Helensburgh Heritage Trust
Helensburgh Heritage Trust
THE 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in 1944 which changed the course of World War Two was marked that evening, June 6, by a special concert in Helensburgh’s Victoria Hall.
And it was attended by 95 year-old burgh woman Jean Holland, a young serving Wren at the time of D-Day and former Helensburgh citizen of the year, who was given a round of applause by the large audience.
THE FRIENDS of Hermitage Park and Helensburgh Heritage Trust have received a grant of £10,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the War Memorial Families Project in Helensburgh.
Awarded through its 'First World War: then and now' programme, the project will focus on researching and creating biographies of all the men of the town named on the memorial in Hermitage Park who were killed in World War One.
A NEW EXHIBITION features Her Royal Highness Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria.
She had a huge impact on Helensburgh and Garelochside, where she lived in Rosneath Castle and loved the beauty and quietness of the Gareloch.
The area provided a haven for her in her later years after a fascinating and busy earlier life inevitable for a daughter of Britain’s longest serving monarch from 1837-1901.
She was born on March 18 1848 and christened Louisa Caroline Alberta, but was always known as Louise. She had four brothers and four sisters, and was the sixth oldest and the fourth of five daughters.
She was to be the daughter of a Queen, sister of a King, aunt of a King, and great aunt of two Kings.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were devoted to each other and were very conscientious parents. Unlike many aristocrats of their time, they had a very close relationship with all of their children.
Like her other siblings, Louise was brought up with the strict programme of education devised by her Prince Albert, and the young children were taught practical tasks, such as cooking, farming, household tasks and carpentry.
From her early years, Louise was a talented and intelligent child, and her artistic talents were quickly recognised. Hallam Tennyson, the son of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, remarked in 1863 that she could “draw beautifully”.
The exhibition in Inveraray Castle features Princess Louise and her husband, the Marquis of Lorne. It is open daily until October 31 from 10am-5.45pm, and it is included in the Castle admission charge.
AS PART of the HLF-funded Written in the Landscape project, liveArgyll Archives and the Argyll Papers at Inveraray Castle delivered a well-attended local history workshop on Tuesday April 16 at Helensburgh Parish Church Halls.
Archivists introduced both collections and the types of records held in them, focussing on the documents which contain evidence about the history of Helensburgh and Dunbartonshire.
Some of the original records were on display.
HELENSBURGH’S historic Hill House will soon be open for business — despite the erection of a box over the building.
The Charles Rennie Mackintosh mansion in Upper Colquhoun Street is undergoing phase one of a pioneering conservation programme.
HELENSBURGH featured twice in the Spring 2019 edition of a show business magazine.
‘Stagedoor’ is the newsletter of The Scottish Music Hall & Variety Theatre Society, which was marking its 40th anniversary year and incorporates The Sir Harry Lauder Society.
THIS is the painting visitors to the latest Anderson Trust Local Collection exhibition in Helensburgh Library in West King Street will not see.
The theme of the exhibition, which is open until June, is ‘Sea Lochs and Rivers”, and it had been hoped to include this work by Rhu artist Dr Charles Blatherwick RSW (1836-95) — who featured in Eye on Millig in the autumn.
HELENSBURGH Parish Church, which has stained glass windows dedicated to the inventor of television and a former British prime minister, is undergoing a near £300,000 makeover.
The project at the B-listed former West Kirk in Colquhoun Square follows awards of £190,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Historic Environment Scotland.
THE Clyde Sea Lochs Trail from Dumbarton to Arrochar has been brought back to life, with new panels telling the story of the coastal communities.
The trail was first launched 15 years ago, but the information panels became faded or damaged, so local tourism group Love Loch Lomond decided to take action.
MEMBERS of Helensburgh Heritage Trust and anyone else interested were invited to attend a talk on recent railway history on May 15 2013.
As part of the West Dunbartonshire Council’s ‘Booked’ Festival, railway author and photographer Julian Holland gave a talk on aspects of his new book ‘Dr Beeching’s Axe: 50 Years On’ in Balloch Library.
AN AUDIO collage which brings new life to the ruins of St Peter's Seminary and Kilmahew Woods in Cardross had its first public airing at an event on Saturday March 23 2013.
IN RECENT years the veil of secrecy over the work of RAF Helensburgh during World War Two has gradually been lifted.
Now much more is known about the hard work, scientific brilliance and, at times, sacrifices and heroism of the men and women who worked for the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Rhu, Helensburgh and Glen Fruin.
AN art collector who has just bought a second painting by ‘Glasgow Girl’ Bessie MacNicol would like to find out more about its Helensburgh history.
Last year Jim Smith bought Bessie’s 1904 work, ‘Lady with a Fan’, a portrait of a model known only as Deborah. Early in June he learnt that another painting by her, entitled ‘Margaret’, was going under the hammer at Great Western Auctions in Glasgow — and he made a successful bid.
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