AHSS event reviews

Strathclyde Event Reviews updated 09.08.2004

Group AGM, 2002
The Strathclyde Group AGM was held in the Tolbooth, Stirling, on 2 November 2002. A good turn-out heard retiring Chairman, Rob Close, give his account of another year of successful and enjoyable activity, in particular praising the various organisers of the Summer Study Days to Glenalmond College in May, to Thornly Park, Paisley, in July, and to Little Sparta in August. In turn Rob was thanked from the floor for the work he and Joy had put into arranging the action packed residential weekend to South Ayrshire in June.

Treasurer, Pamela Parr, reported on the satisfactory balance of accounts and gave full details of what was involved in the management of just one of the outings to demonstrate to members the work and care invested by the committee.

Audrey Gardner gave an account of the work of the cases panel and, in particular, on her involvement on our behalf in the public enquiry into the Glasgow City Plan.

The Meeting was followed by an engrossing talk by James Simpson on his collaboration with Richard Murphy in adapting the Tolbooth to its present award winning condition. A prominent feature of the meeting room was the beam supporting a redundant chimney-head retained for its external effect at the insistence of Historic Scotland. It was interesting also to note that both Richard Murphy and that other luminary of avant-garde architecture in Scotland, Malcolm Fraser, are both former employees of the country's foremost architectural conservation practice, Simpson & Brown. Our speaker gave us a conducted tour of the project before we had lunch in the splendid new restaurant.

All in all another fine group outing with only one drawback to discomfit the less able bodied among us - that the allocated meeting room was on the top floor of a building whose lifts had chosen that day to be out of order.

Neil Pirrit

Summer Programme 2003: Holyrood visit
Our summer programme began with a very popular visit to the new Scottish Parliament site. Our thanks to Bob Riddell who arranged it. Kitted out in hard hats and boots we balanced our way among the scaffolding and ramps, catching glimpses of finished sections that were very reminiscent of Catalonia. In spite of its controversial siting we think it promises to be an icon building.

We also visited the new Queen's Gallery with a member of the Benjamin Tindall practice. Its reinterpreted interior, we thought, was worthy of equal publicity with its exhibitions, but there wasn't even a post card available of the magnificent staircase.

Gosford and Newhailes
Gosford and Newhailes combined well for a visit in July. Interesting to compare the scale and sweeping grandeur of Robert Adam with the more circumspect Palladianism of James Smith. Some of us thought the interior of Newhailes, while remarkably original, looked rather faded now but others like myself enjoyed the exceptional integrity of a domestic interior that expressed so closely the period of its exterior.

Strathleven House
In August we visited Strathleven House in the Vale of Leven industrial estate near Dumbarton. Also reputably by James Smith in the Palladian style it was nearly destroyed by weather and vandals. Following a refusal from Historic Scotland for demolition, the panelling of two main rooms and the staircase balustrade were carefully removed by Scottish Enterprise and stored locally in a warehouse. What followed was miraculous.

Graham Keith of the Lennox Partnership masterminded an idea for the future of the house as a business centre and inspired a unique team of restorers and a timely batch of fund providers. The Scottish Historic Buildings Trust purchased the house in 1986. To quote George McNeill, its chairman, 'Strathleven House stands as a testimony to stamina, courage and team work, proof-positive that some risks are worth taking'. The team included Nicholas Groves Raines, architect, and Hunter Clark, contractors.

Strathleven House now has beautifully reinstated original panelling and staircase, the rest of the interior is recreated to a high standard of matching craftsmanship and functions as offices. One interesting discovery in the restoration was the unusual trompe l'oeil wall painting on the staircase of a matching balustrade - see photograph.

The Black Isle Study Weekend
Following upon an inspired suggestion from architect Lynne Sproul (a former pupil of Tom Gardner's) our weekend visit took us to the Black Isle area. It was organised by Mike Davis, assisted by Mia Scott (Highland Building Preservation Trust) and Lynne - our thanks to all.

Our first centre was Strathpeffer. Designed around its healing waters, it featured many grand hotels and pavilions which reflected its heyday as a spa town. Mia explained a current conservation scheme for the pump room during our conducted tour.

In Cromarty, our second centre, Lynne showed us how the town had expanded in the 18th and 19th centuries, with a rich variety of styles both in houses and public buildings. An under publicised visual treasure trove, along with generous hospitality.

We included, on route, various memorable castles and towns like Kinkell and Ardross, Fort George and Cawder. The last castle at Dalcross was a restoration project in which Lynne was involved and which had the challenging remit to create a sympathetically modern interior. This prompted much discussion. Lynne also showed us over a nearby farm steading which she was converting into a house with a stylish contemporary interior.

Audrey R Gardner