Meeting Reports

MEETING NOTES 

5th November 2024

At the latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club, the 25 members present were entertained and informed by localteacher and historian Ian Scott. The subject on which he was speaking was “The Gunpowder Plot” and the characters involved and their motivation behind the plot.

The target of the Plot was King James VI and I, a firm follower of Protestantism in religion, and the plotters were members of powerful Roman Catholic families in England wishing to put a Roman Catholic back on the throne of England.

The leader of the Plot was Robert Catesby, a powerful noble with many powerful and wealthy friends and backers. The leading engineer was a soldier-of-fortune from York called Guido (or Guy) Fawkes. These two could also call upon a large number of followers and sympathisers if a show of force had become necessary.

Having gained access to the cellars of the House of Lords via an adjoining coal cellar, Fawkes managed to place enough barrels of gunpowder sufficient to cause widespread devastation and innumerable deaths among the Monarchy and nobility.

The powers-that-be were, however, not ignorant of the Plot. They knew something was going to happen, but not where or when. Luck came their way, though, when one of the plotters,Francis Trencham, wrote to a kinsman, Lord Monteagle, warning him to stay away from The House of Lords on the fateful day. Monteagle showed the letter to King James’ head of security, Robert Cecil, who informed the King. James ordered a search to be made, during which Fawkes wasdiscovered and arrested. After horrendous spells of torture, Fawkes finally confessed. Many of the plotters were taken and tortured, and they then suffered the awful sentence of being hanged, drawn and quartered. From that time, King James ordered everyone to remember the 5th of November and the Deliverance of the King.

Ian Scott is a great story-teller and he was rewarded for keeping his audience entertained with the customary vote-of-thanks. The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 19thNovember, when the guest speaker will be from the Antonine Guard Re-enactment group.

22nd October 2024

The fortnightly meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was held on Tuesday, 22nd October, in its usual venue of the Camelon Social Club, with 26 members attending. After the customary welcome and Members’ news, Chairman Hamish Scott introduced the Speaker of the day, Malcolm Nicol.

Malcolm’s talk was all about China, a country where he had worked for 40 years, and ranged from the fall of the Ming Dynasty in the 17th century to the rise of the country in the 20th and 21st centuries.

After the Chin Dynasty replaced the Ming, China passed through what were golden years for the Chinese way of life and culture.

However, the country became weak in the early 19th century, giving the strong European Powers, for example France, Great Britain and Germany, the opportunity to exploit China and capitalise on its parlous state. Britain went to war with China in what were called The Opium Wars, and were handed Hong Kong after their victory.French, British and German influence in China can still be seen in the architecture of its main cities, for example Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Through the latter part of the 19th century and into the early years of the 20th, China experienced great turmoil, with revolutions, like the Boxer Rising, war with Japan, and abdication of the Emperor. The country was fragmented, with little central rule, and saw the rise of various warlords ruling many small, personal fiefdoms.

Then came Civil War, with the Communists fighting for power against the Nationalists. This was only paused when the Japanese invaded and occupied much of Northern China. At this time, the Chinese economy was still being controlled by European interests.

In 1945, at the end of the Second World War, the Communists drove out the Nationalists, who set up a separate Chinese state on the island of Formosa, then set about ridding the country of foreign economic control.

From 1949, and throughout the fifties, the Communist Government ruled over a failing economy. Then came Mao Tse Tung’s “Great Leap Forward” and the Cultural Revolution. However, it was only after Mao’s death that China was seen to be modernising and moving towards a more Western-style market economy, and opening its borders to foreign ideas.

Since then, there has been Tiananmen Square, the return of Hong Kong, the growing influence of Chinese industries, and the rise of President Xi.

In closing his talk, Malcolm described how China has a different view on the world from that of the Western nations, and that we should perhaps stop telling the Chinese that the only way to get on in the world is to be more like us, and allow them to go forward in their own fashion.

Malcolm was then given a hearty vote of thanks for his most interesting talk.

The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 5th November, and the speaker will be telling us about The Gunpowder Plot

7th October 2024

The recent meeting on 7th October of the Falkirk Probus Club, held in the Camelon Social Club, was well-attended by 26 members. The speaker for the day was Ms.Christine Sim, and her subject was “Bo’ness and its Whaling History”. Christine is well-travelled, having been brought up in the Middle East, and has visited places as far apart as Greenland and the South Pacific, mostly by sailing ship.

Historically, whales were hunted for their blubber, which was rendered down to make oil. This oil was important for lighting, both domestic and industrial, for making soap and for use in the wool and jute industries. A main producer of whale oil and the products derived from it in Central Scotland in the 18th and early 19th centuries was the town of Bo’ness, its port being excellently situated for sailing to and from the Arctic, the main whale-hunting area.

Christine went on to describe the town of Bo’ness at this time as a small settlement of two main streets and a small port. Some of the buildings in the centre of the town today, especially around the library, remain from those days, including Dymock’ Building, where the whale blubber was rendered down, and what used to be the Duke of Hunter’s Arms, a public house where a lot of oil-and-whale-associated business was conducted.

In the early 19th century, this rendering business move further inland away from the docks and uphill on the Linlithgow road.

In the early 20th century, whaling-associated industries in Bo’ness declined, with most moving a short way west to Grangemouth.

The amount of information given by Christine in her talk was evidence of her depth and range of research, providing the Club members with many interesting and entertaining facts and descriptions, for which she was awarded the usual hearty vote of thanks.

The Club’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, 22nd October, when the talk will be on “Falkirk and China”

24th September 2024

At the latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club, held in the Camelon Social Club, there were 21 members present. After the customary socializing and tea-and-biscuits, the Chairman, Hamish Scott, introduced the day’s speaker, Ian Low, a former chairman of the Club, who delivered an interesting and informative talk on “Scotland the Myth”.

From Ian’s talk we learned that, to the Romans the land north of the Forth/Clyde belt was Scotland, wild and barbaric. To the Georgians it was North Britain, probably still then wild and barbaric.

Our flag, the Saltire, is the oldest national flag in the world, being adopted by an early Scottish king at the Battle of Athelstaneford.

I’m sure many will remember the legend concerning the adoption of the humble thistle as our national flower, stemming from the warning it provided to the Scots of an approaching Viking attack.

Some of the other common myths which have grown around Scotland and the Scots include the origins of tartan, bagpipes and haggis. Chequered cloth has been used universally for hundreds of years. Bagpipes, an instrument used throughout antiquity, probably originated in Ancient Egypt. Haggis, or something very like what we know as haggis, was first produced in England, but, as with tartan and the bagpipes, was developed here in Scotland to the high standard we know today.

Scotland is a land of colourful myths, associated with everything from castles to people to lochs, from Bonnie Prince Charlie, so called by the ladies of Edinburgh with an element of sarcasm, to the Loch Ness Monster, and Eilean Donan Castle, its present state only from 1932.

Ian was afforded the usual vote of thanks from his satisfied audience.

The Club’s next meeting will be on Tuesday, 8th October, and the subject of the talk will be “Whaling in Bo’ness”.

