Have Your Say! Baldernock and Torrance

02.08.16 / By Esmee Thompson-Smith /

Did you picnic at ‘The Plum’? Stroll along the ‘Artist’s walk’ or watch processions coming down the ‘Old Coffin Road’? Locals were encouraged to ‘have their say’ this week as the ‘Trails and Tales’ community heritage project moved into a new, exciting phase. To protect and capture these points of local heritage and in celebration of all the fascinating objects, stories and artefacts collated over the past three years, local community heritage walks are being mapped in your area. Consultation events are being held across East Dunbartonshire to look at possible routes which will showcase and inform the rich, varied and fascinating heritage of our eleven towns and villages.This week was the turn of Torrance and Baldernock, where the local communities turned out in force to comment, examine and offer feedback on the proposed routes. The discussion was lively, fascinating and enthusiastic showing the level of support for the project and a commitment to celebrating and protecting the stories, objects, industries and people which have shaped our local communities in East Dunbartonshire. Memories of the likes of ‘The old coffin road’, ‘the plum’ and ‘fairy glen’ shaped many interesting, important and humorous anecdotes along the proposed routes.

As the tea, coffee and chocolate biscuits flowed, the group were treated to a project update from Esmee Thompson and Fiona Dean before being taken through the detail of the proposed routes by Fiona Welsh from Collective Architecture.Trails and Tales have been working with a myriad of groups and individuals across the county from young to old: holding ‘heritage through music’ events with Early years; visual arts and drama workshops with primary schools; arts and animation initiatives with secondary schools and youth groups; and work with community groups and volunteers around capturing people’s stories through the (now published) ‘Telling Tales’ pamphlet. They also deliver volunteer training through activities such as stone carving and metal forging. Their exhibition ‘110 objects of East Dunbartonshire’ is a glorious collection of pieces bringing to life local industry, people and stories; it is available to view now at the Auld Kirk museum in Kirkintilloch.
For more information about the project or to attend a local event please email info@trailsandtales.org or see www.trailsandtales.org/events
Author: Julie McNiell Volunteer Journalist