Helensburgh Heritage
Helensburgh Heritage Trust
HELENSBURGH Heritage Trust learned that the cairn which commemorated the Battle of Glen Fruin on February 7 1603 was in a poor state — some of the lettering was either missing or defaced.
They decided to carry out repairs and contacted the Friends of Loch Lomond, Clan Gregor and British Petroleum, all of whom gave generously towards the repairs.
THE John Logie Baird workshops workshops were given to older primary school pupils in their own school.
They were funded by a grant of £4,000 to Helensburgh Heritage Trust from the "Awards for All" section of the Heritage Lottery Fund, and a grant of £3,000 from Strathclyde Science and Technology Forum. A small deficit was paid from the Heritage Trust funds.
A VERY heavy piece of the history of Helensburgh Central Station was returned to the station in May 2008 — thanks to Helensburgh Heritage Trust.
When the Church of Scotland decided to close the Clyde View Eventide Home on East Montrose Street, they offered to the Trust an old station bench bearing the word Helensburgh, which must have been in use at the station in years gone by.
Articles taken from other publications are omitted.
Categories are those used on the Helensburgh Heritage Trust website. There is also an extra category for those that I could not allocate. Some subjects appear under more than one heading.
The Arts.
Great Tapestry of Scotland (inc. links to Helensburgh) - October 2013
Stained-glass hospital door panel - January 2003
Stained-glass windows from St Bride's Church - October 2000; March 2001
Business.
Mackintosh Club and closure of M&Co shop - May 2023
Shops - June 2005.
Military.
British Army troop locations in Scotland 1745-1756 - November 2020.
War Trophies - February 2014
First World War – spy - August 2006
First World War Red Cross van - china model bearing the Helensburgh coat of arms acquired - September 2022
1919 Peace Day Celebrations medal acquired - September 2023
Faslane (Second World War) - March 2000
K13 submarine memorial in Colquhoun Square - January 2020
Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (Second World War) - December 1999; June 2017, June 2021
Second World War - June 1997; October 1997; December 1997; September 1999; October 2000
Second World War - prisoners of war in Helensburgh. May 2003; May 2003; December 2003
War Memorial Families Project (First World War) - November 2020, Jan 2022.
Top-secret letter sent 5 months before the outbreak of the Second World War – Jan 2022.
Wartime comic postcard (blackout) – Jan 2022
Places.
Barracks (The) (a group of houses) - August 2009
Beginnings of the town (inc 1802 properties) - June 1996; March 2006
Bicentenary monument - June 2005
Bicentenary poem by Eric Thompson - September 2002
Burgh boundary - beating the bounds - December 2000
Burgh boundary at Craigendoran Avenue - March 1997
Burgh boundary stones - May 2003
Burgh charter - September 2018
Colquhoun Square changes - February 2014; May 2015.
Feu from 1858 - March 1998
Failed Streets - November 2010
Geilston Gardens - April 2012
Geology - December 1996; March 1997; June 1997; October 1997; June 1998; December 1999; March 2000; October 2000; December 2000
Hermitage Park - September 1996
Housing rents - August 2009
John Muir Way (opening of) - May 2015
Kirkmichael – History - September 2004; December 2004
Maps (early) - June 1999; May 2018
Municipal Buildings - stone cat - December 1996; October 1997
Municipal Buildings - stone owl - June 2021
Names - origins of - March 1998
Outdoor Museum – latest exhibit – Jan 2022
Quarry – June 1998
Sheep's Heid Building – February 2009
Street layout - June 2008
Streets (failed) - November 2010
Town Centre Conservation Area - January 2020
Victoria Halls - the building of - February 2010
"Villaville" (or "As We Used to See Ourselves?") - September 2023
Whistlefield - naming of - October 2011
Religion.
Baird, Rev John - June 1999; October 2000
Pilgrim's route - August 2003; December 2003; March 2004
Rhu and Shandon Parish Church - 350 years - March 1998
St Bride's Church - stained glass windows - October 2000; March 2001
St Peter's Seminary and the Kilmahew Education Trust - November 2020, June 2021
Reminiscences.
