Don Martin: The Peel of Kirkintilloch: December 2020

The third of the 'virtual' meetings in the 2020-21 season of the Antiquaries is a talk on Peel Park by Don Martin, the Society's Secretary, entitled 'The Peel of Kirkintilloch'.. 

Don is a retired librarian who is well known as a folk singer, and author and researcher of Scotland's history and its railways. In this short talk with a local theme, he outlines the history of Peel Park over the past two thousand years. 

Peel Park, Kirkintilloch. (© Edward Z Smith)

The presentation can be viewed directly by clicking on the above image of Peel Park or by going to the Society's YouTube channel which can be accessed by clicking here.

Ivan Ruddock: Archibald Scott Couper - Kirkintilloch's forgotten pioneer of chemistry: November 2020

The second of the 'virtual' meetings in the 2020-21 season of the Antiquaries is a talk on Archibald Scott Couper by Dr Ivan Ruddock, the Society's President. Couper was born in Kirkintilloch in 1831, had a brief career as a research chemist in the 1850s and then returned to Kirkintilloch where he died in 1892. 

Ivan is a physicist and retired academic whose research has focused on optical physics; he has also led large European physics projects, and been active in developing physics education and promoting the public understanding of science and engineering. In the short talk, he outlines Couper's life and career, and assesses his contribution to chemistry. 

This presentation with local connections lasts for less than half an hour and can be viewed directly by clicking on the above image of the Archibald Scott Couper or by going to the Society's YouTube channel which can be accessed by clicking here.

Murray Reid: What Lies Beneath: October 2020

The speaker at the first of the 'virtual' meetings in the 2020-21 season of the Antiquaries is Dr Murray Reid, a member of the Society's committee. Murray is a recently retired geologist who spent part of his spare time during lockdown investigating the geology of Kirkintilloch and its surroundings. Here he presents some of his discoveries and illustrates them with his own photographs.

The Campsies viewed from Kirkintilloch. (© J.M.Reid)

This talk on the local area lasts for just over half an hour and can be viewed directly by clicking on the above image of the Campsies or by going to the Society's YouTube channel which can be accessed by clicking here.

The Society's September 2020 Newsetter

The September 2020 edition of the Society's newsletter has recently been created and edited by committee member Valerie McClure. It gives information on the immediate plans of the Antiquaries as well as containing some items of interest to members. It can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the image below.

The newsletter has already been circulated to those members of the Society who provided their email addresses following the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018. The list of active email addresses will be updated using the information supplied on the renewal slips for the 2021-22 session.

Proposed arrangements for the 2020-21 session of the Society

Following the previous post on 22nd March concerning the postponement of the 2020 Annual General Meeting, much has happened as regards the coronavirus pandemic and the Government’s response to it. With the lockdown in its early stages, it was unclear how the crisis would develop and it was thought that the meeting might be able to take place in September before the commencement of the 2020-21 session. Since then, the country has endured social distancing, self-isolation, the closure of bars, hotels, restaurants, many businesses, community venues and most shops, and the resulting furloughing of millions of employees. 

It is now apparent that social distancing, especially for vulnerable people, might well last until the end of the year and beyond; but even if eased in the autumn, it is likely that many of the Society's members will be wary of sitting shoulder to shoulder in a meeting. Obviously this is the same concern that will apply to churches, theatres, cinemas and concert venues, etc. Consequently, it is now clear that the postponed AGM and a normal programme cannot take place in the autumn. 

To address this rapidly changing situation and yet remain as flexible as possible, the Society's committee has decided to adopt the following approach: 

1. The postponed 2020 AGM will be further postponed until next spring and will be held jointly with the 2021 AGM in the spring. At this meeting, the accounts for 2019-20 and 2020-21 will be presented for approval, and the elections which would have been held this April will be combined with those due to be held next April. 

2. As definite plans cannot be made for the winter's programme, membership renewal will not take place this summer, and the 2019-20 membership will hence be extended until next summer. 

3. Depending on progress with the return to the ‘new normal', meetings will be held next spring in advance of April's AGM if and when possible - perhaps one each in February and March 2021 - although even these meetings may well require an element of social distancing thus restricting the number of attendees. 

As these updated proposals may themselves have to be modified over the coming weeks, please check here to stay informed.

UPDATE: Annual General Meeting: Thursday 9th April 2020

In line with the latest government advice on social distancing and self-isolation, the Society's Annual General Meeting, scheduled to be held on Thursday 9th April, has been postponed. It is likely that it will now be held in the early autumn before the start of the 2020-21 programme, provisionally on Thursday 3rd September. A notice will be circulated in the late summer to confirm the new date.