Frank Beattie & AGM

Our last meeting of this session will be held on Tuesday 19 March in Kilmarnock College.  There will be a very brief AGM at 7.30pm, followed by what should be a very interesting talk by Frank Beattie, erstwhile writer and sub-editor of the Kilmarnock Standard.  Now retired from his day job, Frank holds on his files masses of useful information about all aspects of Kilmarnock's rich history.  Come along and listen to him.  He might even plug his new book, "The Kilmarnock Fact Book".

New Book about Kilmarnock by Frank Beattie

Frank Beattie has recently had a new book about Kilmarnock published.  Entitled "Kilmarnock Through Time", it costs £14.99 and can be obtained from Kev's Kards, Marco Sinforiani in the Railway Cafe and W H Smith's. "Kilmarnock Through Time" takes an affectionate and nostalgic look at the people and events which have made the town what it is today.  It contains loads of previously unpublished photographs of the town.

For centuries Kilmarnock was little more than a large village, a market town for a large rural area. It was an area rich in resources and the enterprising people of the town made the best of what they had. Stone for building was quarried locally as was coal and ironstone. Coal mining led to engineering works and those engineers established businesses like Barclays, which went on to sell locomotives all over the world, and Glenfield & Kennedy, which exported hydraulic products. Cottage craft woollen industries evolved into carpet making and BMK carpets; leather crafts and shoe making led to the formation of Saxone. Whisky became important with one firm eventually dominating world sales. Johnnie Walker was founded in Kilmarnock in 1820, but was spirited away in 2012.