David McVey: 'David Gray - the evidence': Thursday 3rd November 2022

David Gray, the Kirkintilloch poet, was born in the town in 1838 and died there in 1861. He studied at the University of Glasgow and then worked in London for a short time before illness forced him to return home.

In his talk, David McVey will discuss the evidence for what is known about the poet using Gray's own body of work, other people's writings and the memorials in the landscape, including his headstone and tablet in the Auld Aisle.

David Gray, 1838-61.

David McVey has worked mostly in education for the last 30 years, mainly at what is now the University of the West of Scotland, and, since 2014, has lectured part time at New College Lanarkshire. As a writer he has published over 120 short stories and a great deal of non-fiction that focuses on history and the outdoors.

The meeting will be held in the Park Centre, 45 Kerr Street, Kirkintilloch, G66 1LF at 7.30 pm.. The annual membership subscription is £10; visitors are welcome at all of the Society's evening events but a donation of £3 is normally requested.

Niall Logan: 'Some early local residents': Thursday 6th October 2022

For the opening of this year’s programme, KDSA welcomes Professor Niall Logan, formerly of Glasgow Caledonian University. He will give an illustrated talk on notable Baldernock residents and the development of the area over several centuries.

(© N.Logan) 

Niall Logan held a personal chair in Systematic Bacteriology, and in 2017 was awarded the international Bergey Medal in recognition of outstanding and life-long contributions to the field of bacterial classification and identification. In 2020 a new genus of bacteria was named after him – Niallia! Although it did not become his career, his first love was archaeology and he has now found his way back to it. A keen amateur of vernacular architecture, he has single-handedly restored his 18th-century farmhouse over 40 years, is Chairman of the Scottish Vernacular Buildings Working Group, and is a trustee of the Auchindrain Township near Inveraray. In 2013 he co-founded the Baldernock Local History Group, and devotes much of his time to landscape archaeology and archive study, from the post-medieval period onwards.

The meeting will be held in The Park Centre, 45 Kerr Street, Kirkintilloch G66 1LF at 7.30pm on Thursday 6th October 2022. Visitors are welcome to attend without charge.