Health and Safety before the First World War – November 2020
Helensburgh 1799 - September 2005
Helensburgh 1888 - December 2000
Helensburgh 1915-1942 - July 2001
Helensburgh 1918-1939 - October 2001; April 2002; June 2002
Helensburgh 1935 - March 2001
Hermitage School by Billy Petrie - June 2021
Liz Trueman - May 2023
John Logie Baird and his son Malcolm at Larchfield School - September 1999
Malcolm Baird - a recollection - June 2005
Landing craft excursions 1946 - June 2010
Rhu 1799 - September 2005
Transport.
Air - Flights from Helensburgh - December 1997
Air - Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (Second World War) - December 1999; June 2017
Rail - Attitudes to railways in the 19th century - October 1998
Rail - Location of first railway station - December 2008, June 2021
Rail - Timetable 1879 - September 2008
Rail - West Highland Railway - opening 1894 - September 2004
Rail - West Highland Railway - railway yard at Havelock Place – August 2009.
Rail - West Highland Railway blizzard 1984 - December 1998
Rail - Railways and local population - November 2012
Roads - Early car crash - December 2000
Roads - “Eternal Combustion Engine” (early local motor vehicles) – May 2015
Ships - Battle of Garelochhead (first Sunday steamer) - September 1996; July 2020
Ships - Bell: "Saga of Henry Bell"(poem by Eric Thompson) - August 2012
Ships - Comet Bicentenary - August 2012
Ships - Comet centenary supplement purchased - November 2020
Ships – Comet wreck – November 2020, September 2023
Ships - Comet replica (renovation and demolition of) – March 1998; November 2020; September 2023
Ships – Steamships before the “Comet” – November 2010
Ships - Cove Pier – March 2008
Ships – Helensburgh Pier closed to marine traffic – April 2019
Ships - Kilcreggan Pier centenary – October 1997
Ships - Greenock and Helensburgh Steamboat Company – November 2020
Ships - Lucy Ashton and her jet engines – February 2009
Ships - Lucy Ashton original parts acquired
Ships - Steamer explosion at Helensburgh - March 1997
Ships - Steamer timetable 1879 - December 2008
Ships – Helensburgh Pier History – Jan 2022
Ships - Waverley model acquirred - September 2022
Ships - New book by Viki McDonnell entitled "Snatched from Satan" on the training ships Cumberland and Empress - September 2023
Telegraphs - early local history - August 2013
Various - Performances of the Past (How we travelled) – October 2001
Sport.
1919 Peace Day Celebrations medal acquired - Sepyember 2023
Football in Helensburgh before 1886 – January 2007
Helensburgh Football Club's unsavoury reputation - May 2023
Outdoor swimming pool – March 2000
Performances of the Past (How we travelled) – October 2001
Skating pond – History – March 2004; December 2004
Sports men and women – December 2003
Gareloch class yacht in Outdoor Museum – Jan 2022
How to bring sailing dinghy to Helensburgh – Jan 2022
People.
Baird, Rev John – June 1999; October 2000
Baird, John Logie and his son Malcolm at Larchfield School – September 1999
Baird, John Logie - communicating with the occult – March 2006
Baird, John Logie - his mother's wedding dress; his notebooks, etc saved for the nation – October 2015; signed letter bought by Helensburgh Heritage Trust September 2017.
