Last litter for long serving Councillor

Alex Glass, who has been the Labour Party representative in Greater Pollok for 13 years, but is not standing again in the local government election this week, told this website: ‘I had the pleasure of joining some parents, children and teachers at St Angela’s RC Primary School in Darnley on Friday 27 April, to perform one of my very last duties as a councillor – a litter pick-up.’

In the near future, the school will receive an important visit from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education(HMIE). To ensure that the inspection team gets the best impression of the school, everyone, including outgoing Councillor Glass, was in the grounds picking up bags and bags of litter.  Head Teacher, Brendan Duffy said: ‘The School’s Council has been fighting hard over the past few years to show the pride they have in St Angela’s by encouraging other parents to join the clean-up of the school grounds. We have also involved the children. The long term message appears to be getting through to them about keeping the school and the wider community clean by putting litter in the bin and not dropping it in the school grounds or on the street.’

The clean-up was organised by Tom Buik, Chair of the School’s Council who said: ‘We have a good community spirit in the school now. We want the inspectors from HMIE to see the pride we take in St Angela’s  by noticing how tidy the school grounds are as they arrive to carry out their inspection.’

The school has not been without its problems as Councillor Glass knows. He said: ‘Recently, teachers were having to place buckets under the constant drips of water coming from the roof. Fortunately, I was able to draw attention to the urgent nature of the repairs and work was completed relatively quickly.’

St Angela’s has been in the news over the past couple of years due to the change in the catchment area for St Ninian’s which is outside Glasgow but has had a long standing arrangement to take children from the Darnley area.

Recently, too, the school expanded to accommodate the growing number of children wishing to attend St Angela’s. Two additional classrooms are now located in portacabins in the playground. Commented Tom: ‘Hopefully the inspection will go well for everyone at St Angela’s. With this level of support from parents, children and teachers as well as our local councillor, it looks like the school is taking on all the challenges that it faces by getting everyone involved.’

A dam fine idea!

Silverburn and Dams to Darnley Country Park are working together in a bid to raise awareness of the recreational opportunities on offer at the park situated  between Barrhead, Darnley and Newton Mearns.

Dams to Darnley Country Park, a joint venture between Glasgow City and East Renfrewshire Councils, offers great opportunities for walking, cycling and fishing as well as an abundance of wildlife.

To help spread the word about the country park, Silverburn shopping centre is hosting an exhibition in the mall on 27th August 10am-4pm which will showcase the importance of the area for wildlife and the beautiful landscape available for residents to enjoy.

Silverburn, a major local employer, is also hosting a Summer BBQ at Dams to Darnley Country Park for staff and their families. It is hoped that this event will stimulate increased interest and encourage more people to make use of the country park.

As part of the event, Silverburn will be fundraising for new fishing rods that will be used by a new Angling Club set up within the country park to introduce young people to the sport.

Councillor Alex Glass of Glasgow City Council and current Chair of the Dams to Darnley Country Park Joint Committee, said: ‘I am delighted that Silverburn is showcasing this wonderful park. For many local people it remains a bit of a secret so I hope they will take the opportunity to explore the park and follow its development.’

Eilidh Milne, one of the country park rangers said: ‘The country park is a beautiful oasis yet many people still don’t know of its existence. We are delighted to be working with Silverburn and are confident that once people discover what’s on offer, they will return time and time again.’

Silverburn’s centre director, David Pierotti added: ‘I have lived in the area all my life and hadn’t been to the Dams – now my family and I go regularly as it’s an inspiring place to relax and take in the beautiful scenery.Our collaboration with Dams to Darnley Country Park fits well with Silverburn’s commitment to supporting the local community and the environment. With the country park rangers, we plan to set up a litter picking initiative with Silverburn staff. I believe it is something our stores would be delighted to get involved in.’

For further information log on to www.damstodarnley.org.

