CELEBRATING THE ORIGINAL, THE BIGGEST AND BEST-PRESERVED PLANNED GARDEN SUBURB IN THE UK SPRING 2010 HERITAGE ISSUE 59 Pollokshields Retrospective PROUD OF POLLOKSHIELDS AFTER 150 YEARS, memories play a significant role in the record of our heritage, colouring perceptions of Pollokshields as it is today. Before 1850 and for several decades afterwards, the whole area was farmland and much of it poor, agriculturally. But by 1900 the neighbourhood was well-established with both villa and in ‘middle class’ occupation. There was no question of Pollokshields tenements being slums – these ‘flatted houses’ had their own toilet and bathroom facilities unlike many of their contemporaries elsewhere. The high-ceilinged were as spacious as many in villadom; the fittings and fixtures of as high quality; stained glass and elegant plasterwork, Access lane behind Knowe Terrace ornate woodwork, cast ironwork and mosaic floors as rich in craftsmanship. – after a clean up They were conscientiously maintained both inside and out by Factors employed Local environmental group activity is by the landlords. growing. Concern about the amenity of email [email protected]. She hopes to our neighbourhood greenspaces and hear from people who moved into the area back lanes is generating community recently as well as those who may have moved interest in ownership of these valuable away, or have stayed here for a long time. open spaces, too often the victims of There are many other community places and litter lout abuse. There are now both formal and informal groups engaged in shared spaces that also reflect the social developing environmental improvement changes that have taken place. Over the last projects and doing cleanups. fifty and more decades, for example, the swimming baths in Leslie Street, with an There’s an opportunity to find out more impressive range of diversions, were the first about the local groups, about environmental of our local amenities to go; then music and services and how to tackle eyesores and improve amenity on sporting activities in Maxwell Park, followed Sunday 6 June at the by ice-skating and curling at , and third annual READY most recently The Lord and Honours STEADY GROW event Three pubs. Of the original ten churches only taking place at some four are still used for worship. of the parks, gardens and greenspaces in the area. Contact [email protected] for more details. Currently pursuing an oral history project about living in particular, is SUE GIOVANNI – the great grand-daughter of the original dairy Annual General Meeting owner at the corner of Albert Drive and Forth at the Pollokshields Hall Street, who lived with his son and his family MONDAY 26 APRIL 2010 at at 100 Forth Street. 7 for 7.30 p.m followed at 8 p.m. by an Illustrated Talk on Family memories and her own fascination with visits to these capacious tenements prompted her interest in recording stories and experiences of other residents sharing closes and communal spaces; how community activities Sue with one of her first interviewees – Margaret have changed over the decades; the interaction Boyle – who has lived all her life in the locality. of neighbours, the sounds that identified them, Sadly too many of our tenements are in a the gasman lighting the stairlamps, the coal poor state, with broken plaster and missing The New Riverside Museum deliveries, the passing trams, the staircleaning railings, damaged or inappropriate windows, rotas and the back court. by ROSEMARY WATT unsafe stairs, and security doors that are senior curator for the Museum of Anyone who might be willing to share memories incompatible with the buildings; the ravages Transport, formerly Keeper of the of their years spent in tenement housing - to of less economically stable times. But it is Burrell Collection & Curator of be recorded in audio and not video – and heartening to hear that the welcome and European Art & Design. would like to find out more about the project interest Sue experiences from the people living ALL WELCOME should contact Sue on 07956 861052 or in them is across the board!

Specialists in manufacturing traditional and modern stained glass Restoration and Repairs • Acid etching and embossing Church commissions • Corporate buildings • Hotels • Private Consult Moira Malcolm on 01292 474279 or visit www.rainbowglass.biz Back in the 1920s HANNAH FRANK was the rising star of the Art MAXWELL PARK STATION Department at Albert Road Academy. Last year, on the anniversary of her Passenger Focus selected Maxwell Park Station as death, aged 100, in December 2008, a runner-up to ’s Best competition was launched to promote Adopted Station of the Year and celebrate her long and successful 2009 for our refurbishment of career as an artist and sculptor – in the former booking office as the former art room where Hannah’s a community meeting room, talent was fostered. and for sustaining a floral presence on the platforms. Born in 1908 of Russian their awards in on 23 In the course of the year we refugee parents, she went on August this year – her mounted a display with to Glasgow University and birthdate. Committee members Karin Currie contributions from other Glasgow School of Art, and was and Helen Barnard receiving the ultimately awarded a adopted stations throughout award at the station posthumous honorary Scotland (subsequently new purpose-built heritage doctorate in June last year. Her transferred to Wemyss Bay artwork embraced haunting Station), and a local heritage planters will soon be installed on black and white drawings, exhibition for Glasgow’s Doors the platforms, providing more resonant of the Art Nouveau Open Day in September. robust and permanent style, and sculpture which she Thanks to supporting contributions enhancement, in time for Ready began in 1950 and continued from the City Council’s Steady Grow on Sunday 6 June. to produce for the following 50 Pollokshields Area Committee Plans for the main section of the years. budget and First ScotRail, our building are being progressed.

