The Ayrshire Experience of Gallipoli

Our final speaker, before the Christmas break, is Tom Barclay.  Tom is, I'm sure, well known to many of you and has certainly assisted many of our members in their local and family history researches.
Tom is the Local History Librarian at the Carnegie Library in Ayr and has an extensive knowledge of the history of our county.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday 15 December 2015) he will be speaking of the experiences of Ayrshire troops during the Gallipoli Campaign of World War 1.

British, Australian, New Zealand and French troops had landed on the Gallipoli  Peninsula in April 2015.  One of the aims of the campaign was to knock the Turkish Ottoman Empire out of the war,  open up Black Sea supply routes to Russia and gain access to Serbia along the River Danube.

Scottish troops of the 52^nd Lowland Division were heavily involved in attacking the Turkish defences at Cape Helles on the Gallipoli Peninsula. These included the 4^th and 5^th Territorial battalions of the Royal Scots Fusiliers (Ayrshire’s county regiment).

Later in the campaign reinforcements for the 52^nd Division included men of the Ayrshire Yeomanry, Ayrshire's Territorial cavalry unit. They left their horses behind and served as infantrymen.

Most of Ayrshire's WW1 memorials carry the names of local lads who fell or died of wounds while serving in Gallipoli.

We look forward to hearing Tom giving us further information on this controversial action of the Great War

Glasgow - Mapping the City

If you like maps then tonight's talk is for you.  Our speaker, John Moore is a specialist on Scottish cartography and  is currently Collections Manager at Glasgow University Library.
John's latest book, Glasgow: Mapping the City,  explores howGlasgow has changed over the last 500 years. The publication features 80 specially selected maps, each offering a glimpse  into the political, economic and social history of the city . 

Lest we Forget - Gargieston Primary School

Congratulations to everyone at Gargieston Primary School, Kilmarnock who were in any capacity involved in the recent production of their play entitled "Lest we Forget".
The play highlighted the activities in Kilmarnock during World War II and in particular some of the events that took place in Grammar P. S. , the forerunner of Gargieston P. S.
The performance, which was excellent, was in memory of all the local men and women who lost their lives during the conflict - in particular the 103 named on the Kilmarnock War Memorial and the
4 civilians, living in Culzean Crescent, who were killed by Luftwaffe bombs in 1941.
The show, although it had a serious message, was suitably interspersed with gems of appropriate humour to lighten the mood.
Performed with infectious enthusiasm by pupils of Primary 7, accompanied by a supporting choir of Primary 6, it provided a wonderful evening for a packed hall of appreciative parents, grandparents and friends.
Written and produced by P7 teacher Mrs Lawson the play not only entertained but also provided loads of local history information for the audience.

Well Done All of You !!!

Some photos of the evening can be found on the school blog at:-

Lest we Forget

Vintage Film of Kilmarnock

 Have a look at this fabulous 9 minute silent film about Kilmarnock in days long gone.
 It can be found on the website of the Moving Image Archive of the National Library of Scotland

There are some great shots of many areas of the town.
 The Cross, King Street, business and buses.  Portland Street.  John Finnie Street from the station.  Dundonald Road.  Fire engine in London Road.  The War Memorial. Dick Institute Public Library and Museum.  Dean Castle,  Dean Park.  Burns' Monument in Kay Park.   Middleton Park housing scheme.  The countryside around Kilmarnock.
 An aerial view of the town. 
 The railway station. The London train arrives.  Shots of the station concourse including newspaper stall.
Happy Days!!!
Click Here      Killie - about 1930

Enjoy.

A History of Working-Class Marriage in Scotland, 1855-1976

Our speaker on Tuesday 3 November 2015 is Dr. Andrea Thomson from the University of Glasgow, who is one of the team working on the above project.

The project  will explore the history of working-class courtship, marriage and marriage breakdown in Scotland in the period from the civil registration of marriages in 1855 to the introduction of no-fault divorce legislation in 1976. It aims to establish the structure and form of the working-class family over time; to identify the basis of selection of choice of marriage partner; to examine the nature of the relationship between husbands and wives and to establish the pattern, causes and consequences of marriage breakdown.

The project has its own website and contains some wonderful wedding photos from the 1880s to the 1970s.  Well worth a look.

History of Working Class Marriage 1855 - 1976

Important Message - Change of Speaker on Tuesday 20 October

Due to circumstances beyond her control, our speaker for Tuesday 20 October is unable give her talk on "Culinary Memories".  Cate Devine sends her sincere apologies and we hope to arrange another date for her to speak to us.
We are currently organising another speaker for that night and be assured there will be an interesting presentation.

Opening Night Tuesday 6 October 2015

Robert G Ingersoll

The first talk of the session will take place in the Lecture Theatre of the Kilmarnock Campus of Ayrshire College, starting at 7.30pm
The membership fee for this year remains fixed at £15, which can be paid on the night.  The Treasurer should be in attendance from around 7.00pm to receive your fees.
The first lecture is entitled "Burns and Ingersoll" and will be given by one of our own members, Robin Wood.  This sounds as if it will be an intriguing and informative talk and I include the following quote from Ingersoll on our National Bard.





"

    ......... to-night we are going to talk of a poet -- one who poured
out his soul in song. How does a country become great? By producing
great poets. Why is it that Scotland, when the roll of nations is
called, can stand up and proudly answer "here"? Because Robert
Burns has lived. It is Robert Burns that put Scotland in the front
rank."