 

Champions of the South West show their mettle

words Grace Franklin
photographs Stuart Maxwell

Pollokshaws Burgh Hall was the comfortable venue for the latest in the Evening Times Community Champions Awards.
Contenders from the South West of the city from Newlands to Cathcart, from Pollokshaws to Darnley and points in between waited to hear how the panel of judges had made decisons that would have put Solomon to the test.
But as Evening Times Editor, Tony Carlin,  said: ‘There can only be one winner.’
So in the six categories here are the winners as celebrated on Thursday 19 August.
Arden Chillout Centre won the Team Award. It gives opportunities to people from 5 to 15 to keep fit, enjoy games and sport, music and educational projects. Runners up were The Bullwood wood-turning project in Crookston and the Rainbow Care Centre which provides transport, cooked meals and social activities for members.
The Individual award went to Linda Campbell who has worked for Cordia – the city caring company -  for 25 years. She also cares for her own father who has Alzheimers as well as looking after four grandchildren. Runners up were:-Bill Baird of Merrylee who helps provide football coaching for school pupils and is active in Merrylee Local Housing Organisation, Cathcart and District Community Council and is helping develop the Newlands Project and Gordon Millar who is Chair of Pollok Crime Prevention Panel and is involved in Streetwatch Glasgow and other safety initiatives.
The Public Service Individual award went, posthumously, to PC Derek McDowell.  He died, aged 36, earlier this year. The respected community bobby was at the forefront of reducing crime in his patch in Pristhill and Nitshill. The award was accepted on behalf of his widow, Sharon, by PC Mark Allan-Smith.
Runners up were:- Mary Rocks who is a community learning worker with Glasgow Life in Pollokshaws and Christine Stewart a library supervisor at Pollok Library who has extended the joy of reading and learning through books to even more local people.
The Public Service Team Award was won by the Family Early Intervention Unit a partnership unit providing help to reduce domestic abuse and violent crime. Runners up were: – the Greater Pollok Older People and Physical Disability Team who support families to find the best solutions to individual needs and South West Bridging Service in Pollok which assists more than 400 people a year to move forward in education, training or work prospects.
Seniors Award went to Harry McColl who is Chair of Pollokshaws and Eastwood Community Council but also helped found the Pollokshaws Heritage Group. His current initiative is to have the names of soldiers killed in battle, reinstated on the local war memorial.
Runners up were: Brian Beacom who is chairman of the Levern District Community Council and a host of other bodies including the Scottish Health Council and Josephine Docherty who is chair of Newlands and Auldhouse Community Council among many other groups and has overcome cancer to continue her community work.
The Young Award, unusually, was a joint award to Reece Barrie who although only 11 is fighting a rare spinal condition and the Greater Pollok Young Carers project which recently produced a book about their lives as young carers.
All the winners from this evening and the others in all areas of Glasgow, will be invited to a Champion of Champions evening in Glasgow City Chambers in October.

Heritage photographs to be displayed

This photograph, from the archives of Pollokshaws Heritage Group, is one of 50 which will be exhibited on Monday 14 June in Pollokshaws Parish Church Hall, Shawbridge Street, G43 1QN between 1.30 and 3.30pm.
Group member, George Rountree said the images had been selected from more than 400 old photographs gathered since 1997. The exhibition is the group’s bi-annual open day.
‘We arranged the pictures in the order you would have seen them walking round Old Pollokshaws,’ said George. He is the author of three books on Old Pollokshaws and along with others in the Group, researches and records the fine details of the area’s past.
In the picture you can see; Kennishead road rises up on the left to cross the railway line and continue on past the Greenknowe to Darnley and Barrhead. The single arch bridge on Barrhead Road was doubled in 1965. Seen here are benches with a group of men wearing bunnets who were no doubt filling in their time discussing the latest scandal. On the signal post at the bridge in the left background the ‘home’ arm is in the ‘off’ position and the distant is ‘on’.  Note the police box and the telephone kiosk at the tollhouse. Before the police had radios and long before mobile phones, the boxes had a blue lamp on the roof that flashed if a call came through on the phone for the patrol. An extension lamp can be seen on the nearest telegraph pole at the Tollhouse projecting out-and-down at mid height. The smaller building with a smoking chimney behind the tollhouse was Bryce Howatt’s blacksmith’s forge.

John Maclean, the famous Socialist leader, lived with his mother for a time in the early years of the 20th century in Low Cartcraigs, the building on the left. The bus coming out of Barrhead Road is a Leyland Titan TD1 with Cowieson bodywork and GG registration number of 1929. It was on the number 8 (later 14) service running between Nitshill and what appears to be Ruchill off Maryhill Road. The figure in a long white coat is a policeman directing traffic, known then as being ‘on points duty’. There was not much for him to do!

The white foreshortened arcs above his head are the frontage of the two-bay private parking accommodation of the garage. Blacksmith Cunningham made gates and railings while Bryce Howatt mainly shod horses. The four small white spots along the garage frontage are the Regent Petrol Company’s electric illuminating white glass adverts that were usually fixed on top of the pumps, which at that time were likely to have been hand-cranked.