Meanwhile anyone interested in the use of the booking office as a meeting room please email The competition was [email protected] or phone 427 0531. launched by her niece, Fiona Frank, (pictured centre) also the author of ‘Footsteps on the Sands of The City Council has already Time’ written in honour of contributed over half a million pounds towards achieving a Hannah, who wants her viable development within the Images from the exhibition at aunt to be celebrated in shell of the original ‘A’ Listed Pollokshields Primary in December Glasgow and take her place building. in the corpus of artists The winners of the competition Planning Approval and Listed to write a poem inspired by one known and valued through Building Consent have been of her drawings will receive art projects in schools. granted for a museum, galleries, café, studios and serviced apartments to be developed on the overall site. MAXWELL PARK The Much ado about the pond ecology. Friends of Maxwell Park have been Society has launched a concerned over the last two years about the state of balance in the Public Appeal for pond. Ecologists think that carp are causing disturbance to the balance £500,000 towards the of the aquatic habitat. Oygenating plants are being destroyed while the predators thrive and proliferate. Land & Environmental Services first stage of the are finally on the case but it will be autumn before the pond is drained regeneration of ‘Greek’ and the problem tackled... Thomson’s Caledonia Road Church, which has languished as a deserted ruin since being destroyed by Built in 1856/7, this was arson in 1965. Thomson’s first public work and became not only a prominent landmark in the and the southside, but a major feature of Glasgow’s heritage by one of its most outstanding and prolific architects. Meantime please! – only small amounts of bread etc should be fed to the ducks. Chucking food in the pond further damages the nutrient Several features of his level of the water. domestic architecture in Pollokshields and On the plus side LES have produced new interpretative signage for the are included in The Thomson pond and are shortly to instal a noticeboard at the Park gates to provide Trail. information for the general public, including the activities of the Friends’ group. Their next project is the regeneration of the George Forrest bed. Proposed redevelopment plan www.greekthomson.org.uk www.friendsofmaxwellpark.org.uk

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142 Nithsdale Road, Glasgow G41 5RB Tel 0141 423 8968 Design Matters Interior friezes – once the prerogative of temples and other imposing buildings with high ceilings – were a feature of much domestic architecture from the 18th century to the 20th. Lower ceilings have become the order of most present day residential The Murdoch Room in the main architecture, increasing the value complex and rarity of our rich heritage of boasts a substantial vintage friezes - in a variety of plasterworked frieze from around materials. 1899 when this extension to the original villa was added to accommodate a billiard room. The villa, ‘Holmwood’, was built around 1890 as the family home of James Weir whose son William became Lord Weir of . The billiard room was subsequently used as the music room and assembly hall after the This painted Art Nouveau treasure School, founded by Mrs Murdoch has been saved for posterity by in the villa ‘Craigholme’ in Dalziel the owner of a Newark Drive villa Drive, was transferred to its who unearthed it when preparing current premises in 1924. his hall for redecoration. Persian Paradise in Pollokshields Of the prolific collection of Sir William Burrell, only 40% is ever on show at any one time. His most prized possession was the 17th century Persian Garden Carpet, making a very rare appearance at The Burrell Museum until 11 April. It is considered to be one of the three earliest surviving such carpets in the world, the other two being at the Jaipur Museum and the Museum of Industrial Art in Vienna. No other examples resembling it have been identified. And this frieze in a Sherbrooke The unique and beautiful design with its symmetrical layout and bordered Avenue drawing room may well water channels is reminiscent of the royal gardens in Isphahan and This tiled frieze dates from 1894 be replicated in residences across descriptions of the Gardens of Paradise in the Qu’ran. when the Nithsdale Road shop, Glasgow and beyond – rather A free programme of events and activities associated with Persian currently a drycleaner’s, was deceptively – it’s an embossed culture for families is also on offer. Not to be missed! Email: originally a fishmonger’s. wallpaper! [email protected]

