Report on the visit to Govan Old Parish Church, Wednesday 9th October 2024

On Wednesday 9th October, members of the Society gathered at the entrance of Govan Old Parish Church for a guided tour to learn about Govan's early history as the centre of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, the advent of early Christianity, and the records of attacks by Viking forces.

The Old Parish Church is dedicated to Saint Constantine and comprises an A-listed Scottish Gothic Revival building, completed in 1888 within a pear-shaped Scheduled Ancient Monument churchyard, housing early medieval monuments from the 9th-11th centuries. Christian worship on the site dates from the 5th-6th centuries with links to other Brittonic communities, and more recently with the Iona community. Raids by the Vikings occurred in 870AD, evidence for which exists in historic records and in some of the sculptures.

Govan Old Parish's guide describes the features of the hogback gravestones
and explains their history. (© I.S.Ruddock)

The building is not typical of the Church of Scotland and has been described as Scottish-Roman in an attempt to better affiliate the two churches. Interestingly, the Russian Orthodox Church still uses the church for worship. A striking feature is the number of richly decorated stained glass windows commissioned from different workshops.

The engraved details on the Govan Sarcophagus are pointed out by the guide. (© I.S.Ruddock)

The collection of 31 sculptured monuments - The Govan Stones - is displayed throughout the church and includes the Govan Sarcophagus, crosses with figurative and interlace decoration, and the Anglo-Scandinavian 'hogback' gravestones. There is also an exhibition of reproduction armour, clothing, jewellery and an early board game. Time passed quickly due to the engaging and enthusiastic manner in which the guide from the Govan Heritage Trust proved details of the internationally recognised importance of the church, the stones and their historical context.

David Graham

Report on the visit to the Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch, Thursday 20th June 2024

The Society was delighted to have had the opportunity of a guided tour of the Auld Kirk Museum, a category A listed building and one of the oldest in Kirkintilloch, on 20th June 2024; the visit coincided with the Museums' 380th anniversary exhibition. By way of introduction the 16 members of the group were reminded by the guide that the Romans built the Antonine Wall which runs through Kirkintilloch, the Comyn family built a castle at Peel Brae, and that in 1644 the Museum building and its grounds had been the town's first parish church - St Mary's and its graveyard.

The guide from the Museum describes artwork created to publicise the Auld Kirk
by local school children and the late Willie Rodger, Kirkintilloch's noted artist. 
(© I.S.Ruddock)

Particular exhibits were highlighted and reflected the 13,000 held in the Museum's archive. The 380th Anniversary's timeline around the walls of the main gallery space provided a journey from a carved neolithic stone ball found in the garden of a local resident to sections detailing the industrial era of the Forth and Clyde Canal, ship building, the railways and cast iron manufacturing by the Lion Foundry that included the famous red telephone boxes. Other displays featured the whisky link between Kirkintilloch and Japan, and the 150th anniversary of St Ninian's High School including its WW2 fundraising link with the Royal Navy's HMS King George V battleship. Of particular interest were photographs of organisations including Kirkintilloch and District Society of Antiquaries which were instrumental in establishing the Museum, as it was possible to identify some of those visiting today in some of the pictures on display.

A brass model of one of HMS King George V's quadruple 14" gun turrets presented
to St Ninian's High School in 1942 in connection with its fund raising activities for
the Royal Navy. The trophy was awarded annually to the Dux of the school and in
1984 was donated to the Museum by a former teacher. (© I.S.Ruddock)

 

After the tour, about half the group walked along to Majella's for a cup of tea and a sticky bun and for a chat. The consensus was that the visit had been a success, and that the offer of additional tours by the Museum staff should be explored and that all in all it had been a good 'summer' outing.

David Graham

Visit to the Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch: 2pm Thursday 20th June 2024

Arrangements have been made for a guided tour of the Auld Kirk Museum as part of the programme of afternoon outings for members of the Society. It will take place on Thursday 20th June 2024 at 2pm and the tour might also include the Barony building where certain items will be displayed. The event is expected to last about one and a half hours. 

Tables have been reserved for 3.30pm at the nearby Majella's Coffee Shop (48 Cowgate, Kirkintilloch between Timpsons and Cowgate Pharmacy) for the group to enjoy tea/coffee and a slice of cake, albeit at your own expense on this occasion.

The Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch. (© I.S.Ruddock)

Numbers are limited to 20 and on a first come first served basis. Please reserve a place by email at kdsantiquaries@gmail.com no later than Tuesday 18th June. This is hoped to be an interesting outing to a local visitor attraction in Kirkintilloch followed by some socialising.

David Graham

Visit to the Glasgow Police Museum, Tuesday 12th March 2024

On Tuesday 12th March, 12 members of the Society enjoyed a visit to the Glasgow Police Museum in Bell Street, Glasgow. They were welcomed by the curator, Alastair Dinsmor MBE, a retired Strathclyde police officer, who provided background information to the displays and related anecdotes as the members progressed through the museum. 

Society members being told about the first police dogs in the City of Glasgow Police.
(© I.S.Ruddock)

The Glasgow Police Museum is dedicated to telling the story of the City of Glasgow Police - the oldest police force in the United Kingdom - up to when it amalgamated in 1975 with other local forces to create Strathclyde Police. The museum was created by the Glasgow Police Heritage Society and first opened to the public in 2002 in the Central Police Office in St Andrews Square, before relocating to its present location in June 2009 following the closure of the former premises.

Visit to Fairfield Heritage, Tuesday 14th November 2023

On Tuesday 14th November 2023, 20 members of the Society were welcomed at the start of a two hour semi-guided tour of the museum which was opened in 2014 by Govan Workplace Ltd. This magnificent A-listed former office headquarters was built for the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Co Ltd in 1891 and bought in 2009 from Clydeport for £5.8M. The preserved architecture, with its restored tiled floors, marble columns, wood panelling and lead glass windows, houses the many exhibits and displays that celebrate Govan’s ship building history. Over 800 ships were built in the yard’s 150+ years history, and shipbuilding at Fairfield continues today as BAE Systems.

Society members at the original entrance to

the Fairfield shipyard. (© R. Ruddock)

Two members of the Antiquaries listening to one of the

museum's volunteers (left). (© I.S. Ruddock)

From the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries the river Clyde in Glasgow was the centre of shipbuilding in the world, manufacturing some of the biggest and fastest vessels ever built. Engineer John Elder opened a small yard in Govan in 1860 before expanding the business to 70 acres four years later for it to become the world’s first integrated shipbuilding yard where boilers, engines and ships were built and assembled. The efficiency of the compound steam boiler at Fairfield meant that vessels needed less coal, could carry more passengers or cargo, and could travel faster and further than ever before.

On a rather wet and windy day of late autumn we were given insight into the conditions in which the former shipyard workers toiled to support their families and to the hazardous conditions in which they worked.

All in all, a great day’s outing to a museum where shipbuilding history was made.

David Graham

Visit to the Museum of Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Tuesday 23rd May 2023

Members of the Antiquaries were able to visit the museum recently opened by Friends of Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI). Seventeen members accepted the invitation and were welcomed at 11.30am on Tuesday 23rd May 2023 by a volunteer guide from Friends of the GRI. We were informed of the 200 years history of the hospital which was designed by the Adams family and opened in 1794 in grounds adjacent to Glasgow Cathedral. It is the oldest hospital in Glasgow.

Members of the Antiquaries in the Museum of Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
(© I.S.Ruddock)

The museum exhibits the rich history of the GRI as a centre of scientific, medical and nursing innovation of which there are many examples on display, either as artefacts or as old photographs with explanatory captions. To cite but a few, there was information about Joseph Lister (antisepsis), William MacEwan (first to undertake brain surgery in Glasgow), Tom McIntyre (first to introduce X-rays as a diagnostic tool), Rebecca Strong who trained under Florence Nightingale (recognition of nursing as a profession and introduction of working practices that exist today), Ellen Orr (trained as the first female surgeon in Scotland), and the appointment of Jacqueline Taylor as the first female President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. And much more, including old photographs of the ‘chicken run’ – the glazed walkway between the GRI and the nurses’ home - as the group was invited to stroll the corridors of the ground floor which are lined by further exhibits, while in search of the atrium, the chapel and the cafeteria. 

