2020-21 Lecture Season - update as at 14 September 2020

The committee met last week to discuss the next steps for the Group, particularly with the lecture season due to kick off in October.

You will be aware that the Government announced tighter rules around social gatherings recently which, together with Ayrshire College's restrictions on use of their facilities at present, means that it is difficult to see when we can meet up for lectures in the foreseeable future. We also accept that many of our members may be uneasy at attending social gatherings should restrictions relax in the next few weeks.

 he committee are therefore of the view that we should effectively postpone or part postpone the first half of the season – October to December – whilst we consider how best to deliver talks to you.

In order to ensure we can deliver talks in some way we are investigating an appropriate means to enable this. Many of us have become familiar with Zoom and similar platforms over the past few months and it is probable that we will need to consider a style of virtual delivery option, certainly for most of this season. We also must liaise with our speakers to establish those who are comfortable with this idea. It may be that we can take some kind of blended approach after New Year whereby we have virtual and actual lectures. We are looking into all options.

With this piece of work being carried out in the background I will keep you updated as matters progress and hope to deliver a trial talk or two before Christmas. I appreciate that not everyone is comfortable with the idea of a virtual talk – please but be assured we are looking at the best possible options to deliver something of a lecture season. Hopefully social restrictions are relaxed to an extent whereby small groups of members can, should they wish, meet up to enjoy the virtual talks within the guidelines in place at any given time.

Hopefully this makes sense as an approach. The committee and I would welcome any thoughts you may have.

Turning to other matters – The AGM remains outstanding. We will hold this as soon as it is practical. Regards annual subscriptions, there is no plan to collect these at the moment although, should we be able to deliver a lecture programme, we will set a fee which reflects the circumstances we find ourselves in at that time. We do have ongoing overheads, but we can use reserves to absorb those in the short term.

I hope to be in a position to update you further in the near future. Although the vast majority of the membership use e-mail, there are a few who don’t. Please update those you know aren’t on e-mail if you can.

Best wishes

Gary Torbett, President KDHG

Important - next lecture moved to WEDNESDAY 14th February 2018

Because our usual venue of Ayrshire College is closed next week we had, as intimated, changed venue to The Park Hotel, Rugby Park, Kilmarnock.

However - the best laid plans and all that - Kilmarnock FC have been required to reschedule their Premiership fixture with Dundee FC for Tuesday 13th.

It has therefore decided to move the lecture - Ardrossan Castle by Amanda Simpson to Wednesday 14th. This will ensure that our members and visitors will be able to park within the hotel car park without any worry of spaces being unavailable. It also allows the Killie fans in the group to attend both fixtures !

We hope everyone understands the reasoning behind this move and hope you will attend in the usual good numbers for what promises to be an excellent talk.

Guided Heritage Walk - Tuesday 4th August @ 6.30pm

We will be conducting a guided walk around the Kilmarnock Heritage Trail on the evening of Tuesday 4th August 2015.
If you are interested in joining please meet at the new 'Killie Browser' bookshop and 'Storm in a Teacup' café on Platform 1 of Kilmarnock Station from 6pm onwards. We will start the walk at 6.30 and finish approx 8pm in or around Fanny By Gaslight - depending what kind of after walk refreshment you require !
The walk is free of charge but we would welcome donations (amount at your own discretion) towards KDHG funds.

KDHG in the community

In addition to hosting our twelve lectures over the winter months, KDHG takes part in and carries out many projects in the community. Most members are probably not aware of the following –

• KDHG have acted as advisors to the Kilmarnock THI and CARS initiatives for many years. THI, or Townscape Heritage Initiative, provides funding for upgrading, restoration and preservation of commercial and residential properties in and around the John Finnie Street / Bank Street Conservation Area. CARS, Historic Scotland’s Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme also provide funding in this area.

• KDHG have been actively involved in East Ayrshire Council’s Ensign Ewart Memorial Project. Ensign Ewart, as you will know, is famous for capturing the regimental eagle of the 45e Régiment de Ligne at the Battle of Waterloo. He was born in Kilmarnock District in 1769 and is buried on Edinburgh Castle esplanade.

