of Scotland. The video was premiered at the<br />
official launch on Friday 18th January.<br />
Watt’s Walking Wonders will be followed by a 17 minute film from the National<br />
Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive about James Watt and Greenock.<br />
The <strong>19</strong>59 film was directed by Stanley<br />
L Russell and produced by Thames &<br />
Clyde.<br />
Anyone interested in following in James Watt’s footsteps can find the<br />
new route on a special landing page at: https://worldwalking.org/walks/<br />
search?q=james+watt The landing page was created with Great Place Scheme<br />
funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund.<br />
Inverclyde Council will be marking the achievements of its famous son<br />
throughout 20<strong>19</strong> with a number of events including the relaunch of the Watt<br />
Institution, comprising the McLean Museum & Art Gallery and Watt Library.<br />
There will also be an associated art exhibition in the Beacon Arts Centre in<br />
August 20<strong>19</strong>.<br />
James Watt is most famous for inventing the double condensing steam engine<br />
that was the powerhouse behind the Industrial Revolution. He was born on<br />
<strong>19</strong>th January 1736 and died on 25th August 18<strong>19</strong>.<br />
<strong>Gryffe</strong> Valley<br />
10K Run<br />
Sunday <strong>19</strong>th May<br />
at 1pm<br />
Route on country lanes between Houston, Bridge of Weir<br />
and Kilmacolm, starting from Houston Public Park, for all<br />
abilities from serious runners to novices/joggers<br />
Register: https://entries.runabc.co.uk/listed-races/gryffe-valley-rotary-10k<br />
in aid of:<br />
Supported by:<br />
Deadline date for our March 20<strong>19</strong> issue - Friday 15th <strong>February</strong> - you don’t want to miss it!!
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