This was the third mini outing of the Society's 2022-23 programme - the first being to Glasgow City Chambers in Glasgow, the second to the Berkeley Street Gurdwara and the third to the GRI Museum. Further outings are possible in the 2023-24 session depending on feedback, including suggestions for possible places to visit, preferably limited to the city and its immediate surroundings.

David Graham

Visit to Central Gurdwara, Berkeley Street, Glasgow: Tuesday 14th March 2023

In spite of the forecasted early morning fall of snow, 20 members of the Society made their independent way by public transport and by car to the distinctive flag pole at the front entrance of Central Gurdwara Singh Sabha, Berkeley Street, Glasgow for a prearranged tour. On arrival we were greeted at 11.00.am on Tuesday 14th March 2023 by our guide with whom the visiting arrangements had been made. These included a dress code of no tobacco, meat or alcoholic substances, and modest clothing to cover shoulders and legs if possible, and a head covering, although bandanas were also provided by the Gurdwara if required. Coats, shoes and socks were stored in lockers at the start of the tour.

The tour included two levels of the Gurdwara and consisted of an account of the origins of Sikhism in the Punjab region of the subcontinent of India in the mid-15th centenary and its subsequent evolution and development into one of the world's principal religions. The very important part played by its members in various military campaigns including both World Wars was also highlighted. Using plaques and charts arranged on the walls it was easy to learn of the history, articles of faith, practices and culture of Sikhism as narrated by the enthusiastic guide who, by a combination of teaching skills and good 'Glasgow' humour, held the attention of the group for some 90 minutes. The tour also included time to witness part of a religious ceremony and to take part in a period of meditation, all of which was accompanied with a background of 'live' music.

    

The Gurdwara's guide explaining the origins and beliefs
of Sikhism. (© I.S.Ruddock)

At the end of the tour, the group was invited to lunch, or 'langar' as the free food in a Sikh Temple is referred to, where we were served an appetising meal of chapati, curry sauce, pasta, French fries, a glass of water and tea. It was very evident why the hospitality of the Gurdwara is greatly appreciated as we learned it serves many hundreds of meals per day as a gesture to those in need and a contribution to the community.

    

Some of the Antiquaries members enjoying langar after the tour
of the Gurdwara. (© I.S.Ruddock)

As the group was gathering to leave, a vote of thanks was given to the enthusiastic, kind and very helpful guide whose skilled presentation gave us a much greater appreciation of Sikhism, and its involvement in Glasgow. Arrangements were also made for the Society to make a donation to the Gurdwara in appreciation of the success of the visit and in recognition of its humanitarian work.

David Graham

Society visit to the Trades Hall of Glasgow: 2.00 pm, Thursday 10th October 2019

This year's afternoon outing is to the Trades Hall of Glasgow, 85 Glassford Street, Glasgow G1 1UH on Thursday 10th October at 2.00 pm. The Robert Adams designed Trades Hall completed in 1794 is the home of the Trades House established in 1605 and its 14 Incorporated Crafts such as Hammermen, Maltmen, Tailors etc. With funds in excess of £18 million, the Trades House nowadays focuses on making charitable and educational donations to deserving causes and individuals across the West of Scotland linked to the original trades represented.

The Trades Hall in Glassford Street. (© I.S.Ruddock)

As with previous afternoon outings, transport will NOT be provided by KDSA and interested members will therefore have to make their own arrangements to reach the Trades Hall by 2.00 pm. Since it is near George Square, it is easy to reach from Queen Street Station or Buchanan Bus Station. Car parking is limited in the immediate environs of the Trades Hall and is not recommended. If you do decide to attend, please assemble at the door or reception area of the Trades Hall by 2.00 pm where we will be met by a member of staff for a guided tour of about one hour. 

It is hoped that a good number of members will take part in this first outing of the new 2019-20 season. Final numbers need to be known in advance of the visit by Tuesday 8th October; please contact the Society via email - kdsantiquaries"at"gmail.com – or by telephone at 0141-775-1716 (Ivan).

Report on the Summer Outing: Saturday 1st June 2019

On Saturday 1st June at noon, 30 members and guests set off on the Society's annual Summer Outing – this year to Dundee to visit Discovery Point and the V&A. Arrival at the museums at 1.45pm gave us three hours to explore both locations in the good weather which lasted all day.