10th September 2024

The first meeting of the new season for the Falkirk Probus Club took place on Tuesday, 10th September, at its usual venue, the Camelon Social Club. 23 members and one guest were welcomed by Chairman Hamish Scott to the meeting, and enjoyed a convivial tea and coffee before being introduced to the speaker of the day, Mr.Bill Nisbet from Tesco Stores’ Community Involvement Department.

Bill, a local man, has been with Tesco for 25 years, and ran several stores around Edinburgh before being appointed first manager of the new Redding Road store. He progressed through more and bigger stores until being appointed to study waste management throughout Tesco stores, with the task of saving a quarter of a million pounds in wastage. Liaising between the shop floor sector and management, Bill put in place an innovative waste management process which is still in force.

Bill’s next move was being put forward for the Manager-to-Director programme, and worked on an international project to improve the morale of suppliers through personal contact.

Our speaker went on to explain the Tesco Business Model, describing how between 85 and 90% of Tesco’s business operations are automated, Tesco’s online business is among the biggest in the World, and the plan to achieve this was meant to be attained in 5 years but only took 5 weeks.

Bill went on to describe Tesco’s Community involvement, with stores providing 166 million meals to food banks annually, £150 million to local charities through their Blue Token scheme, and £27 million for cancer research and national charities.

A lively question-and-answer session followed, including some insights into self-service versus face-to-face checkouts.

At the end of the meeting, Mr.Nisbet was awarded the usual hearty vote of thanks for his interesting and entertaining talk.

Thanks were also given to the staff of the Social Club for their services.

The next meeting of the Club, website falkirkprobus.org, will be on Tuesday, 24th September, at 10.00am, and will feature a talk on “Scotland the Myth”.

30th April 2024

At the recent meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club in Camelon Social Club, there were 24 members present. They welcomed the speaker for the day, former Provost Pat Reid, who gave a very interesting insight into the life and activities of the First Citizen of Falkirk.
Pat was first elected to the Council in 2004 for the Falkirk North ward, a challenging location suffering much poverty. He became Provost in 2007 and remained in that office until 2017.
In Scotland the office of Provost is an ancient one. As well as towns having their own Provost, the four major cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have a Lord Provost, Edinburgh since the 13th century, Glasgow since the 15th. The office of Provost in Falkirk was instituted in 1853, instigated by the adoption of the Burgh Police Act(Scotland).
During his time as Councillor and later as Provost, Pat oversaw the award of Freedom of the Burgh to almost 500 World War II veterans, the holding of the National Mod in Falkirk and the erection of a large model of a Supermarine Spitfire in Grangemouth among many other accomplishments.
As Provost, Pat met many leaders from other walks of life, from royalty, business and industry, and foreign Consuls, including those from Poland, China and Finland, the latter having family roots in the Falkirk area. It was through this latter connection that money was made available to develop the town’s War Memorial to include the names of those Bairns lost in recent wars.
Pat was also privileged to be involved with the various twinning associations Falkirk, and more recently Falkirk District, has developed over the years, from Quimper in Brittany, to Creteil south-east of Paris, and the Odenwald, south-east of Frankfurt. These associations provided Pat with the opportunity to travel abroad and take the name of Falkirk to some far-flung places, both in Europe and further afield. A visit to Shanghai in China helped cement the link between that city and Falkirk due to the influence of Falkirk’s Robert Dollar in that Chinese metropolis.
Pat, who still works as a Councillor, now for the ward of Falkirk South, stated that in his time on Falkirk Council any success he has won was due to the strength and support of the many teams with which he has been involved.
A hearty vote of thanks was awarded to Pat Reid by the assembled members of the Club for his interesting and entertaining talk.
The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 14th May, and will include a talk by Margaret McDonald on ‘A Church of Scotland School in Israel’.

20th April 2024

At the latest meeting of the Club, at Camelon Social Club, 26 members, including 3 new members, were present to hear a presentation by Charles Greer. Charles served his apprenticeship with BP, later gaining valuable experience in the Merchant Navy, working offshore with CONOCO, then joining Dutch Company Bluewater in important managerial positions. Since retiring, he has worked with the local Children's Panel and has chaired Grangemouth Old People's Welfare Committee.
His presentation was on the subject of Floating Production Storage Offshore Vessels. These vessels are used in the offshore oil production industry as a cheaper option to fixed platforms which are expensive to install. The FPSO vessel has the ability to move from an existing production position to a new site, especially when adverse weather conditions prevail, and can store the oil from the undersea well it is working on until a shuttle tanker is available to come alongside to offload that oil. The FPSO also requires a smaller work force than do fixed or semi-submersible platforms, from around 50 to 60 personnel at normal times, to between 80 and 100 at more intensive times.
At the end of a very interesting and lively question-and-answer session, Charles was afforded the customary vote of thanks by the members.
The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 30th April, when Pat Reid will talk about his time as the Provost of Falkirk.

2nd April 2024

At the latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club, held as usual at the Camelon Social Club, 23 members and visitors were present. After his usual welcome, President Hamish Scott introduced well-known local historian Geoff Bailey and his talk on "The Not-so-Stately Homes of Falkirk".
It was surprising that the members, mostly Falkirk natives, knew of very few of the houses Geoff went on to speak about. Houses like Callendar House and Kinneil House are well-kent, but who has heard of Stenhouse Castle or Kerse House or Herbertshire Castle? Geoff went on to explain the three types of stately home found in Falkirk District. There were those with. Royal connections, those built by retired military officers, and those constructed by commercial and business magnates.
Historically, stately homes in Scotland started off as fortified tower houses which grew when the need for def.ence diminished, and their owners built-on wings and more floors as fashion and the desire for comfort dictated. Airth Castle and Castlecary House are two examples. Lairds' houses, like Muiravonside, Avonbridge House and Vellore House are examples of houses bought and developed by retired military officers. The Mansion House in Camelon was bought by a Major Chalmers, and gives its name to Mansionhouse Road. Prkhill House in Polmont is another of this type. Of the houses built by business people, Carrongrange House, Powfoulis and Weedingshall are three of the many examples of this type to be found, or at least their ruins or sites, throughout the District. It should be mentioned, however, that the businesses which provided the money for these homes included some not-so-pleasant activities, such as enslavement of people from Africa.
At the end of his talk, Geoff received the customary vote of thanks for his efforts.
The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 16th April, and will be a talk by Charles Greer about the FPSO.

19th March 2024

The latest meeting of the Club saw 22 members being entertained by Andrew Wilson and his informative and amusing talk about his adventures travelling the Continent, especially Spain, in a Campervan. Andrew's definition of a Campervan is "just a van with holes cut in the side". However, his vehicle was quite self-contained, with room for 2 single beds, a small kitchen, and a toilet/shower cubicle.
Andrew's sojourns in Spain involved experiencing that country's very good roads, quiet in rural areas and getting busier nearer towns and cities.The mountain roads in the south proved to be trickier and testing.
The campsites the family stayed at were varied in quality and size, from green, pleasant and open, to little better than a car park.
Among the sights visited included Cordoba, with its ancient Moorish mosque surprisingly containing a Christian church, to Seville and the statutory viewing of Flamenco Dancing, and Bilbao and the Guggenheim Museum.
At the end of the meeting, Andrew was awarded the usual vote of thanks for his efforts by President Hamish Scott, who went on to announce that the next meeting, on Tuesday, 2nd April, will include a talk by Geoff Bailey on the forgotten stately homes of Falkirk. Anyone interested in joining us should visit our website at falkirkprobus.org.

