It used to be the thriving hub of the area but after years of neglect the Maryhill Shopping Center is starting to fall to pieces and has become nothing more than a hang out spot.

The “grand” entrance to the only surviving shop (Tesco) leaves much to be desired.

Shoppers dodge strategically placed buckets catching drips from the leaking roof – the same buckets that have proudly held their position for years – in a brave bid to buy their messages.

The global supermarket chain appear to have been pushing independent shops out of the center for years and finally we see why.

At the beginning of November contractors, working on behalf of Tesco, started to rip down part of the center to make way for a two-storey Tesco.

January 3 will see the building close its doors for the last time, and the rest of the center will be demolished.

In its place a flashy new-build will be double the size but Tesco will only take up the second floor — the ground level will be a sheltered car park.

The supermarket will feature a cafe, looking out over Maryhill through a glass front.

Although not altogether convinced of the necessity of a latte bathed in the view of the main road, local people are happy to see the run-down center get a revamp.

For local MSP Patricia Ferguson, it’s a long awaited project.

The company promised a new building in 2004 when Patricia was considering options for redeveloping the site.

“This is long overdue,” she said. “The people of Maryhill have kept faith with Tesco for 5 years whilst the local shopping centre was run down on the promise of a new store.”

But fear not, work is underway now and I have been taking photos along the way. The project is due to be competed in Sept 2010 and every week I will be updating this photostory (above) so that you too can watch the progress among with the rest of Maryhill.

Since beginning my study of Maryhill I have quickly seen all my own prejudgments disappear.

The main thing I noticed is that the community spirit (which I had planned to be “searching” for) is still strong and extremely prominent throughout the area.

To an outsider passing through it might not seem that way, but that’s because they can’t see what is really going on inside the community.

They haven’t been into the Shakespeare Street Youth Center and talked to Stewart, who has been running the center for over 30 years and inspired many kids to achieve wonderful things; or to the Maryhill Parish Church and spoke with Jim who works day in, day out to make sure everyone has the best of what is available to them; or to Willy who single handedly holds the Community Central Halls together on a Sunday when everyone else is enjoying a day off; or to Ian who has given more back to the community that any other Jags manager in the past; or to Hunter who is striving to provide the local people with everything they need and more in the Burgh Halls redevelopment; or to Donna who runs the community council and addresses all their concerns; or to the Maryhill Integration Network that gives refugees in the area access to essential services and a social sanctuary; or to Patricia who fights for Maryhill’s every need; or to the dads who take part in the karate to keep their kids interested and healthy; or to anyone at all who lives in the area.

There are an awful lot of people working very, very hard the for the community and their work does not go unnoticed.

People love living here and are so proud to say they are from Maryhill.

The Lord Provost Bob Winter - who was born and bread in Maryhill – told me in an interview last month that Maryhill is the largest single district in Glasgow and “more people think they come from Maryhill that any other area in the city.”

The Lord Provost, like everyone else here, loves that the area is such a strong part of his identity and fact that the power of this community have shaped his life.

So I guess my grandparents were right and even though Mayhill looks very different now, the established community spirit remains unchanged.

TWO of Scotland’s leading sculptors have been commissioned to produce artwork for Maryhill Burgh Halls, as part of its redevelopment.

Andy Scott and John Creed have each been asked to create a set of gates for the building which reflect its history and give it a contemporary spin.

John Creed – who crafted the entrance gate at Kelvingrove Museum, fitted during its recent refurbishment – has been twisting forged iron to test his design.

He said: “I’m really happy with how the design is turning out and can’t wait to get the gates finished.

“They have been inspired by the hall’s original stained glass windows and the emphasis that the designer, Stephen Adam, placed on the leading in these panels.

“The top parts are supposed to look like the outline of individual glass pieces and little stainless steel fittings inside are mirror polished to reflect sunlight and the colours of peoples clothing as they pass by.”

The windows – depicting the many industries of Maryhill in the 1900s – were removed in the 60s and placed in the city archives. The redevelopment will see ten of them returned to the halls.

Project co-ordinator Hunter Reid said: “These unique gates will really add to the strong existing design of the building and enhance its visual impact.

“They provide a great link with the building’s history, just like the stained glass.

“The brief was originally for both sets of gates but John and Andy provided such a strong case we thought that both their submissions deserved to be part of the work.”

Andy Scott’s previous works include ‘The Heavy Horse’ which watches over the M8 and ‘Rise’ located in Meadowside Square at the Glasgow Harbor development.  

The project is due to be completed in May 2011 containing a performance hall, a cafe with courtyard gardens, a heritage exhibition, a nursery for up to 40 children and two recording studios for local up-and-coming talent.

Wondering what the new Burgh Halls will look like?

