Helensburgh Heritage
Helensburgh Heritage Trust
A YOUNG girl who grew up on Loch Longside took the name of her home and went on to become a singer who worked with top stars including Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.
Jessie Ronald was born in America, the daughter of an American father and Scottish mother. Sadly her father died two years later, and her mother brought her back to Glenmallon to live with her grandparents.
A HELENSBURGH man was one of the best known character actors of his generation.
James Copeland — known to all as Jimmy — is best remembered for his appearances in the BBC TV drama series Dr Finlay’s Casebook and the film comedy Rockets Galore. But he was a man of many talents.
ONE of the most prolific authors of his generation had strong connections with Helensburgh and lived in the town for four years.
George Blake, who was born in Greenock on October 28 1893, the son of engineer Matthew Blake and his wife Ursula, came to the burgh with his family in 1935 and stayed as tenants of The Glenan, 41 John Street, until 1939.
A PAINTING of great significance to Helensburgh was on show in the Anderson Trust exhibition at Helensburgh Library in West King Street.
The enigmatic rear view portrait aroused interest and comment from visitors, and the importance of this painting to Helensburgh and to this collection of paintings cannot be overestimated.
A RAILWAYMAN was the inspiration behind two clubs for Helensburgh artists.
Charlie Taylor, who lived in the Claverton flats at 101 East Princes Street with his wife May (nee Thomson), was a keen and very good amateur painter, and he relished working with other local artists.
A LEGENDARY figure in Scottish piping first learnt to play the pipes as a young man in the Helensburgh district.
Known as the Blind Piper, Archie McNeill was born at 23 Lambhill Street, Govan, Glasgow, on February 23, 1879, the son of Donald McNeill, a merchant seaman, and his wife Jessie, nee Napier, who were married at Kippen on December 21 1877.
ONE of the paintings owned by the Anderson Trust and which has been on show in Helensburgh Library is the work of a distinguished artist who lived in Portincaple and is buried at Faslane Cemetery.
Best known for his paintings of harbours and Clyde scenes, James Kay RSA RSW was born in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran on October 22 1858, but lived for some 33 years in the Loch Longside village in a house called Crimea (below right) and worked in a studio at 79 West Regent Street, Glasgow.