20th February 2024

The Latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was the Annual General Meeting and was held as usual in the Camelon Social Club. President Hamish Scott welcomed the 22 members who were present. During his annual report he stated that, although membership of the Club was an ongoing concern, our numbers had increased by six over the last year. Thanks were given to the Committee for their efforts during the past year, especially to Bill Laurie for all his work in arranging the speakers for our meetings. It was also reported that our Club Website - falkirkprobus.org - was being kept up-to-date and was working well. A change to our Constitution now means that anyone over the age of 50 with a working background in business or the professions can now join the Club. At the close of the AGM a vote of thanks was afforded to Hamish Scott for the way he carried out the meeting.

An illustrated talk on Bannockburn House was then delivered by Ian Low. The 17th Century house on the eastern outskirts of Stirling was originally owned by Hugh Paterson, a renowned Jacobite supporter, who welcomed Bonnie Prince Charlie to his home in January 1746. The building is also renowned for the impressive ceiling in its Long Hall, possibly made by plasterers from London who had already worked at Holyrood House in Edinburgh. The House was also owned around the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century by Colonel Alexander Wilson, who also owned the Panopticon Theatre in Glasgow, where Stan Laurel began his theatrical career. Although derelict at one time, the House is now experiencing a renovation. The gardens are also being restored to productive status, supplying vegetables to a local food bank. The restoration of the House is being run as a community project, getting local people involved in the work in order to justify the public funds being donated.

After thanking Ian for his talk, President Hamish Scott announced that at the next meeting, on Tuesday 5th March, Pauline Moss from Virgin Money would be talking about financial well-being. The meeting was then closed in due form.

6th February 2024

At the recent meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club, held within the premises of Camelon Social Club, 20 members and 1 guest were present. After the customary tea and biscuits, kindly provided by the Social Club Staff, Vice-President Wallace Aitken welcomed those present, and introduced the Speaker for the day, John Hosie, Youth and Community Development Worker, whose subject was Community Safety and Youth Action in Camelon and Tamfourhill.
In his lively illustrated presentation, John explained the Safer Communities Action Project. This Project aims to give the Youth of the area better connections with the Community, increased opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities, and the chance to become active citizens, expressing their views and enabling change for the better. The Project also aims to help young people improve their health and well-being, and increase their social skills and confidence to learn. Activities include Art Projects, Sports and Games, Social Campaigns, and Skills and Training. Some of the activities going on at the Tamfourhill Community Hub include designing benches to be sited on the local canal towpath, a climate-change arts project aiming at improving social spaces, and in the nearby Roughcastle Woods survival skills, bushcraft and mindfulness.
The Project also provides a Twilight Sports programme based in Easter Carmuirs Primary School, which offers Football, Rollerblading, bike activities and basic bicycle maintenance.
Some of the successes of the Project include increased co-operation among all concerned, both locals and other agencies, for example the Police and the Fire Service, improvements in the local environment with a Community Climate Action Plan, community growing and conservation projects, and a drop-in centre for those with a substance-dependency issue.
The outcome of all these youth-led activities is the great benefit derived by the Young People and the wider Communities of Camelon and Tamfourhill.
At the close of his talk, and after a wide-ranging question-and-answer session, John was afforded the usual hearty vote of thanks for his efforts.
The next meeting will be the AGM on Tuesday, 20th February, at 10.00am,and will be followed by a talk on Bannockburn House.

23rd January 2024

At the latest meeting of the Club, held in our usual venue of Camelon Social Club, there were 16 members and guests present. The speaker for the day was Christine Bell, CEO of Cycling Without Age Scotland. This is an organisation dedicated to getting people with mobility issues out into the countryside by means of volunteer-piloted trishaws. Originally a Danish idea, trishaws can carry passengers out into the countryside around Falkirk District, from the Falkirk Wheel and the local canals to the River Forth foreshore and Bo'ness. The organisation had its official launch in 2017 when the first ride was carried out, and has grown to to have a presence in almost every corner of Scotland. It has 75 active chapters in 26 local authorities, using 135 trishaws piloted by almost 3 thousand volunteers, and has carried upwards of 52 thousand passengers. The headquarters of the CWA Scotland is at Glenbervie Golf Club, where they have office and workshop facilities. Most of their passengers, but not all, are from care homes, but anyone with mobility issues can benefit from use of the scheme, which provides this valuable, life-enhancing and enriching activity. A new project based at The Kelpies is for the use of anyone who takes the trouble to prebook a trishaw trip. However, due to Government cutbacks in funding, the CWA Scotland is on the lookout for private funding. Still, from a small start in Falkirk, the organisation has grown and is now nationwide.
For this very interesting and informative talk, vice-president Wallace Aitken called for the usual hearty vote of thanks, which was suitably afforded by all present.
The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 6th February, when the talk will be given by John Hosie and will be about Community Safety and Youth Action.

9th January 2024

At the latest meeting of the Club , in our usual venue of Camelon Social Club, the 20 members and 1 guest present were entertained and informed with a presentation given by Ms Rachel McIntire from Falkirk Telecare Services about the role in our Community of the MECS Service, the support they provide to people in their own homes and the equipment provided to keep those people safe. The MECS provide emergency care, including alarm receiving, emergency response, specialist equipment, overnight care and hospital discharge. They also provide a 24-hour telephone care service for those patients at home who may be unwell, scared, lonely or confused. Their overnight personal care provision constitutes the biggest area of care the Service provides. The Service's use of technology to help them in their work is very important, with Dexterity aids, Fall Detectors and Passive Alarms being widely used. Bed, chair and door sensors as well as Epilepsy Monitors are also in use, all of these being linked to the MECS Alarm system.
At the end of the meeting, Chairman Hamish Scott gave the usual vote of thanks for a very informative talk, which was heartily supported by the members.
The next meeting of the Probus Club will be on Tuesday, 23rd January, at 10am, and will be about supported cycling in Falkirk.

21st November 2023

On Tuesday 21st November the Falkirk Probus Club held its 50th Anniversary Lunch at the Grange Manor Hotel. An excellent turnout of members and their partners and friends was heartily welcomed by the President, Hamish Scott. A festive atmosphere was enjoyed by everyone present, with lively conversation taking place at every table before, during and after the meal.

After coffee, there were two toasts. The first was given by Linda Noble, President of the Rotary Club of Falkirk, who spoke about the historical background of the Probus Club and wished the Club best wishes for its continuing good fortune and future prosperity. In replying, Hamish Scott toasted the Rotary Club and thanked it for its work in setting up the Probus Club 50 years ago.

The entertainment for the afternoon was provided by a well-known Falkirk Bairn, Ian Scott, who captivated and amusedthe members with his stories of Camelon and Falkirk, anddelighted them with his songs both humorous and poignant.