Look no further, here is a taster of the architectural plans for the site.

The halls have lain empty and unused since the 1980s, but change is on its way …

To see how the halls will be transformed, have a look at my photostory

WORK has begun on one of Glasgow’s most loved landmarks to restore it to its former glory.

Board members of the Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust handed over keys for the building to contractors on Thursday, marking the beginning of the redevelopment.

Graham Construction have already started work on the £9.2m project, which aims to recapture the important role the Halls used to play in the heart of the community.

Billy McAllister, chair of the trust, said: “This is an important milestone for Maryhill.

“This wonderful building and the new additions will provide much needed accommodation for a variety of activities in the area.

“The people of Maryhill have helped to shape the project and will continue to do so in the future.”

Many of the original features will be brought back to life, including ten stained glass windows that have been in the city archives since their removal in the 60s.

They are part of a set of 20, designed by Stephen Adam – a leading glass artist in his day – in the late 1900s, depicting the many industries within the area.

Project co-ordinator, Hunter Reid, has been developing plans with the trust for five years.

He said: “When I was growing up, I used to walk past the building every day on my way to school and there was always something going on inside it.

“People tend to know it from the past and it was an important part of their lives — some people even got married here.

“We want to bring that back and give local people a space that they feel is their own.”

The project is due to be completed in May 2011, containing a large performance hall, a cafe with courtyard gardens, a heritage exhibition, 11 offices and a nursery for up to 40 children.

There will also be two recording studios for local musicians, inspired by the fact that the buildings previous studios were Wet Wet Wet’s first rehearsal rooms.

To see more pictures of the halls click here

EVERY household in Maryhill is being urged to get active and join in the fun at one of the 303 clubs in the area, as 40,000 Maryhill Activity Directories have been delivered to homes.

This is the first year the pamphlet has been published on such a large scale and delivered through doors — it was previously only available in schools.

The move follows Friday’s launch by Glasgow’s Lord Provost, Bob Winter, who said the booklet is ‘enormously important’ to everyone in the area.

The Lord Provost, who was born and bred in Maryhill, said: “The directory is getting bigger and better every year, reflecting the growth and strength of the community here.

“Activities within it are teaching kids life-long skills, like team work, and are helping them to discover where their talents lie.

“If you can get kids engaged in something they are good at it starts to make them feel really good about themselves then they improve in other aspects of life.”

Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall, Maryhill MSP Patricia Ferguson and Glasgow MSP Bob Doris were also at the launch event in the Shakespeare Youth Centre .

Guests were treated to a sample of what is available, through performances by the Oh Kami Karate Club and Maryhill Integration Network music group.

Jim Hamilton, Deacon at Maryhill Parish Church, came up with the idea for the directory in 2003 and is in charge of producing it.

This year he managed to almost double the publication’s production budget, generating a total of £9,500 — Glasgow City Council donated £5,000 and the rest came from community groups.

Mr Hamilton said: “This is about making people aware because there’s so many people who say there’s nothing to do around here, but there is plenty to do.

“It’s always the same people who are in many different clubs — we are trying to reach out to everyone else, to help them change their lifestyle and become more interactive and healthy.

“I believe that’s what I’m here to do, to serve the community, not just to put bums on seats in church.”

A GLASWEGIAN man has become a world record holder in boxing, raising over £600 for Yorkhill Children’s Foundation, in a Maryhill gym.

Mark Scott (39) a police officer from Cambuslang, set a new Guinness World Record for the most consecutive rounds - completing 111 rounds in seven and a half hours - at the Griphouse on Sunday November 1.

“I could’ve done more but I had ran out of opponents,” Mark said.

He faced over a dozen challengers from boxing and Thai boxing clubs within the gym, and smashed his own target of 100 rounds.

Mark said: “I didn’t want to do just enough, or to just make a record. I wanted to set a benchmark that would be a real challenge for others to beat.

“My lower back and hands were sore, but I took advantage of the one minute breaks in-between rounds.

“It’s a great feeling to be a world record holder, especially when you know you’re doing it for a good cause.”

In November 2007 Mark broke the ‘most roundhouse kicks in one minute’ record of 130, achieving 148.

“It’s a contrast to my last record attempt which was explosive — this was all about endurance,” he said.

Griphouse gym owner and coach, Guy Ramsay, has a reputation for training high achieving athletes — on Sunday one of his Thai boxers, Jordan Calder, won the UKMF British Junior Title (57kg)

Guy said: “It was an extremely gruelling process for Mark, but he’s really competitive. It’s such a positive thing when athletes use their skills for good causes.

“It shows people the skill and discipline involved in the sport and that it’s not a game for thugs — which is the view many people have.