GARDEN GUIDELINES – Susan Gallagher recent years. There is a wide choice of sandstone, granite It is important that alterations to gardens and driveways are and slate paving available, all aesthetically compatible with the architecture and materials of which work well with the of the buildings in a Heritage Area. The inappropriate use of sandstone of the buildings. some modern hard landscaping materials can have a negative visual impact and result in the lowering of property values. SOFT LANDSCAPING Gardens look best when they are designed to blend harmoniously Trees - The mature greenery with the existing materials and architecture of the building so of Pollokshields contributes it is important to carefully select good quality materials. Utilised greatly to the visual amenity of in a sensitive way they add value to a property by having a the area, as well as filtering positive effect on the visual amenity of the area. pollutants from the air and providing privacy to properties. HARD LANDSCAPING look good in modern housing Many trees have preservation There should be a good balance estates). There are several types orders and advice should be Diseased, dying and between the amount of hard of natural stone and ‘tumbled’ sought before removing any and soft landscaping in the paviors which have a traditional trees. If they require trimming dangerous..... appearance and are more garden, between the proportion it is important to use a reputable Replacements for the truncated of driveway and patio to lawn compatible with the style of and experienced tree surgeon. architecture in the area. Gravel trees in Nithsdale Road are and planting. No more than Hedges - Some types of scheduled to be planted before 34% of the garden area is a good traditional material and hedges such as Leylandii are should be used for is also good for drainage, an asset the end of March. Fungal difficult to maintain because colonisation and decay were the hardstanding. to security and relatively they grow too high very quickly inexpensive. reason for the cull. The Driveways - Certain types of and they can cut out sunlight replacement trees will consist of monoblock driveways are Patios - Natural stone is now to neighbouring gardens. Beech 24 limes of the type Tilia europaea aesthetically incompatible widely available and is preferable and privet hedges are more within heritage areas, such as to concrete and imitation stone. traditional species and are Pallida –which is planted along the cheaper monoblocks (which It has also dropped in price in easier to maintain. the famous Unter den Linden in Berlin.

Susan Gallagher BA(Hons) Landscape Architecture www.terrafirmagardens.com 0141 429 6267 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS CORDELIA OLIVER Pollokshields is celebrating 150 years of its heritage in 2011. Sadly we record the loss of one of our founder and stalwart In her most recent book on Pollokshields, Sheila Ogilvie records members, the feisty CORDELIA OLIVER, who created this Newsletter. an article in The Glasgow Herald in April 1849 describing the Artist, columnist, author, respected art and theatre critic, she ‘fine bridge and road, which the foresight of Sir John Maxwell of spent much of her life in Pollokshields. Born Cordelia Patrick, and has caused to be constructed over the and railway brought up here, she was educated at Hutchie and after leaving and which it is proposed shall form a street or avenue from the the Glasgow School of Art where she won the coveted Guthrie south-western parts of Gorbals through the lands of Shields to Portrait Prize, she taught for some time at Craigholme. She married photographer George Oliver and following their years in the neighbourhood of his fine old mansion of Pollok.’ London and , they returned to Glasgow in 1959 making And so building began in 1851 – their home in Pollokshields for the remainder of their lives. Her with villas along St Andrew’s Drive, garden was a keen interest and her house a gathering place for which would eventually lead right the great, the good and the gregarious of the Scottish arts scene. up to the entrance route to Pollok For some twenty five years she was the voice of Scottish arts on House, the Maxwell residence; JUST PUBLISHED... The Guardian, among the many outlets for her articles and drawings, the construction of the first histories and biography. Through her involvement in the Scottish tenements on the St Andrew’s ‘Played in Glasgow’– charting the Arts Council, the Third Eye Centre, her role as curator of exhibitions Road side of Shields Road heritage of a city at play, by Ged and her lecturing, she was a hugely influential figure of the Scottish followed soon afterwards. O’Brien includes a comprehensive Arts Scene for many years, making an important and unique Development of both villas and account