Before closing the proceedings, the President reminded the members that the next meeting would be on Tuesday, 9thJanuary, 2024, in the Camelon Social Club, when there would be a talk given about the MECS service. He then proposed a vote of thanks for the Grange Manor staff who kept everyone fed and watered, for the good food, good friendship and good entertainment enjoyed by all and wished those all the best for the forthcoming Festive Season, to which everyone heartily agreed.

7th November 2023

The latest meeting of the Club was held on Tuesday, 7th November, in the Camelon Social Club. 22 members and one new member were present to listen to a talk by Elaine Grant, Manager of "Falkirk Delivers", about her work in and around Falkirk Town Centre.

"Falkirk Delivers" is a private limited company whose profits are reinvested in local businesses. Over 600 businesses covering 10 business sectors and situated in 33 streets within Falkirk Town Centre are working together supported by "Falkirk Delivers", investing in a common fund used to develop and improve the Town Centre. For 18 years the company has been doing this in order to make central Falkirk look good and attractive for locals and visitors alike, with the provision of floral hanging baskets, keeping the High Street clean, renewing paintwork on shop fronts, and marketing and promotion of the Town Centre. Special events, especially at holiday-time and Christmas, are used to attract visitors. Introducing a Gift Card which can be used in a wide range of Town Centre shops and services is also an initiative introduced by the company.

The company also aims to make Falkirk more welcoming, help cut down on street beggars, and use Street Ambassadors to promote "It's friendlier in Falkirk". Taxi Marshals are also employed to keep visitors safe in the evenings.
The Company also helps businesses become aware of improvement grants, promotes the "Falkirk Pub Trail" and the "Shop Local" initiative, as well as making possible business ventures aware of available premises.
After an informative Q and A session, the usual hearty vote of thanks was given by our President, Hamish Scott.

24th October 2023

The scheduled speaker was former Provost Pat Reid. However, due to his wife suffering a fall, he was unable to attend. The thoughts and best wishes for Mrs. Reid's speedy recovery are sent from the Club's members.
The substitute speaker was Ian Low, our immediate past President, who delivered a very interesting and entertaining talk on the history of one of his first employers, the Viyella company.
Viyella, a name derived from the Italian Via Gelia, was trademarked in 1894 as a fabric made from 55% wool and 45% cotton and was woven in Boden St., Glasgow, and finished at the Sandhill Finishing Mill in Paisley. With a strong marketing base in Nottingham, Viyella was a very successful brand, being especially used in the manufacture of shirts for the Armed Forces.
Ian went on to tell us all about how the company developed, its takeovers by other companies, like Coates and Jaeger, and its incorporation into the Austin Reed group and finally the Edinburgh Woollen Mill.
Ian's talk was then concluded with a lively question-and-answer session. In his closing remarks, President Hamish Scott thanked Ian for stepping into the breech at short notice, and called on the 22 members present to afford him the usual vote of thanks.
The next meeting of the Club wii be on Tuesday, 7th November, at 10.00 am, and the speaker will be Elaine Grant, who will give a talk entitled "Falkirk delivers!"

16th October 2023

The latest meeting of Falkirk Probus Club was held, as usual, in the Camelon Social Club. 21 gentlemen and 1 lady were present, reminding all that the club is open to both men and women who respect the same values and are looking for fellowship and friendship.
The guest speaker was Mr. Paul Bruce, who is resident in Hawick, and hails originally from N.E.England. He delivered a fascinating and very interesting talk based on his long-term hobby, the Smith of Maddiston haulage company. His interest in the company had been sparked by his father, who was a driver for Smith in their Stockton depot.
Paul went on to tell the Club about the development of the company from a one-lorry coal delivery concern through the acquisition of more lorries and other haulage companies and more diverse cargoes, through improvements in lorry design and equipment, to the nationwide transport company it became, with depots throughout the U.K. The development of the concept of "Trunking", transporting loads on trailers over great distances using multiple drivers and motor units, led to the company's expansion in the late forties and steady growth during the fifties.
By the sixties, the family owners were ready to move on and so the company was sold to United Transport of South Africa.
Paul's "Smith of Maddiston" project has been going since 2000 and he has managed to accumulate over 800 photos relating to the company, but is still looking for a picture of Fleet No.TD530, reg.no. OWG 27G.
As is the custom in the Club, the vote of thanks was delivered by our President, Hamish Scott, who thanked Paul for his very informative talk on the Smith of Maddiston company and the well-respected local family who ran it.
Hamish went on to inform the Club, which was established by the local Rotary Club as a club for PROfessional and BUSiness people to meet and socialise, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a celebration lunch on 21st November at the Grange Manor Hotel with Ian Scott as guest speaker. It is hoped that many of our past and present members will be able to attend the lunch. The next meeting of the Club will be on the 24th October and the speaker will be former Provost Pat Reid.

12th September 2023

The club started of its Autumn season of meetings with a talk from well-known local historian Geoff Bailley. His subject was the industries of Bo’ness.
He gave an interesting talk chronicling the various industries over time from salt pans to coal mines, from ship building to potteries and of course iron foundries.

30th May 2023

This year is the Centenary of one of the worst mining disasters ever to occur in Scotland. It caused the death of 40 miners from the local area, most of whom were drowned when water from older mine workings broke through a natural barrier wall and swept through the tunnels, inundating the pit.
In his talk Ian told the Club about the history of mining in the Redding area, the living and working conditions of the miners, the cause of the disaster, the heroism displayed both in the mine above ground, and the rescue attempts. He went on to describe aftermath of the disaster, the funerals and the fundraising to support the bereaved families.
The mine was reopened in 1924 but finally ceased operations in 1958. The last survivor of the disaster died in 1986.
The memorial to the disaster standing near Redding Cross is undergoing further refurbishment. The William Wallace Lodge of Free Colliers commemorate the event each August.
For his fascinating and at times harrowing talk, Ian was afforded the customary vote of thanks.
The next meeting of the Club will be the Chairman's Lunch on 13th June at the later time of 11.15am for 11.30.

16th May 2023

The latest meeting of the Club was held as usual at Camelon Social Club on Tuesday, 16th May, and saw 17 members and 1 new member attending. After the customary opening remarks, Chairman Hamish Scott introduced the speaker for the day Ken Hutton, a retired engineer who has travelled the World through his work. Ken's talk was about the first steam-powered ship, the Charlotte Dundas, built in 1802 by William Symington at Alexander Hart's shipyard in Grangemouth and named after the daughter of Lord Thomas Dundas, Governor of the Forth and Clyde Canal Company. The ship, using cutting-edge technology, managed to tow two heavy barges 18.5 miles in just over 9 hours, and was years ahead of its time. It influenced steamship-building world-wide, including American river steamboats and Henry Bell's Comet.
In addition to the history of steam navigation, Ken also spoke about an important local history resource, The Charlotte Dundas Heritage Trail. Starting near The Kelpies in The Helix Park, the Trail follows the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal along its new route towards the sealock by the River Carron. It continues along a path, the old Rope Walk, towards the Old Town of Grangemouth. At various points along the path are illustrated panels explaining the importance to this area, as well as Britain and The World, of Symington, Dundas and the steam engine. The images on the display boards of the Charlotte Dundas are based on the paintings of Grangemouth artist Tom Robertson. Further information can be found at www.charlottedundas.co.uk.
Hopefully, the Trail will provide a lasting legacy for the people of Grangemouth and Falkirk by encouraging walking, cycling, study of flora and fauna, and the creative arts.
For his interesting talk, Ken was afforded the usual vote of thanks. Chairman Hamish then announced the next meeting, to be held on 30th May, which will be a talk by Ian Scott about the Redding Pit Disaster. Additional information about the Club may be found at www.falkirkprobus.org.

