The Kintyre Forum

I thought it was finally going to get sorted using this new lottery money that was coming to the town ?

have you seen the inside of it? the whole place is rotten, its not worth saving, the radio looked at it nearly ten years ago and it was dangerous then, three feet deep in pigeon guana, the walls bowed. floors, joist beams, all rotten, roof completely knackered. to restore it would mean demolishing 90% of it first, so sadly not worth wasting money on, what use would it have if it was restored? none of any value that i can think of. it'll go the way of the TA hall.

I have half a dozen pics of this old building . No value - och well tear her down - cost too much to repair - see when yer at it - why don't you go an cut awe those trees in the Dell.

I remember leaving Townhead in 1965 - I was aged about 12. Townhead had been marked for demolition - can you imagine - not one building rather - a whole area bigger than Dallintober.
I used to dog the school - and go and walk the empty streets. Streets where whole generations of families - worked lived died - and played. Schools shops doctors dentists barbers bakers pawnshops - what seems now like a million corner pubs - everything deserted quite eerie in a summer afternoon. Awe mae pals - and enemies - although there wisnae any - gone - fecked off the face of the planet. When they started pulling mae hoose doon - I would walk the Five miles intae toonheid everyday. I remember standing at the watchies hut - it had a coal burning brazier - to make the men tea. Wan o them said - your doon hear everyday son - dae ye like seeing the buildings being pulled doon. Of course a wiz a big boy - Aye I replied. About a week before we knew we where moving - tae a hoose wae - an inside toilet - an mair than two rooms- an wae a gairden. Me and mae brother chalked oor initials oan the side a the windae three stairs up. It remained there fur aboot three years - before they pulled doon St Mungo's Academy. Don't throw away wits left of yer history as easy as that - a wid fight fur it.

its lain empty for nie on forty years, its in a dangerous condition, least it was when i was inside it ten yrs ago, i wouldn't enter it now. if it was worth saving then save it, but it would cost over £100,000 just to make it safe and usable. sometimes sentiment has to give way to reality.

Absolutely general - I quite agree that my post - had some degree of sentimentality - attached to it. The reality of the matter - must always prevail - against what is - nothing more than - the mere sentimental driven drivel - of a wee heart broken boy.

Does anyone know what is happening with the building?

Why is there a local resistence to its demolition?

I've never known much about the history of this place except that I know that it's been lying mouldering in Bolgam Street for decades. I believe that in its latter years of use it was sometimes used for concerts.

What is the sentiment that seems to attach to it?

Did the Kintyre District Pipe Band practise there in the mid 80's?

Did they not use St Kieran's? Don't know of anybody using the place in Bolgam Street.

They used St Kierans as well, but seem to remember waiting on my mates outside in Bolgam St for practise to finish. Maybe it was the Campbeltown Band, or maybe I'm just imagining things

Campbeltown Pipe Band would be along the street at Kintyre Motors, I think.

they used to use the annex at the community centre and i seem to remember them moving to the red cross building in kirk st after that, you'd need to ask shearer, tommy, john broon or eekie

You are Correct General we used to practice in the mid 70's at the old annex at the Community centre with the Campbeltown Pipe Band and later in the mid 80's at Kirk Street with the Kintyre District Pipe Band !

I seem to recall that band practices were in the old Castlhill Church hall ... in the 70's ... before the building was turned into flats.

But I may be confusing that with something else.