Strathbungo’s much-loved railway footbridge passed away at 2am on 9th January 2023 at the grand old age of 146. She was carried gracefully to heaven by giant lifting crane.
Removal of the bridge span. Credit: Roberto Caviertes
Conceived at the back of an ironworks in Paisley, she was born to parents Hanna and Donald. And Wilson. One of a large family, her siblings included identical twin railway bridges, Glasgow’s Albert Bridge, gas holders, and a couple of naval torpedo boats.
Hi, I read an article relating to Queens Park that states that inside Camphill House there were Memorabilia from the Battle of Langside.
Do you know where this is now?
I would love to see it.
Much Appreciated.
William.
Yes, there was a Strathbungo Fountain. I’m sure it was Victorian, as made of metal and was substantially built. I don’t know the dimensions but would estimate (from memory) that it was approx. 10-12 ft high on a circular base of slightly larger dimensions.
It was situated on a roundabout opposite the old red telephone box nr. Sammy Dows and The New Anand Restaurant. I am sure it was still there about 20 years ago when I lived in Pollokshields. Did anyone see it being dismantled? Where did it finally end up? I have searched and searched (google uk) and cant find anything relating to it. I’m sure there must be someone, perhaps a Glasgow Council dept., who could throw some light on this. Again, a photo of it from someone would be an ideal start.
Douglas
Update:
I have summarised all that has come to light and moved it to the Bygone Bungo website. You can read more about the fountain there.
Further Update:
We finally have a photo of it!
Andrew Downie
For those of you not lucky enough to get a shiny paper copy through your door, the latest Strathbungo Newsletter is available now, and you can read it here. It even features our new logo.
It is also filed in the Bygone Bungo newsletter archive with its predecesors.
If you like a little recent Bungo history, I have compiled an archive of over 20 years of The Strathbungo Society’s newsletters. Thanks to the sterling efforts of the newsletter editors – John Devitt, Laura Moodie (nee Jones), Dee Miller, and especially, Sharon Schweps – the Society has been keeping in touch with residents for all these years, and at the same time documenting the events, issues and changes in the community over that time.
A surprising number of issues haven’t changed that much (traffic, bins, etc).
There may still be the odd issue missing, but I’m working on it, and it is pretty complete already.
The archive has it’s own permanent page, and it’s on the Society history page Bygone Bungo, so go have a read…
Pollokshields Heritage will again be offering three walking tours and two bus tours as their contribution to this year’s Doors Open Days Festival, as follows:-
On Saturday 16th September
Pollokshields Heritage Trail One: the Villas
Starting at 11am from Maxwell Park Station
Walk duration is two hours
Saturday 16th September
Pollokshields Heritage Trail Two: the Tenements
Starting at 2pm from Maxwell Park Station
Walk duration is two hours
Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September
Pollokshields Bus Tour
(Registration from 1.45pm at Maxwell Park Station)
Tours start at 2pm from Maxwell Park Station
Tour duration is two hours
Sunday 17th September
Dumbreck & Hazelwood Heritage Walk
Starting at 11.30am from the café at House for An Art Lover
Duration of walk is 60-70 minutes
All the above appear in this year’s Glasgow Doors Open Days Festival brochure on pages 37 and 39, at paragraph numbers 9, 33, 34 and 35.
Ever wondered about the history of the area where you live, or who lived in your house before you?
Well now you can, at our sister website, Bygone Bungo.
We aim to collect together all those interested in local history, and compile a more complete record of the history and development of Strathbungo and the surrounding area.
As the site expands, we will add documents about various aspects of local history, original sources, and photographs.
We are also compiling a database of local properties, who built them, when, and who lived there subsequently. We already know of Greek Thomson and Rennie Mackintosh, but there were also other architects, military men & footballers (and one who was all three!), ministers, doctors, and a secret service agent. We would be particularly interested in those who still have the deeds for their properties, who know of notable former residents, or have any old photos of the area. The database is live – you can now see who lived in your house before you! Just select Address Search or People Search, and start exploring. There are currently some 5000 individuals listed, mostly from 1865 to 1925.
If you are interested in contributing, please get in touch. We are looking for those with suggestions for research, or wanting help with their own projects, those with stories to tell, with old deeds to local properties, or those willing to help transcribe old records.
To keep track of developments, you can also follow us on Facebook.
The Strathbungo Society has been seeking to positively influence our biggest neighbour – Network Rail – for the past two years. One issue has caused unnecessary uncertainty: what are the legal and ‘established’ boundaries along Moray Place? Network Rail didn’t seem to know, nor did we.