The V&A and RSS Discovery in Dundee. (© I.S.Ruddock)

Discovery Point features both an extensive exhibition on Polar exploration and the RSS Discovery. The latter, launched in 1901 in Dundee, was the last three masted wooden ship to be built in the United Kingdom and carried Scott and Shackleton on 1901-04 British National Antarctic Expedition. After further scientific voyages and a period as a merchant ship, it ended its days as a training base on the Thames before being brought back to Dundee in 1986 for preservation and restoration. The two elements of Discovery Point combine to tell a fascinating story that one can only get a flavour of in the couple of hours available during an afternoon visit.

Participants on the Outing in front of the
RSS Discovery. (© I.S.Ruddock)

Members of the Society outside the
V&A, Dundee. (© I.S.Ruddock)

Members were advised to make their way across to the adjacent V&A at about 3.30pm to see the building and to view the permanent Scottish Design Gallery. This gallery provides a representative cross-section of Scottish arts and crafts including silverware, furniture, fashion, engineering and the media and was of such a scale that it could be comfortably browsed in the time available on the Outing. 

The atrium of the V&A Dundee: can you spot any members of the Society?
(© I.S.Ruddock)

An enjoyable afternoon was completed with dinner at the King Robert Hotel, Bannockburn, following which the group returned to Kirkintilloch soon after the scheduled time of 8.15pm.

Some of the Society members and guests who went on the 2019 Outing.
(© I.S.Ruddock)

Summer Outing: Saturday 1st June 2019

This year the Society's annual Summer Outing will be on Saturday 1st June 2019 to Dundee's new Victoria and Albert Museum and the nearby Discovery Point and RSS Discovery. It is anticipated that members will be able to spend approximately one and a half hours in each venue which is sufficient time to do justice to both. Please note that although a full tour of RSS Discovery involves going below deck via narrow stairs, Discovery Point and the upper deck of the ship are accessible for all.

Victoria and Albert Museum and the adjacent RSS Discovery, Dundee. (© I.S. Ruddock)

The coach will leave Sainsbury's car park, Kirkintilloch at 12.00 noon, returning in the evening at about 8.15 pm after an early dinner in the King Robert Hotel, Bannockburn. Notwithstanding the earlier start at midday, which is to make the most of the afternoon, there will not be a lunch break as both museums have cafes where refreshments can be purchased if necessary. The ticket price is £30. Please contact the Society through its email address if you are interested in taking part or have any queries.

Society visit to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow: 2 pm, Monday 8th October 2018

On Thursday 2nd February 2017, Ross McGregor, the Librarian and Heritage Manager at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, gave a fascinating talk to the Society on the College's history and collections; at the meeting he also intimated that it might be possible to arrange an afternoon visit for members. This will now place on Monday 8th October at 2 pm as described in the letter below which is being emailed to those members who have already given the Society permission to communicate in this way.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Visit to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, 232-242 St Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5RJ

 Date                             Monday 8^th October, 2018.

 Time                            2 pm in the reception area of the Royal College.

 Duration of visit         About one hour.

Tour of the College    We will be met by Clare Harrison, the Library and Heritage Officer, who will guide the group and be available to answer any questions.

The usual facilities will be available to the group but on this occasion catering will not.

Transport                   This will NOT be provided by KDSA. Interested members will therefore have to make their own arrangements to reach the College by 2.00 pm. The principal options are:

1.    Car parking is limited in the immediate environs of the College and therefore is not recommended. It is also expensive if a bay can be found.

2.    Bus No. X85/87 from Kirkintilloch or Lenzie to Buchanan Street Bus Station or train from Lenzie to Queen Street Station and then either walk (about 15 minutes) or take a taxi. For members arriving at the bus station, there is also the option of taking bus No. 77 from there to Bath Street and then walking through Blythswood Square to St Vincent Street.

                                                                                                       

It is appreciated that these arrangements have been made at rather short notice and only a few days after the first scheduled meeting of KDSA. Nevertheless, it is hoped that a good number of members will take part in this first outing of the new 2018/19 season.

Final numbers need to be known as soon as possible (Thursday 4th October at the latest); please contact the Society via email: kdsantiquaries"at"gmail.com.

