Kirkintilloch & District Society of Antiquaries

Niall Logan: Duping the Luftwaffe - bomber decoys of World War II: Thursday 7th March 2019

Some cities of the United Kingdom were defended by decoy sites in which glowing lights or flames were used to give enemy aircraft the impression they were over the cities under attack when in reality they many miles away. In the case of Glasgow, these were located both north and south of the River Clyde.

Prof. Niall Logan is a member of the Society and has previously spoken to it on the boundary stones of Baldernock Parish. In this presentation he will describe the use of decoy sites and identify those nearby in the foothills of the Campsies.

On Sunday 3rd March, Niall will also lead a walk to the remains of a decoy site on Blairskaith Muir as part of the programme for EDLC's 2019 Local History Week. Full details are given in the Local History Week brochure which can be downloaded here from EDLC's website.

Niall Logan describing bomber decoys in the
Campsie Fells during a guided walk for members
of the Antiquaries in 2017. (© I.S. Ruddock)

Evening meetings of the Society are at 7.30 pm in the Park Centre, 45 Kerr Street, Kirkintilloch, G66 1LF. The annual membership subscription is £10 but visitors are welcome at all of the Society's evening meetings with a donation of £3.

Edward Z. Smith: A Waterside Miscellany: Auld Kirk Museum, Barony Chambers, 2.00 pm Wednesday 6th March 2019

Each year the Society hosts an event in the programme of East Dunbartonshire's Local History Week. In 2019, local man and photographer Edward Z. Smith will present "A Waterside Miscellany". The meeting will be held in The Barony Chambers at Kirkintilloch's Auld Kirk Museum on Wednesday 6th March at 2.00 pm and members and non-members are all welcome.

Stepping stones near Waterside. (© E.Z. Smith)

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.

Members' Night: A Visitor to Scotland: Thursday 21st February 2019

The theme of this year's Members' Night is "A Visitor to Scotland", interpreted in whichever way the participants wish. In other words, the visitors could be human, animal or inanimate, and from any era in history. The format of the evening will be as in previous years - each contributor has the opportunity of speaking on his or her topic for about five minutes with or without illustrations. If you are thinking of contributing, please let Ivan Ruddock know of your intention, and if you intend to have some images included in the composite PowerPoint presentation, please give them to him at the 7th February meeting or send them using the Society's email address that can be found under "Contact Us".

Visitors from Achill Island at the dedication of the commemorative plaque to
the 1937 Bothy Fire in Kirkintilloch's Eastside, September 2007. © I.S. Ruddock)

Evening meetings of the Society are at 7.30 pm in the Park Centre, 45 Kerr Street, Kirkintilloch, G66 1LF. The annual membership subscription is £10; visitors are welcome at all of the Society's activities.

David McVey: Neil Munro and "The New Road": Thursday 7th February 2019

Neil Munro is chiefly remembered for his Para Handy stories, later immortalised on BBC TV. These 'stories' were really journalistic pieces that appeared under one of his many aliases. Munro's real literary speciality was historical novels such as "The New Road" and his treatment of Scottish history in these offers an interesting contrast to the historical perspective of Walter Scott and John Buchan (also covered in previous visits to the Society by David McVey) and many others writers of Scottish fiction. The talk will look at Munro, his background, his use of history in fiction and also look at a remarkable incident in which Munro was involved.

1903 pastel sketch of Neil Munro
by William Strang RA

David McVey was educated at Hillhead Primary School and Kirkintilloch High School amongst other places. He is currently a part-time lecturer at New College Lanarkshire and a part-time writer. He has published over 120 short stories and hundreds of non-fiction pieces that focus on history and the outdoors.

Evening meetings of the Society are at 7.30 pm in the Park Centre, 45 Kerr Street, Kirkintilloch, G66 1LF. The annual membership subscription is £10; visitors are welcome at all of the Society's activities with a donation of £3.

John Jackson: Arran in books, from the 18th century to the present: Thursday 10th January 2019

John Jackson has had a long connection with Arran beginning with family holidays as a boy and continuing now as member of the board of the Sannox Christian Centre. His visits to Arran developed an interest in books about the island which in turn led to the creation of one of the largest private collections on this subject.

At the meeting, John will describe his collection and use some of the books to illustrate the historical development of geology, the clearances, and tourism and holidaymaking.

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