Baird, John Logie – commemorative coin November 2020
Baird, John Logie – centenary of invention of television – Sept 2021
Baird, John Logie – working replicas – Jan 2022
Baird, John Logie - drama – Jan 2022
Bell, Henry - animated portrait - June 2021
Bell, Margaret (Henry Bell's wife) – March 2008
Buchanan, Jack - first performance – March 2004
Colquhoun, Lady Helen - animated portrait - June 2021
Craig, Daniel (wood turner) – February 2014
The Galbraiths of Culcreuch – December 2004
Glen, Norman – Obituary – April 2002
Gray, Dr Anne – obituary – June 2008
Johnston, John – tribute – March 2013
Law, Bonar - bust acquired - May 2023
Leiper, William (architect) – June 1998; December 1998; March 1999
Logan, Jimmy – obituary – July 2001
Maclachlan, George – silverware – March 2005; January 2007
Meehan, Frank - death of - September 2022
Napier, Robert of Shandon (shipbuilder) – March 2005
Osborne, Brian – obituary – September 2008
Petrie, Billy - death of - September 2022
Robert the Bruce (King Robert I) and Cardross – July 2001
Shaw, Margaret Fay (Gaelic language and music expert) – March 2005
Smith, Madeleine - and a chemist's bottle – November 2012
Ward, Tam - death of - September 2022
Wilde, Oscar in Helensburgh 1885 – September 2005
Animated portraits of Lady Helen Colquhoun and Henry Bell - June 2021
Letters signed by future Prime Ministers found in HHT store - June 2021
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Unable to fit into the Above Headings
Archaeological Group – March 2013
Battle of Glen Fruin – monument – October 1997
Battle of Glen Fruin – sword – August 2003
Battle of Glen Fruin – tournament at US golf club – July 2020; November 2020
Books: Recent Books of Local Interest – September 2014
Burgh Bicentenary – June 2002
Colgrain rubbish dump – July 2007; September 2007
Destination Helensburgh and the "Discover Helensburgh" app - September 2022
Electoral corruption in 1880 – December 1997
Glen Fruin - Battle monument – October 1997
Glen Fruin - Battle – sword – August 2003
Glen Fruin - The Glen Finlas Raid of 1602 – March 2016
Glen Fruin – Battle – tournament at US golf club – July 2020; November 2020
Helensburgh - as seen from outside – September 2008
Helensburgh in Australia (two articles) – March 2001
Helensburgh Town Council visitors’ book – June 2021, Sept 2021, Jan 2022, May 2023
Heritage Centre in Library (opening of) – August 2012
Heritage Centre in Library (update) – March 2013
John Muir Way (opening of) – May 2015
Lifeboat in Helensburgh – July 2000; October 2000
Luss Heritage (1500 years) – February 2010
Pier - Proposal for a bazaar at the Pier 1865 – December 2000
Portable Writing Desk (Travelling Escritoire) acquired - September 2022
Schools – History – September 1996; December 1996; October 1998; March 1999
Schools - Hermitage Academy - historic artefacts – June 1998 (Australian flag); September 2005
Schools - Hermitage Academy history – July 2007
Schools - Larchfield School - John Logie Baird and his son Malcolm at – September 1999
Schools - The Scots Dominie Revisited – September 2014
Schools - New book by Viki McDonnell entitled "Snatched from Satan" on the training ships Cumberland and Empress - September 2023
Tapestry - The Great Tapestry of Scotland (inc. links to Helensburgh) – October 2013.
Telegraphs - early local history – August 2013
TV - replica kit – August 2009
TV - Original bulb for the Baird televisor in the Library - September 2022
TV - Heritage Trust buying Baird Type A Receiver - May 2023
Umbrella for stargazers - June 2021
Weather - Flood 1987 – September 2002
Website statistics - August 2009
Yair (tidal fish trap) - June 1998
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Appendix
Four different systems of identifying newsletters have been used:
IN the week that the new Hermitage Academy at Colgrain was officially opened on June 4 2008, a book about a much older Helensburgh school came to light — and now it has been bought by Helensburgh Heritage Trust.
Antiquarian bookseller George Newlands, of McLaren Books in John Street, was offering for sale a manuscipt notebook about the establishment of Helensburgh's first school. The first page carries the note: “The Schoolhouse being ready and entered into upon July 3 1805."
THREE different systems of identifying newsletters has been used:
1. Until June 2008, each newsletter had a volume and issue number and a date; thus 5/2 10/00 is volume 5, issue 2, October 2000.
HELENSBURGH Heritage Trust has launched a fund so that it can purchase local artefacts.
The board of the Trust approved the plan at a meeting on Thursday August 14 2008, and already the fund has attracted a few donations.