See you there

David Graham

Report on the Summer Outing: Saturday 2nd June 2018

On Saturday 2nd June at 1.00 pm, 33 members and guests of the Society began the journey, by coach, to the Royal Burgh of Dunfermline, travelling en route along the M9 past the Kelpies and over the Queensferry Crossing into the Kingdom of Fife. The first stop was at the Carnegie Library and Galleries which was recognised in 2017 with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award. We were welcomed, provided with maps and invited to find our way around this new facility and encouraged to spot some of the special highlights among the display of historic rare objects including a time line of 700 years of Scotland's Kings and Queens, the Meldrum Loom, the Dunfermline Gala Day painting and a cast of King Robert the Bruce’s skull.

With the weather remaining good, it was easy to appreciate from the top floors of the building the associated beautiful gardens, the sculptures of Tam O' Shanter and Souter Johnny and the magnificent views of the Abbey Church, all of which form part of Dunfermline's Heritage Quarter within easy walking distance of the Carnegie Library and Galleries. The Abbey Church was a particular attraction in part because of its royal associations but also because one's eyes were quickly drawn to the top of its tower by the large lettering of King Robert the Bruce. Time was spent inside the Abbey Church with helpful guides admiring the Tomb of King Robert, the carved pulpit and lectern, the Royal Pew and the beautiful stained glass windows. Thereafter, a short walk took one to the site of the Palace and the Pittencreiff Park but unfortunately time was limited and it was not possible to explore them fully before the group was required to walk the short distance to the Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum, the second principal stop of the day.

The Carnegie Birthplace Museum, Dunfermline.
(© I.S.Ruddock)

At the Museum we were welcomed by the curator and divided into groups to facilitate visits to the home and the associated museum. We learned that the Carnegie story (1835-1919) began in mid-19th century Dunfermline where his father was a handloom weaver of linen in the family home that comprised a single room with box beds on one side and cooking on an open fire. Times were hard and so the family decided to emigrate to North America where Andrew Carnegie (AC) started out as a bobbin boy and later a telegraph operator. Thereafter, with 'inside knowledge of the market' and financial help from his mother, the entrepreneurial skills of AC rapidly developed with involvement in railways, transport and communications. He then amassed a fortune in the steel industry and in the early 1900s sold the Pittsburgh Carnegie Steel Company for $480M becoming the richest American for the next few years. AC then devoted the remainder of his life to large scale philanthropy with particular emphasis on local libraries, world peace, education and scientific research. He was sometimes referred to as the Scottish-American millionaire socialist.

The curator (right) describing what can be seen in the main part of
the Carnegie Birthplace Museum. (© I.S.Ruddock)

A great afternoon was completed with dinner at the Elgin Hotel, Charlestown. Fife with magnificent views overlooking the Firth of Forth and its bridges. Apparently the hotel has links to Thomas Bruce (1766-1841), 7th Earl of Elgin and 11th Earl of Kincardine, nobleman, politician and diplomat known primarily for the removal of marble sculptures from the Parthenon in Athens, some small replicas of which could be seen in the hotel. Dinner was followed by the journey back to Kirkintilloch past Longannet power station and over the Kincardine Bridge. Votes of thanks were given after a most successful half day’s outing to some of Scotland's historic heritage.

Members having dinner in the Elgin Hotel. (© I.S.Ruddock)

Members about to re-board the coach after dinner. (© I.S.Ruddock)

David Graham

Report on "From Stone to Stone" - Baldernock Boundary Walk: Tuesday 22nd August 2017

On Tuesday 22nd August 2017, a rather cool and murky day, ten members of the Society met Professor Niall Logan at 2.00 pm in the car park of Newlands Forest for a guided tour of the boundary stones between the Parishes of Baldernock and Campsie. Suitably clothed and with stout footwear we were reminded of the history of the boundary stones and provided with a map on which the stones of the boundary were numbered and displayed.