So the Society’s Andrew Downie decided to do some research, looking at the original feu disposition between the original landowner and railway company as well as information from residents’ title deeds.
His resulting report is the definitive guide to the legal and ‘established’ boundaries that have developed along Moray Place over the past 100 years or so. Andrew’s report has been shared with Network Rail who accept it in full. The report has aided the Society’s discussions with Network Rail as to where it can – and cannot – place any new fence.
It’s not the answer to everything about Network Rail’s proposed fence, but it has certainly shed much-needed light on the where the legal and established boundaries lie. If you want to read it yourself, please do – click on the link below.
The Railway Boundary at Moray Place (.pdf, 817 kb)
I have recently created a new section of my website with lots of images and information about the origins and history of Strathbungo.
http://www.scotcities.com/cathcart/strathbungo_crossmyloof.htm
I have tried to use original contemporary sources to uncover a few surprises . Hopefully it will be of some interest to all you local historians out there.
The latest Strathbungo newsletter includes the curious discovery that Q, James Bond’s favourite quartermaster, was actually a former Strathbungo resident. The story comes courtesy of the Herald, and the sharp eyes of local resident David Cook.
Imagine the curtains twitching back in 1956 when the CID called at 17 Regent Park Square. They wanted to question the licence-holder of a revolver matching the gun used by one of Scotland’s most notorious serial killers. Geoffrey Boothroyd, a young technical rep at ICI, told them that his gun was actually down south being illustrated for the cover of Ian Fleming’s next James Bond novel, From Russia with Love.
That old excuse…
And it was true. Boothroyd, a gun collector, had written to Fleming earlier that year to say that Bond’s .25 Beretta was “really a lady’s gun”. He suggested instead a manly Smith & Wesson .38. Little did he know that it was also the weapon of choice for one Peter Manuel, then on a murderous spree that would claim seven lives, the last three in Burnside.
The detectives eventually got their man and Manuel got justice at the end of a rope. Boothroyd and Fleming continued their friendly correspondence. At the end of From Russia with Love, Rosa Klebb managed to stab Bond with her famous boot, partly because his Beretta got caught in his holster.
In his next novel, Dr No, Fleming included a whole chapter in which Bond was introduced by M to the armourer, Major Boothroyd. He confiscated Bond’s Beretta – “Ladies’ gun, sir” – for a Walther PPK, with the Smith & Wesson Centennial Airweight .38 revolver as back up. A new holster was also recommended, and all was based closely on Geoffrey Boothroyd’s advice. Daniel Craig still uses the Walther PPK to this day.
Oddly the character Q never appeared in Fleming’s novels; he only referred to Q Branch, suppliers of gadgets. Major Boothroyd appeared just the once, and it wasn’t clear he was from Q Branch either.
Boothroyd himself became firearms consultant for Dr No, the first Bond movie, and also advised on such matters as how to set an ocean on fire – no doubt his work at ICI came in handy. Peter Dawson played Major Boothroyd in the movie version of the above scene from Dr No.
It was only in the second movie, From Russia with Love, that Major Boothroyd also became known as Q, and was played famously by Desmond Llewellyn, in that movie and for the subsequent 36 years.
Geoffrey Boothroyd was quite an eccentric who once told Fleming: “I cherish a dream that one day a large tiger or lion will escape from the zoo or a travelling circus and I can bag it in Argyll Street.” That never happened, but he went on to become one of the world’s leading authorities on shotguns and handguns.
The Herald, October 2015: The article that prompted this story
Letters of Note: Fleming’s reply to Boothroyd’s original letter, addressed to 17 Regent Park Square
The Guns of James Bond – BBC Archive: Mr Boothroyd himself, in a 1964 short presented by Sean Connery, explaining his reasoning behind his choice of weapons. The film appears to have been shot inside his Strathbungo home; although by this time he had moved from 17 to 11 Regent Park Square, where he lived from 1956 to 1971. A recent resident of No 11 recalls his parents purchasing the house from the Boothroyds, and remembers the house being full of weapons, including a Gatling gun in the living room. Does the current resident recognise it?
I am slowly amassing a history of Strathbungo, including stories of former residents of note such as this. If you have any stories to tell, or wish to know more about your own home, please get in touch. One day I hope it will all make it onto the blog.
(Updated 14/3/2016)
© 2024 The Strathbungo Society
Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑
Recent Comments