• KDHG is actively involved as advisor in East Ayrshire Council’s World War I Memorial Project which will create a lasting memorial in each of the district’s ‘hub towns’

• KDHG is actively involved in producing a Galston Town Trail.

• KDHG have built a website which is visited in large numbers and which generates a number of enquiries from around the world each month. It has the capacity to evolve into a significant archive hub.

• KDHG has helped the Kilmarnock Station Railway Heritage Trust to take shape and secure funding to regenerate the empty units on the platform area to the benefit of the community. Work has now started.

• KDHG committee member Graham Boyd received the Scottish Civic Trust Award for his work in promoting local history in local schools.


KDHG has had a positive impact in the community since foundation in 1972 and will continue to play an active and leading role going forward.

Robert Burns - John Wilson and The Kilmarnock Edition

Tonight's talk is 'Robert Burns - John Wilson and the Kilmarnock Edition' by John Burnett. 7.30pm at Kilmarnock College. Visitors welcome

Lecture Programme for 2013 - 2014

Kilmarnock & District History Group Syllabus 2013 / 14

2013

1   October                   Dr June Neilson       Romano – Celtic Religious Deities of                      

                                                                         Northern Britain

15 October                  Jim O’ Neil                  The Fenwick Weavers

29 October                  Barbara Graham          Spies of the Elizabethan Era

12 November             Caroline Wilkinson     Depicting the Dead – Joint meeting

                                                                                    with  KESS

26 November              Dane Love                  The Covenanters and Ayrshire          

10 December               Tom Barclay                “1263 and all that” – The War with

                                                                        Norway and the Battle of Largs

2014

7 January                     Allan Richardson        Beith Furniture

21 January                   John Burnett               Robert Burns – John Wilson and The

                                                                        “ Kilmarnock Edition”

 4 February                  Frank Donnelly           Sir Alexander Fleming           

18 February                 Tony Mulholland       Lewis Fry Richardson – Joint meeting

                                                                                    with KESS

4 March                       Jim Boyle                    The History of The Royal College     

                                                         

18 March                     Members Open            AGM  Plus

Evening                       Kilmarnock in the 1960s and ‘70s

                                                                       

The Search For el Dorado

Two weeks ago, our speaker,Alistair Glen, mentioned the Spanish canon raised from the seabed off Portencross Castle.  We continue this Spanish theme in our next talk which will be given by Dr. Ian Matheson.  The title of his lecture on Tuesday 5 February is 

 ‘In Search of El Dorado – The Spanish Conquistadors of the 16th Century' 

  

Come along and join us in Kilmarnock College at 7.30pm.

Can you identify this Kilmarnock mill?

KDHG recently had contact from Sue Beanland in Yorkshire who forwarded the above photo with the following comment;

"The interior is of a mill in Kilmarnock around the early years of the Great War. My great grandfather, George William Waterhouse, was the manager and is positioned on the back row behind the machinery wearing a shirt and collar. He was killed at Arras in 1917 having volunteered for service. On his death my great grandmother and grandmother (who was a child at the time) were forced to return to family in Yorkshire. My grandmother had fond memories of her life in Kilmarnock and always longed to return. I hope to find out as much as I can about the town, it's industry and people. If only I had asked her more about it!"

We know that George was born in Yorkshire in 1883 and travelled to the USA before coming to Kilmarnock. His wife was called Sarah Ellen and they had a daughter called Evelyn who is Sue's grandmother.

Can anyone cast any light onto which mill this was and do you have any family who can perhaps give KDHG and Sue some more information? If so, please contact us with your stories.

How to join the KDHG Blog / Forum

If you wish to join the Forum and do not already have a 'Blogger' sign in, please click here and follow the simple instructions. This will only take you a few moments.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Should you experience any difficulties, please e-mail us on info@kilmarnockhistory.co.uk

We have also placed some useful links on the following KDHG page after the syllabus.
http://www.kilmarnockhistory.co.uk/about.php
This will be expanded on as new links are recommended to us.




Many thanks