“It’s great, not just for the fact that he’s now a world record holder, but more because he had raised all that money for Yorkhill — that’s the real achievement.”

 AN IRISH dance school in Maryhill – founded and taught by a former world champion – has achieved the two top prizes in a national competition.

Laureen Gallagher (20) won the Senior Girls Shamrock Feis Championship 2009 and Eleisha Maley (18), won the Girls Under 19 Shamrock Feis Championship 2009 in Community Central Halls on Sunday.

The Peter Thompson School of Irish Dance – which trains the current world champion, Siobhan McGeady (21) from Calderwood – is the most successful in Glasgow and has been dominating the increasingly popular Irish dance scene.

Four times All Ireland and International Champion, ten times Ulster Champion and 13 times Belfast Champion, Peter Thompson, is keen to see his dancers follow in his footsteps.

He admits demanding the best from his students: “I look for commitment, loyalty and, most importantly, hard work, in a dancer. I am a bit of a perfectionist to be honest.”

“It’s absolutely fantastic when you see the hard work that we’ve all put in pay off on the day,” Peter said “it’s a feeling you just can’t describe.”

Laureen, from Glasgow, started dancing at age three: “It feels really great to have won, I’ve been working so hard and training non-stop,” she said.

“I’ll never stop dancing. I want to open my own school in Glasgow, so I’ll be doing it for the rest of my life.”

Eleisha, from Denney, near Falkirk, said the event was inspirational: “It’s amazing, now I want to win the ‘All Ireland [and International Championship]’ — that’s the biggest competition of the year.”

But the girls still have their feet firmly on the ground: “We might have a drink tonight to celebrate, but we all have work tomorrow, so it’ll be a quite one.” Laureen said.

IT WAS the game that shocked the nation, the most unpredictable and admirable Scottish League Cup Final victory ever: the day that Partick Thistle gubbed Celtic 4-1 against all the odds.

Exactly 38 years later, Thistle’s 1971 squad were inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame on Friday night.

Hundreds of friends, family and fans erupted at the event – hosted by Dougie Donnelly – as their hero’s collected the awards.

Former star, Denis McQuade, now Club Developing Director, scored the third goal that day, 27 minutes in.

He remembers the event fondly but is one of the first to admit the team expected to be going home as runners-up.

“We were playing a team that was trampling over everyone they came up against,” he said.

 “It really was a David and Goliath situation.”

Jock Stein’s Celtic squad had just competed in the 1970 European Cup Final and were about to win their eighth League Cup out of nine.

The Jags had been relegated to the second division the season before this monumental match and not won a cup for 50 years — but the tables soon turned when Dave McParland was appointed manager.

Even Mr McParland didn’t expect to get the sorts of results he did so quickly: “You can never anticipate how well your team is going to do”.

“You can maybe judge one or two matches,” he said “but the important thing for me was that we played well. And we did.”

“Seeing your team play well, as a manager, that’s what it’s all about.”

A MACKINTOSH exhibition, celebrating the 110th birthday of his exclusive church, is bringing the community of Maryhill closer together.

Over 1200 visitors have graced The Macintosh Church, Queen’s Cross, to explore the history of the Glasgow landmark and its world-renowned architect, since exhibit doors opened last month.

The showcase includes locals’ memories and anecdotes from the early 20th century, reminiscing of their time inside only built church-design by the famous architect in the world.

It took a team of around 15 volunteers almost a year to put together the study.

Director of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Association, Stuart Robertson, said: “We’ve had a great reaction from visitors, especially from locals who say it acts as a memory jog.

“They can relate to the anecdotes and spend a lot of time sharing their own experiences with us and others at the exhibition.”

Society Volunteer Co-ordinator, Karin Otto, has been passionate about the designer since childhood.

“People are extremely moved by the exhibition,” Karen said, “many have been brought to tears.”

The move is part of a campaign to bring the building back into the heart of the community, as it was in the 1930s when it had over 1000 parishioners.

“This is only the beginning,” Stuart said, “we are planning to publish a book later next month with all our findings and would like to keep going with the study as there is so much more we want to uncover.”

The exhibition ‘110 Years, Mackintosh in Maryhill’ is open until November 30.

 
Extract from the forthcoming book:

Mr. Ross was christened at Queen’s Cross church in 1937 and remained a parishioner there until he enlisted in the army at the age of 18. As a child Mr. Ross recalls one particular memory about the church:

 “One of my best pal’s dad’s was an elder of the church, and so we used to help to lay out the chairs, and put them away again. They were stored under the dais in the Hall. At that time, all of our houses were gas lit – we didn’t have electricity in our homes, but there was electricity in the church. There was a socket under the dais, and not knowing what it was for, when my pal told me to put my thumb in, I did, and as you can guess, I got a right shock!”