2nd May 2023

The latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club, held as usual in the Camelon Social Club, saw the assembled members welcomed by the Chairman, Hamish Scott, and then stand in respect of the late member David Mould. Hamish then introduced to the speakers of the day, Police Constables Neil Forsyth, Crime Prevention Officer for Falkirk Division, and Robert Hill, Community Police Officer for Camelon and Tamfourhill.
The subject of the day's talk was"Staying Safe", and included some valuable advice on personal safety and home security. Advice given included hints on ensuring your home did not look inviting to criminals, by ensuring there were no objects useful to them, by having security lighting and motion sensors, door chains on main doors, doorbell cameras, time-determined interior lighting, and a monitored alarm system. New doors and windows with the "Secure by Design" logo provide good security.
Personal safety was also covered, with advice given about planning ahead when going out, avoiding poorly lit or lonely areas, being aware of surroundings when using cash points, and carrying large amounts of money. Personal safety apps like "Holy Guard" and "Keep Scotland Safe" provide good advice and help.
Fraud was also covered, with warnings about data theft, bogus phone calls and texts, and "romance" fraud. The dangers of online chatrooms and the particular vulnerability to fraud of older, retired people was also pointed out.
After a most interesting talk, the speakers were afforded the usual hearty vote of thanks. Thanks were also given to our hosts for their usual high standard of hospitality. The next meeting of the Club, on 16th May, will include a talk by Ken Hutton on the Charlotte Dundas Heritage Trail.

18th April 2023

The latest meeting of the Club was held as usual in the Camelon Social Club. There were 24 members present and all enjoyed the Social Club's hospitality.
The speaker for the day was Keith Jackson, on his third visit to the Club to deliver the third and final part of his series of talks on Winston Churchill.
Keith's talk followed Churchill's life from the mid 1930s and his warnings about the rise of fascism in Europe, through his pre-war years in Government and his Prime-Ministership during the War, to his post-war years in and out of power.
Mention was made of Churchill's attempts to involve the USA in the war from the outset, his conferences with President F.Roosevelt and Premier Stalin, and how he became less important to the Americans than Stalin towards the end of the war.
His party's defeat in the 1945 General Election meant he sank into one of his "black dog" depressions. However, he rallied and went on speaking tours of America, where he gave his famous "Iron Curtain" speech and helped develop the "Special Relationship" between the USA and the UK.
He became PM again but resigned in 1955 on health grounds. He was also at this time awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. He then retired from Parliament in 1964. He died on 24th January 1965 at 90 years of age. He was one of the very few commoners to be given a State Funeral, on 30th January of that year, an event watched by a worldwide audience of over 350 million people.
Keith was afforded the usual vote of thanks for his efforts.

4th April 2023

At the latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club, held as usual in the premises of Camelon Social Club, there were 26 members present, including 3 from Larbert Probus. A warm welcome was given by Chairman Hamish Scott, who then went on to introduce the Speaker for the day, Mr.Donald Johnston from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Mr.Johnston, an experienced Fire Safety Officer for many years, gave an illustrated talk on domestic fires, fire prevention, the value and importance of a linked alarm system, and fire safety. He explained that the Fire Service carries out home visits when requested, to advise on fire safety in the home, provision of fire alarms and their maintenance, and the areas and habits which increase risk of fire. The three main causes of fire in the home are Cooking - leaving cookers or equipment unattended, Electrical - overloading plugs and adapters, and Smoking - especially in bed and when linked to alcohol and medication. Also, in this modern age of mobile phones, i-Pads and electronic games equipment, leaving these on or charging overnight or unattended is also a cause of domestic fires. As he stated, fire starts when attention stops. He also suggested that anyone worried about fire or looking for advice and help should contact the local Fire Prevention Officer or by visiting www.firescotland.gov.uk for a free home safety visit and advice.
Some useful advice our speaker gave was to have a night-time routine involving switching off unnecessary electrical devices, closing all internal doors, extinguishing cigarettes and candles, placing a guard in front of open fires and log burners, and ensuring that house keys are easily available. He also suggested that each household should organise a Fire Escape Plan and ensure that all occupants are conversant with it. "Keep you and your family safe from the dangers of fire!"
A lively and informative question-and-answer session, which is always guaranteed with our Club members, then followed. The speaker then received the usual hearty vote of thanks for his efforts.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, 18th April, and will be the third in Keith Jackson's series about Winston Churchill. More information about the Club can be found at falkirkprobus.org.

21st March 2023

The latest meeting of the Club at Camelon Social Club saw 19 members and 2 guests welcomed by Chairman Hamish Scott. The Subject for the day was "Falkirk Camera Club, past and present" and was introduced by Alastair Kean, Honorary President and PR Secretary of the Camera Club.
Alastair's talk covered the study of the properties of Light by the Ancient Greeks, through the development of the Camera Obscura by the Arabs, to the invention of photography as we know it by people like Louis Daguerre and Henry Fox-Talbot.
The Falkirk Camera Club, as Alastair went on to explain, started in 1889 as the Falkirk Amateur Photographic Association, and grew from there into the Club as it is now known. It also enjoys joint activities with Falkirk Writers' Circle, experimenting with new developments like Drone Photography, and participating in local, national and international competitions. Alastair also advised that photographs are best stored on paper as electronic storage can degrade over the years.
Alastair continued his talk by introducing one of the club's leading lights, Ms.Agnes Clark, a local photographer with an international reputation. Agnes went on to display and describe a selection of her work which demonstrated that photography is not just for capturing and keeping memories, but is an art form in its own right.
Our speakers were then afforded a well-earned vote of thanks by the members and our thanks were given to Camelon Social Club for their hospitality. Our next meeting will be on 4th April and will be on Fire Safety given by Mr.Donald Johnston.