 The NE corner of Baldernock Parish showing
a line of boundary stones. (© Niall Logan) 



Briefly, the land was owned by the Duke of Montrose who sold parts of it to adjoining estates. As a result, the boundary between the various parishes changed and in order to better define it a series of stones were positioned in what was originally muir or moorland. Initially easy to identify, over time they had become less prominent and slowly but surely been incorporated into the wetland of the muir. However, some were still sufficiently prominent to be recorded on the 19th Century OS and on estate maps. From being 'arable', much of the land had become forested under the management of the Forestry Commission(FC). With the support of the FC and after the land had been clear felled, Niall explained how with the help of the old maps, the use of modern GPS and a trowel he had been able to identify some fourteen of the original stones embedded in a 'hump' or longitudinally arranged mound of soil and stones that defined the boundary between the two parishes.

It was very impressive to see that some of the stones had been carved with the letter 'B' for Baldernock on one side and the letter 'C' for Campsie on the reverse. Although a little difficult to read, one of the stones was also surmounted by “1817”, presumably the year in which the stones were laid.


Niall Logan describing the location. 



The best preserved stone with "B" for Baldernock visible.

The ribbon is to mark the stone during tree felling.

All in all a very interesting afternoon much enjoyed by those present with a big 'thank you' to Niall for such an informative and successful visit to the South Brae of Campsie.

Members of the group at the conclusion of the walk.

 Report by David Graham

"From Stone to Stone" - Baldernock Boundary Walk: 2.00 pm Tuesday 22nd August 2017

Demarcating stones were formerly a feature of parish boundaries in Scotland but nowadays they seldom survive. However, in our area an interesting sequence can still be seen on the Baldernock/Campsie boundary.

Professor Niall Logan has agreed to provide a guided tour of these stones, as a follow-up to his talk on the subject to the Society last October. This will be held at 2.00 pm on Tuesday 22nd August 2017.

Members should make their way by means of their own transport to Newlands forest car park. Please travel by way of Station Road, Lennoxtown (turning left off Main Street just beyond the Post Office) onto the South Brae of Campsie and continue for almost two miles. The car park is adjacent to a green barrier and as parking is limited, members should share cars wherever possible. Due to the terrain being quite rough, stout footwear is essential.

If the weather is very bad, it might be necessary to cancel the walk. In case of doubt, please phone Don Martin on 0141-578-1127.

 

A boundary stone. (© Niall Logan)

Baldernock Parish. (©  Estate of Ewen Bain)

Report on the Summer Outing: Saturday 3rd June 2017

On schedule at 1300 hours, 29 members boarded one of Ann's Coaches and departed on the first leg of the journey along the recently re-engineered roadworks of the M80, M73 and the M74 to South Lanarkshire. First stop was Low Parks Museum in Hamilton meet the guide for the tour of the Hamilton Mausoleum.

Hamilton Mausoleum. Built in the grounds of Hamilton Palace, the Mausoleum became the resting place of the Dukes of Hamilton In keeping with the grandiose plans of Hamilton Palace, Alexander, the 10th Duke of Hamilton, replaced the family burial vault in a nearby dilapidated collegiate church with a Roman-style domed structure. Building works started in 1842 and was completed in 1858 some 5 years after the death of the 10th Duke. The Duke was interred in an Egyptian sarcophagus while 17 of his ancestors were interred in the crypt below. The guide stated that the Mausoleum was 37m high but that over time due to mining subsidence the building had settled by some 16 feet or so. Because of this and potential flooding from the River Clyde, the family was re-buried in Hamilton’s Bent Cemetery. But more was to be revealed after we entered the building and appreciated the similarity of its internal architecture to the Pantheon in Rome. 

Members of the Society listening to the guide at Hamilton Mausoleum

Members inside the Mausoleum

Inside the Mausoleum we were shown the original bronze doors featuring bas-relief similar to those on the Baptistery Chapel in Florence. Also on display was the sarcophagus, the beautiful multi-coloured marbled floor (possibly with Masonic symbolism), the niched walls and the 'Whispering Wa's' or walls that allow a whispered conversation to be overheard. Finally, and by no means least, the guide demonstrated a 15 second reverberation that at one stage held the world record. A great start to the day with a friendly well informed and very enthusiastic guide.

Low Parks Museum. The next part of the outing was a return to the Museum where we arrived just before the cafe was about to close. Refreshed, we learned that the Museum was opened in 1967 as the Hamilton District Museum and is located close to the site of the Palace which was demolished in 1927. The Museum comprises two main buildings – Portland built in 1696 and the Palace Riding School built in 1837. The group was given sufficient free time to visit the various exhibitions which included an extensive displays about the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) and the history of the Dukes of Hamilton and their Palace. Exhibits also told the history of South Lanarkshire with an emphasis on weaving, agriculture and coal mining.