of all sporting activity in contribution to the cultural life of Scotland, right up until just before flats continued in accordance with Pollokshields including cricket, her death in December 2009. the strict conditions controlled by bowls, tennis, golf, ice skating, the landowners – e.g. to ensure horse-riding, putting and of course that no two buildings were football. Indeed it was the local HUTCHESONS’ GRAMMAR SCHOOL celebrates 50 identical, that the building line, Clydesdale Club who played years in Pollokshields this year with an exhibition being height and proportion of garden- Queen’s Park in the first Scottish mounted for the annual Glasgow Doors Open Day event on 18 & 19 September. to-house area was adhered to, Cup Final, in 1874. Richly also the conformity of materials. illustrated and with excellent Founded in the 1640s by brothers George and Thomas, The master plan for the whole maps, the publication is by its early premises were located in the Trongate area before moving to Crown Street in the Gorbals two area was effectively completed Malavan Media 2010, price by 1913, now recognised as the hundred years on, in 1841. Education for girls began £14.99, supported by Historic in Elgin Street in 1876 and the demand for places UK’s biggest and best-planned Scotland and Glasgow City resulted in the Kingarth Street building of 1912. garden suburb. Council. The site in Beaton Road became available in 1960 and the boys’ Plans are now being made for school moved to the new building, on the fringe of the East Pollokshields an exhibition of the grand, the Conservation Area. Since then the campus has expanded with the glorious, the lost and the addition of several new teaching buildings including most recently the languishing – our heritage of regeneration of the United Reform Church building – now known as ‘craftsmanship that the world The Fotheringay Centre, incorporating theatre, concert and seminar is never likely to see again’ facilities – and an international all-weather hockey pitch and athletics (Lord Esher, Preliminary Report track. on Conservation in Glasgow, 1971). SCOTTISH BALLET presents A new Heritage Trail will be an Illustrated Talk Pollokshields published in association with Thought-provoking... on the history of HERITAGE the City Council and it is hoped the company Charity registered in Scotland No. SC030101 that the anniversary will be This recent installation on the OFFICE BEARERS 2009-2010 side of one of the blocks of with an insight into the current commemorated with a more production of Romeo & Juliet, CHAIRMAN substantial and enduring Deck Access flats in St on THURSDAY 15 April NIALL MURPHY legacy. Andrew’s Drive is the outcome SECRETARY from 6 till 7 p.m. JANET LAMB Anyone who would like to of an art project involving local PO BOX 3754 GLASGOW G41 4YF contribute to these activities youngsters, in association with [email protected] Tramway and the Glasgow PLANNING CONVENOR please contact HELEN BARNARD [email protected] Housing Association. TEL: 0141 423 1060 TREASURER & MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY HILARY STANGER TEL: 0141 423 6595 ILLUSTRATED TALKS are a new monthly feature of our activities [email protected] this year. The current series has included Alan Pert, architect NEWSLETTER EDITED BY responsible for the reconstruction of Tramway and the ongoing KARIN CURRIE Baths project; local artist Dai Vaughan on The House TEL: 0141 427 0531 for an Art Lover Gesso Panels; James Cosgrove, artist and designer [email protected] DESIGN & LAYOUT on Art in the Park – specifically the contemporary art project in Music extracts, production SALTIRE GRAPHICS Park. photographs, set and costumes TEL: 0141 556 3722 / FAX: 0141 554 1621 Rosemary Watt is our guest speaker on 26 April (see front page). designs are included in the PRINTED BY session at their new national SALTIRE PRINT The final lecture will be by Judith Bowers, BROOK STREET STUDIOS, GLASGOW headquarters located in the TEL: 0141 554 4496 the driving force behind the restoration of Tramway Arts Centre in Albert Glasgow’s unique – and infamous! – music hall Drive. Discounted tickets for www.pollokshieldsheritage.org.uk The Britannia Panopticon the production at the Theatre Our annual newsletter is distributed free to Royal on 20 April will also be 6,000 addresses throughout Pollokshields, at The Fotheringay Centre on Thursday 27 May & Strathbungo. We are grateful for on offer. Places are limited – the advertising support that makes our at 7 for 7.30 p.m. to book please phone 427 publication possible but do not take any Admission £5 includes a glass of wine. responsibility for the products or services 0531 or email advertised. [email protected]

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