7th March 2023

The latest meeting of the Club was held last Tuesday, 7th March, in the Camelon Social Club. Our speaker was Duncan Comrie, who holds a doctorate in Art History, who delivered an interesting talk on the history of iron foundries in Falkirk and District, the "Ironheart of Scotland". Started in revolutionary times, the Industrial, the American and the French, local foundries were at the heart of the beginning of industrial production and people working for wages. Carron Company was at the forefront, at the start producing weapons of war in the 18th and 19th centuries and progressing through to the 20th century, producing telephone boxes and post boxes to service universal communication. Indeed, between 1927 and 1982 Carron provided more than half of all telephone boxes in the UK. Duncan also talked about foundries like Cockburn's, Smith and Welstood, Port Downie Union Foundry and Falkirk Iron Co. and the range of products they manufactured for use world-wide, from cooking pots and kitchen ranges and stoves to flatirons, sewing machines and building materials. Smith and Welstood were famous for their small portable stoves, exported around the globe and taken west by settlers in the Wild West of the USA. Allied Ironfounders found fame with their AGA-style insulated stoves marketed under the "Rayburn" brand. The first-ever electric cooker was made by Carron in 1910.
There is also a link between Falkirk ironfoundries and Robert Burns. His farmhouse at Ellisland is equipped with a 1790 Carron cooking range and the plaque commemorating his stay in the town was made by Grahamston Foundry.
Falkirk can also boast the only female ironfounder, Harriet Gibson, who, when her ironfounder husband died, went on to run the foundry with great success. She was also a revolutionary, a public health champion who helped set up the first public hospital in Falkirk, in Thornhill Road, established the first District Nurse in the town in the 1880s and started the first local St. Andrew's Ambulance unit.
For anyone interested, one of the few remaining original telephone kiosks can be seen in Ladysmill.
At the end of his talk, Duncan received the usual hearty vote of thanks from the 25 members present.

Tuesday 21st February

The latest meeting of the Club was held on Tuesday, 21st February, in the Camelon Social Club. 19 members and one lady guest were present to listen to a fascinating talk on 'Bottle Collecting and the local mineral water industry' given by Bob McMillan of the Linlithgow Heritage Trust. Bob's illustrated talk mentioned many of the ginger beer producers in and around Falkirk, many of whose names will be familiar to many Bairns. The Barr family were, of course, the most familiar, with their iconic Iron Brew(the original name!). They were joined in the industry by Reid's in Bainsford, Neilson in Cochrane St., Serafini Brothers in the York Cafe, Moscardini in Manor St., and Haddow's in Vicar St. Ginger Beer tended to be the main product due to its cheap production, though some companies, like Barr's, expanded their product range as time went on. Bob's bottle collection ranges from the typical sand-coloured ceramic bottles to the later-produced glass bottles. An example of the latter type was shown and described as the 'Cod bottle' after its designer. It's a thick glass bottle with a marble in the neck acting as a stopper when the bottle is upturned. Bob also suggested that this is the same Cod who gave his name to 'Codswallop'.
The usual warm vote of thanks was given to our speaker for his interesting and entertaining talk.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, 7th March, and the speaker will be Duncan Comrie speaking on 'Iron Heart and Public Health'.

Tuesday 7th February

The most recent meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was held at Camelon Social Club on Tuesday 7thFebruary. It was also our AGM, during which the new committee and Club President were elected. Our new President, Hamish Scott, thanked the outgoing President, Ian Low, for his leadership through the last few difficult years. Hamish then went on to introduce the speaker for the day, none other than former President Ian Low, who went on to deliver a very interesting and informative illustrated talk about the River Forth and its valley. The Forth, possibly Brythonic(Welsh) for slow-moving,flows from Loch Ard eastwards to where its influence may even be experienced at the Bass Rock. This River, as explained by Ian, has influenced Scottish history for millennia, from pre-Roman and Pictish times through the Wars of Independence to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution and to today and its importance to our tourism industry.
Ian was given a hearty vote of thanks for his entertaining talk.
Our next meeting will be on 21st February, when we will hear about the Linlithgow Heritage Trust.

Tuesday 24th January

The latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was held on Tuesday, 24th January, in the Camelon Social Club. Due to illness and poor weather our numbers were slightly depleted, but those who attended were well looked after and entertained with an excellent talk about the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Speaker was Jim Leggat, RAF veteran, military historian and Volunteer Speaker with the Commission. A Fifer by birth, he was made an OBE in 2017 and has also been honoured to be appointed Depute Lord Lieutenant of Fife. Jim's talk went on to describe the origins and present role of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It stemmed from an idea of Sir Fabian Ware of the British Red Cross, who was appointed Director of Graves Registration for the British Army. His idea resulted in the awarding of a Royal Charter to what was then called the Imperial War Graves Commission. Commonwealth War Graves can be found in 23,000 locations worldwide, employing over 500 people of around 50 nationalities. The largest site is Tyne Cot in Belgium, and the smallest is in Rhode Island, USA. There are also 22 locations in the Falkirk/Stirling area where graves under the care of the CWGC can be found, Information about them can be found online at the Commission's website and app. Polmont has 18 wargraves, Grandsable 92 and Camelon 134. These are also cared for by local volunteers, who keep the gravestones clean and in good repair. The HQ of the CWGC is in Maidenhead, Berkshire, where its archives are kept, and from where its Supporters Scheme is operated. It also arranges tours of sites. Indeed, one of the top European tourist spots is the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Beauvais, France. When the Chairman, Ian Low, called for a vote of thanks the members replied enthusiastically in the usual manner.

Tuesday 10th January

After the break for the Festive Season, Falkirk Probus Club reopened at Camelon Social Club with a very interesting talk given by Lt.Col.(ret'd) Andy Middlemiss on the subject of The Burma Campaign, 1942-1945, and the British 14th Army Commander, General Bill Slim. The Campaign was fought over awesome geographical conditions of jungles, mountains and great rivers, and in extreme weather, especially in the monsoons, with not only the Imperial Japanese Army to contend with, but debilitating diseases like malaria and dysentery. The Colonel went on to describe how the Japanese fought their way up through Malaya and Burma (Today called Malaysia and Myanmar) and into India but were held and turned back at Kohima and Imphal by elements of the 14th Army, made up of predominantly Indian and Commonwealth troops supported by British units. General Slim, termed "a soldier's soldier", was a master tactician who introduced more jungle warfare training, improved patrolling and restored morale, thus changing things for the better. It was doubtless this change and improvement which eventually led to the 14th Army pushing the enemy back the way they had come and to eventual victory in Burma. After a lively and informative question-and-answer session, Lt.Col. Middlemiss was afforded the Club's usual hearty vote of thanks. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, 24th Jan., at 10am, when a talk will be given on the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

22 November 2022

The Club held its latest meeting on 22nd November in the Camelon Social Club with 23 members present. After the usual welcoming remarks, Chairman Ian Low introduced the speaker for the day, Ms.Pauline Moss, a representative of the Clydesdale Bank/VirginMoney organisation, which is the 6th largest bank in the UK and the only one with its HQ in Scotland. The main theme of Ms.Moss' talk was financial well-being and security.
She went on to describe how the bank, and the general banking industry, employs many resources to help people cope with financial problems and concerns. Banks also use many and various methods to protect customers' money from fraudsters and scammers intent on stealing their funds. Bank operatives are trained to recognise fraudulent behaviour, whether telephone scams or computer-based frauds, to advise customers how to spot fraud and avoid scams, and to support customers and help them keep their money safe and have it grow.

There followed a lively and informative exchange of questions and answers and personal views and experiences, and a vote of thanks was awarded to Ms.Moss for her interesting, informative and thought-provoking talk.

The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 6th December, at 12 noon, and will be the Club's Christmas Lunch.