Roman bath-house. The next part of the trip was to Strathclyde Country Park to see the remains of the Bothwellhaugh Roman bath-house. Considered to have been in use between 142 and 162 AD it was surveyed in 1975 and because of potential flood damage was excavated and relocated to its current site in 1980. To the delight of us all, the Society’s secretary Don Martin was persuaded to give an account of the bath-house which comprised the changing room, the cold room (Frigidarium), two warm rooms (Tepidarium), a hot room (Caldarium) and the furnace room.. Adjacent to this site we were shown the so called Roman Bridge that spans the south Calder Water. However, also known as a pack-horse bridge it is unlikely to be Roman but rather late medieval and possibly about 500 years old.



Don Martin interpreting the visible remains of the bath-house

Members about to leave Strathclyde Park for dinner in Bothwell

Fortunately in spite of some thunder and a heavy sky, the weather held and we arrived dry at the Riva Restaurant, Bothwell for dinner. Saited and happy we arrived back in Kirkintilloch at about 20.15 after a most enjoyable half days' outing. Perhaps a precedent had been set.

Report by David Graham

Summer Outing: Saturday 3rd June 2017

This year the Society's annual Summer Outing on Saturday 3rd June 2017 will be to the Hamilton Mausoleum and Hamilton Museum. The Mausoleum was built in the mid-1800s as the last resting place of the Dukes of Hamilton and their families. It has now been reopened to the public after a period of restoration following concerns due to the effects of mining subsidence. The building is also claimed to possess the world's longest echo.

The coach will leave Sainsbury's car park, Kirkintilloch at 1.00 pm, returning in the evening at about 7.30 pm after a meal. The later start means that there will not be a lunch break but instead we will head straight to the Mausoleum. The ticket price is £30. Please contact the Society through its email address if you are interested in taking part or have any queries.

 

Report on the Summer Outing: Saturday 4th June 2016

In the year of Architecture, Design and Innovation, the Society organised its outing to include aspects of each area. At 10.00 am on Saturday 4th June, we assembled at the start of what turned out to be an excellent outing for 29 members of the Society on a dry and sunny day.

Members of the Society after arriving at Holmwood House

We began with a visit to Holmwood House (NTS) on the south side of Glasgow with a guided tour by extremely well-informed gentlemen guides whose bubbling enthusiasm for the property was both 'infectious' and very informative. Our next stop was at Eaglesham where there was time for a picnic lunch, coffee in the Eglington Arms or a stroll around this picturesque village. Refreshed the group proceeded to the National Museum of Rural Life, Wester Kittochside, East Kilbride. Here again, we were divided into groups to facilitate tours of the heavy agricultural machinery in the basement of the Museum and the associated working farm, accessed via a bumpy road by a tractor pulled carriage, comprising the old farm house and various buildings including milking shed, stables and the piggery. The day was rounded off by a meal in the Redhurst hotel, Giffnock after which we were returned to Kirkintilloch by about 7.30 pm having had a full and most enjoyable day.

Holmwood House

Holmwood House. This property was designed by Alexander 'Greek' Thomson who found inspiration for his architecture and ornamentation, not from foreign travel and a 'grand tour', but from books about the architectural design of Antiquity; like previous stone masons and architects, he adopted ideas from preceding civilisations who were influenced by elements from Egyptian, Minoan, Greek, Roman and other cultures.

The house was built 1857-8 in countryside on the banks of the White Cart River overlooking Cathcart Castle which is now obscured by trees. Principal features include the asymmetrical design of the house with its Greek post and lintel construction using flattened and cylindrical pillars and the arch and cupola as perfected by the Romans, possibly developed from beehive tombs like the Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae. The colours and decorative motifs such as 'Greek Key', and stylised plant forms such as the acanthus and other geometric designs would not have been out of place in the time of Homer! A further unusual feature is a continuous wall that joins the house with the Stable Lodge. The house was designed for the paper manufacturer James Couper as a business and family home. It is a little jewel-like mixture of styles, decoration and Mediterranean colours reminiscent of Knossos that still provides an intimate and inviting home.

