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The Glen Cinema
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Paisley’s Black Hogmanay On the 31st December 1929 everything was as it should have been in Paisley until the afternoon matinee at the Glen Cinema on the corner of High Street and Gilmour Street. It is estimated that around 700 children had paid to see the aftertnoon matinee “The Crowd”. Each film then was…
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Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal
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The 31st October 2025 marks the 215th anniversary of the opening of the Glasgow, Paisley and Ardrossan Canal. The initial stretch opened was between Paisley and Johnstone; with the length between Paisley and Port Eglinton in Glasgow was completed and opened the opening the following year. Why was the canal needed and who was…
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Fountain Gardens, Paisley
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Situated in Love Street, about ten minutes’ walk from the Cross, the gardens form one of the most effective “hugs” of the town (as described in 1896) Fountain Gardens were created grounds originally called Hope Temple Gardens. Hope Temple Gardens were developed by John Love in 1797. He created The Hope Temple Museum along…
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County and Sheriff Court Buildings
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By an arrangement entered into between the County and Burgh authorities, an Act of Parliament was obtained in 1887, under which the County authorities renounced their interest in the old County Buildings in County Square, and they erected the new County Buildings, which contain a County Hall, offices for the County Clerk, Treasurer and…
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“Royal Victoria”
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Paisley in March 1838 On the 1st of March 1838 Messers Barr and McNab of the Abercorn launched the first ever steamer built on the white Cart. This iron boat was 38.1 meters in length a breadth of 4.27 meters and had a depth of 2.84 meters. The hull weighed 45 tons. The Royal…
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Paisley and it’s environs (1858)
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This post comes from Hugh MacDonald’s 1854 Rambles Around Glasgow (This Edition 1910) and focuses on Paisley and it’s environs. The town of Paisley is of considerable extent and importance, being the fifth in respect to magnitude in Scotland. In population it formerly ranked next to Glasgow and Edinburgh, but latterly it has been…
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William Dunn Square
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This handsome Square, William Dunn Square, with its beautifully designed parterres and elegant retaining walls, was gifted to his native town in 1894: by Wm. Dunn, Esq.,M.P. for the constituency (now Sir Wm. Dunn, Bart.). The ground is laid off according to a competitive plan secured by Mr James Donald, architect, Paisley; the whole work costing about £9000. The…
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The Westend Cross
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The Wesetend Cross is a corner dear to the born Paslonian. The present buildings were erected some years ago on the site of the old “Coffin En’,” and are at once ornamental and, by virtue of the clock, extremely useful. It is on the highway to Johnstone on the west, and Glasgow on the…
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Walter Fitz Alan & Paisley Abbey’s Foundation
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Renfrewshire’s place in Scottish History begins in the early medieval period when the newly crowned King of Scotland, David I, granted lands in the county to Walter Fitz Alan in the mid 12th Century and appointed him as the hereditary High Steward of Scotland. Little was Walter to know that several generations later, one…
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There was a jovial beggar
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I’ve just been reading the THE DIARY AND GENERAL EXPENDITURE BOOK OF WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM OF CRAIGENDS, Commissioner to the Convention of Estates and Member of Parliament for Renfrewshire which was kept between 1673 and 1680. The time period falls directly into the Covenanting time period, which was also subjected to harsh harvests leading to…