8 November 2022

The latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was held on Tuesday, 8th November, in the Camelon Social Club. A good turnout of members was entertained by Mr. Bruce Keith, a returning guest speaker, who delivered an interesting and entertaining talk entitled "Are We Nearly There Yet?" about Scotland's milestones and signposts, from his book of the same name written during the Covid pandemic lockdown. Bruce's interest in this form of street furniture can be traced to childhood holiday journeys between Inverness and Dundee. His talk ranged from references to the earliest markers found near the Roman Antonine Wall and Marcus Agrippa's foot becoming a standard unit of measure in Roman Britain, to the "Lang Scots miles" mentioned in Robert Burns' "Tam o'Shanter", 1984 yards instead of the usual 1760 yards. Bruce went on to mention William Roy and his accurate mapping of the Scottish Highlands in the late 18th century and the later removal of milestones during the Second World War. Apparently, the most accurate metrical map of Scotland at that time was made by the German Luftwaffe. Bruce also spoke interestedly about General Wade's 18th century roads, Thomas Telford's bridges and J.L.Macadam's turnpike, or toll, roads where accurate milestones were compulsory in order to calculate the tolls levied on road traffic. Of local interest is the fact that many milestones were of cast iron and made in the Bonnybridge foundry of Smith and Welstood. On a lighter note, Bruce described milestones showing the miles between some odd places, for example "Annan - Huntingdon" and "Skye - Marble Arch London". On a more up-to-date note, Bruce illustrated the new milestones and waymarkers all of individual design provided for Sustrans to celebrate the Millenium.
At the close of his talk, Bruce was awarded the usual hearty vote of thanks by the members.
The next meeting of the Probus Club will be on 22nd November at 10 a.m., when Miss Pauline Moss will speak to us on the subject of "Virgin Money".

26 October 2022

The latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was held in the Camelon Social Club on Tuesday, 26th October. 24 members of the Club, plus one guest, attended the meeting, which was opened by Club Chairman Ian Low. After his opening remarks, Ian went on to introduce the guest speaker, Jim Summers, M.B.E., former Chief Operations Manager for British Rail Scotland. Jim, whose working background was in the production side of Railways and whose career included acting as consultant for railway companies and projects world-wide, presented a highly interesting illustrated talk, called "Above My Station!", on the way railways work. His talk covered freight transport, commuter traffic and tourist railways, the safety of railways and rail travel, and what is envisaged for the future of Rail. A lively question-and-answer session followed, with the final vote of thanks being given by Bill Laurie. Thanks also go to the staff of Camelon Social Club for their provision of refreshments.

11 October 2022

At the 11th October meeting in the Camelon Social Club, there were 23 members present to welcome back our Speaker for the day, Keith Jackson, with the second talk in a series of three about the life and achievements of Winston Churchill.

Keith's talk covered that part of Churchill's life which was perhaps the most important in relation to the security and welfare of the United Kingdom, the late 30s and 40s. He went on to describe how Churchill warned the country about the dangers posed by the rise of Fascism and Nazism, how he opposed the appeasement policies of Neville Chamberlain and Lord Halifax, and won the support of King George VI, who shared with him mutual support and respect.

The talk went on to mention Churchill's successes, his detractors within Government and the Forces, and his various plots and schemes to ensure Britain's survival and Allied victory. His famous speeches were also quoted, for example "We will fight them on the beaches..." after the success of Operation Dynamo which saw the rescue of British and French forces from Dunkirk. Keith also described the differences seen between Churchill and Sir Hugh Dowding, arguably the architect of victory during the Battle of Britain. Churchill sacked Dowding, once described as "One of the greatest Scots of the 20th century", after that battle had been won.

Churchill's desire to see the USA involved in the war against Germany was also covered, with the "Lend/lease" policy between Britain and America, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour, and the Battles of El Alamein all featuring.

The members afforded Mr. Jackson the usual hearty vote of thanks for his interesting talk.

27 September 2022

The 27th September meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club saw a good turnout of members coming along to the Camelon Social Club to welcome the speaker of the day, Philip Dodsworth, who gave a very interesting and informative talk on "Blood Bikes Scotland". This charity is part of a federation of small charities manned entirely by unpaid volunteer motorcyclists and drivers who provide much-needed and invaluable courier and logistics services for the NHS throughout Britain. These volunteer bikers and drivers transport blood, test samples, medication, equipment and patient notes between medical facilities and also to patients' homes. The group were especially busy during the long period of Covid.

The service has been operating 7 days per week, 365 days per year, since 2017, when it was started by two motorcycle enthusiasts serving the Borders area. Since then, it has expanded to cover Scotland. Similar groups operate south of the Border.

The Blood Bikes charity, a strictly voluntary group, uses the donations it receives to keep its vehicles on the road and its kit up-to-date. The bikes are fitted with heated grips and seats, use a sat-nav tracker system and have a good load capacity. It has around 170 members operating 15 motorbikes and 4 cars, covers over 240,000 miles per year and saves the NHS around £260,000 per year. Fundraising covers every method from rattling collecting tins at supermarkets to getting donations from nationwide businesses and financial trusts.

All the vehicles used by the organisation are given names, female for the bikes and male for the cars. The volunteers, who must be Advanced Drivers and Riders,have carried everything from zimmer frames and false teeth to teddy bears. As they say, "If we can, we will carry it!".

The members of the Club, who were suitably impressed by Philip Dodsworth's presentation, afforded him a hearty vote of thanks. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 11th October, when Keith Jackson will give the second part of his talk on "Churchill, the War Years".

13 September 2022

The first meeting of the Club for the new season was held on Tuesday 13th September at the Camelon Social Club. Some 27 members were present, showing their appreciation and pleasure at being able to meet again. Chairman Ian Low, after welcoming the members, went on to introduce the Speaker for the day, Sir Iain McMillan,C.B.E., Depute Lord Lieutenant of Stirling and Perth. Sir Iain's talk was on Scotland's Economy in the post-Covid World.
In his talk, he listed 3 great influences on our present economic situation - 1) Covid 19, which has had a major impact on World economy and public finances, with increases in interest payments on international borrowing, and too-high Government debt; 2) Russia and its war on Ukraine, with sanctions imposed but which haven't yet begun to bite, and its effect on the West, especially in Germany, who obtained a lot of its energy resources from Russia,and its impact on European economyfor some time to come; 3) China, which has been somewhat quiet of late, and was thought of as becoming more "western" in outlook, but has since reverted to a former stance. Sir Iain explained that, although British companies can do business in China, they must form a partnership with a Chinese company, meaning a sharing of intellectual property, with the attendant problems and risks that entails. However, some western companies are planning to disengage with their Chinese partners, which may return manufacturing and services to the U.K. and the U.S.
Sir Iain went on to explain that India is growing in population and economy whereas China has a falling population, due in part to it "! child" policy, and that Scotland's population is also predicted to fall, causing problems for our economy. On the other hand, inward investment is happening, but more needs to be attracted. As Sir Iain stated, "Fair trade benefits the poor more than the rich".
There followed an interesting, lively and informative Q and A session covering Brexit, Fracking, Defence and Ferries.
Commenting that our speaker explained simply and effectively the overall economic situation, Chairman Ian Low called for a vote of thanks to be accorded to Sir Iain.
The next meeting of the Club will be on 27th Sept. and will be a talk on "Blood Bikes Scotland,"