.

The cupula above the stairs

Members in the dining room
listening to one of the NTS guides

A doorway with Greek and Egyptian motifs

Holmwood House's garden

Eaglesham. This was developed as a planned village by Alexander, 10th Earl of Eglington, around 1796 and comprising two rows of white washed houses facing each other across a wide expanse of grass in an otherwise rural setting. In 1824, a corn mill was built and then subsequently cotton mills were constructed that provided materials for the hand-loom weavers of the village. The attractive white church has a Covenanters Memorial to the religious strife in the area and in more recent times the village was famous for a plane crash on 10th May 1941 when a Messerschmitt 110 carrying Rudolf Hess on a mission to see the Duke of Hamilton came down in a field close to the village.

The Covenanter monument in Eaglesham's
churchyard

Eaglesham

National Museum of Rural Life. The final visit of the day was to this museum that exhibits the development of all aspects of agriculture, animal husbandry and farming machinery which have not only reduced the number of workers required to farm but have greatly improved the efficiency of the simple plough and hay fork of yesteryear. Again, we enjoyed an enthusiastic account of the exhibits and learned that many of the features had been donated from home and abroad. Although few members were able to visit the site’s extensive galleries, we were treated to a 'whistle stop' tour of the machinery store before being encouraged to visit the related farm house left unchanged since the childless Reid family departed after donating the property to the nation. We were fortunate to see live demonstrations of milking and learn of the impressive list of championships won by the herd. For some of us, perhaps the most lingering memory was of the young Clydesdale horse standing in the yard that was being introduced to its harness. The farm house itself brought back memories of the homes of grandparents with their 'old-fashioned' furniture and decoration and a parlour (drawing room) used only on Sundays or important occasions.

The farmhouse at the National Museum of Rural Life, Wester Kittochside

Members admiring a young Clydesdale horse

Inside the combine harvester store

A member practicing
her milking skills

Ros McMeekin and David Graham

Summer Outing: Saturday 4th June 2016: Updated

This year the Society's annual Summer Outing on Saturday 4th June 2016 will be to the National Museum of Rural Life, Kittochside, East Kilbride and Alexander "Greek" Thomson's Holmwood House, Cathcart, Glasgow. The coach will leave Sainsbury's car park, Kirkintilloch at 10.00 am, returning in the evening at about 7.30 pm after a meal. The ticket price is currently set at £40. Please contact the Society through its email address if you are interested in taking part or have any queries.



An engraving of Holmwood House



Wester Kittochside farmhouse at the National Museum of Rural Life

 

 

Report on the Summer Outing: Saturday 6th June 2015

Notwithstanding the wet and windy weather, 31 boarded the coach at 9.30 am in Sainsbury’s car park in eager anticipation of a full day’s outing. Travelling by motorway the group arrived at Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway for the great majority to catch the 10.45am train to Manuel hauled by the former LNER steam locomotive Morayshire. As the train departed the station, those on the platform and also some of the passengers were reminded of their childhood - not only by the spectacle but also by the sight and smell of steam, smoke and sulphur fumes!

Morayshire after arrival at Mauel station. © I.S. Ruddock

The Turkish Class 8F undergoing restoration. © I.S. Ruddock

The travellers returned some 60 minutes later to begin a visit of the Museum of Scottish Railways which houses a fine collection of exhibits that record and display railway history - both steam and diesel. Departure from Bo’ness was scheduled for 1.00 pm which gave the group sufficient time to appreciate the exhibits including the LMS designed Class 8F locomotive No.45170 built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow and first steamed on 28th February 1942; after modification, it was shipped by the Ministry of Supply to Turkey and but repatriated to the UK in 2010. This visit was a great start to the day. 

Summer Outing: Saturday 6th June 2015

This year the Society's annual Summer Outing will be to Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway and Hopetoun House. The coach will leave Sainsbury's car park, Kirkintilloch at 9.30 am, returning in the evening. Provisional programme: visit the railway museum at Bo'ness, spend free time in Linlithgow and have lunch, tour Hopetoun House, have a meal and then possibly view the Kelpies on the way home. Further details will be posted here as they are finalised but in the meantime please contact the Society if you have any queries.

© I.S. Ruddock