31 May 2022

On 31stMay Chairman Ian Low welcomed 25 members and our guest speaker, Nicola McHendry who is the Manager of Linlithgow Museums.
Nicola has worked across Scotland in the heritage sector where she developed a passion for engaging people from all walks of life in their community history.
Since joining Linlithgow Heritage Trust 5 months ago she has embarked on an ambitious programme to develop all aspects of the museum’s work. The old building which housed the museum for many years became progressively unsuitable and so, in April 2019, new premises were opened at 93 High Street following the sourcing of very substantial funds from a variety of donors and local organisations. Visitor numbers were very healthy prior to Covid but footfall fell away and happily are now beginning to rise again. Nicola sees her role as ”to provide a space where people can take Ownership of our Past.
A vote of thanks given by Ian Low was heartily endorsed by members. Our last gathering of the season is on Tuesday 14thMay and takes the form of a Members Buffet Lunch at 12 noon, preceded by a shorter meeting at 11am at our usual venue of Camelon Social Club. Full details of the club’s activities are on our website falkirkprobus.org

17 May 2022

The latest meeting of the Probus Club was held on Tuesday, 17th May at the Camelon Social Club, with 20 members in attendance. Chairman Ian Low, after welcoming the members, went on to introduce the speaker for the day, Mr. Ken Bleakley, a leading member of the Falkirk Street Pastors. This is a World-wide Christian organisation, operating in Falkirk since 2010, dedicated to providing help, both physical and spiritual, to members of the public partaking of the "Night-time Economy".
This team of volunteers, from several local churches, are "on duty" in mixed groups of 3 or 4 after 10p.m. on Saturday, in all weathers, until 3 or 4 a.m. when the night clubs close and around three thousand young revellers spill onto the streets of Falkirk heading for home. The Pastors are there to listen to their troubles, cares and concerns, to look after them and help them safely on their way. The practical help on offer includes providing flip-flops donated by local supermarkets for those with footwear unsuitable for long walks, plastic ponchos for use in the rain, and space blankets for those without warm clothing. They also provide water, phone-charging facilities, "spike" plugs for drinks bottles, and lollipops, and carry radios to keep in contact with the emergency services and the CCTV network. The Street Pastors also deal with minor incidents, freeing up the Police to deal with major disturbances.
After calling for the usual vote of thanks, which was heartily given by the members, the Chairman mentioned the next two meetings, on 31st May when the speaker will be Nicol McHendry from Linlithgow Museum, and on 14th June, the final meeting of the season, with Ian Low as speaker, followed by a buffet. All details, including becoming a member, can be found on our website, falkirkprobus.org.
The club's thanks go once again to the staff of Camelon Social Club for their continuing good services.

3 May 2022

On May 3rd the Club met as usual at the Camelon Social Club with 32 members in attendance. Chairman Ian Low introduced our guest speaker Ian Scott who is a well known local historian, raconteur and especially, an authority on all things “Burns”. Ian’s talk was entitled ‘Burns in pictures, words and song’ and he delivered a fascinating illustrated in-depth account of Burn’s life and loves interspersed with poetry recitals and songs. The vote of thanks was given by new committee member Wallace Aitken. Our next meeting is on 17th May with speaker Ken Bleakley of Falkirk Street Pastors.

19th April 2022

After coffee and biscuits our meeting on 19thApril at Camelon Social Club, our regular venue, commenced with Chairman Ian Low welcoming the 27 members in attendance and our guest speaker Rev. Willie Shaw. Willie is the rector of St Mary’s in Grangemouth and St Catherine’s in Bo’ness, both being Episcopal Churches having been linked in 1977. The rector focused his talk on the Pilgrimage for COP26 and the role he and his parishoners played in that part of the walk which took place on 26thand 27thOctober last. The pilgrimage, from Dunbar to Glasgow, was intended to reflect on the climate and ecological crisis. The interfaith event saw local churches and mosques involved in hosting the pilgrims and providing meals. Of particular interest were Willie’s references to the Peace Pole in Helix Park which is situated on the opposite side of the loch from the café, this being one of the walk’s stop-offs for prayer and reflection. After a Q & A session the vote of thanks was proposed by our new Vice Chairman Hamish Scott. Our next meeting is on 3rdMay when Ian Scott will talk on “Burns in Pictures, Words and Song”. Full details of the club are on falkirkprobus.org and new members are always welcome.

5th April 2022

The Club held its AGM on Tuesday 5th April, severely delayed due to the Pandemic, in the Camelon Social Club. In his report, Chairman Ian Low gave the Club's thanks to our hosts in the Social Club for their excellent hospitality, to our Treasurer David Brotchie for taking care of the Club's finances, especially during our extended, enforced closure, to Bill Laurie for arranging the entertaining and interesting speakers, and to Jim Edward for his work with the website (falkirkprobus.org). Ian was re-elected as Chairman, with Hamish Scott as Vice Chairman.
The speaker for the day was the aforesaid Hamish Scott, who delivered a very interesting illustrated talk on the History of Scouting, especially in Falkirk, where the first Scout Patrol, The Ravens, met in Booth Place from 1908. This Patrol eventually developed into the 1st Falkirk/14th Stirlingshire Troop, with members drawn from all of Falkirk and including many well-known local names, for example Armstrong, Hunter, Drummond and Mathieson.
Hamish went on to describe how Scouting has changed and evolved over the years, expanding its age range to include children from the age of 4, the Squirrels, up to young adults to the age of 25, covering all abilities, creeds and ethnicities, all being instilled with the concept of Service - to self, community, nation and the World.
The next meeting, which will be open to members old and new, as well as potential members, will be on 19th April, and the speaker will be the Rev. William Shaw.
The Club welcomes new members, and anyone interested in joining should refer to the website.

22nd March 2022

The latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was held on Tuesday 22nd March in the Camelon Social Club with 23 members in attendance. The speaker for the day was Mr. Keith Jackson, who spoke interestingly on the subject of “Winston S. Churchill”. His talk traced Churchill’s life from his early childhood until his becoming Prime Minister. It also included mention of his family history, as a descendant of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his grandfather and father, who were both great Paliamentarians and accomplished public speakers, qualities inherited and used to great effect by Winston. Mr. Jackson went on to talk about Churchill’s success as an author and his rise through political ranks to Cabinet level, attaining office as Home Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer, First Lord of the Admiralty and, finally, Prime Minister. At the end of the meeting, a warm vote of thanks was given to Mr. Jackson for his efforts in entertaining the members. After announcing that the next meeting, on Tuesday, 5th April, would be the Club AGM and a talk on Scouting by Hamish Scott, President Ian Low closed the proceedings.

8th March 2022

The latest meeting of the Falkirk Probus Club was held as usual in the Camelon Social Club on Tuesday 8th March. The President, Ian Low, warmly welcomed a total of 26 members, and after his opening remarks introduced and welcomed the Speaker for the day, Ms. Sheena Dunsmore. Ms.Dunsmore went on to present an interesting and informative illustrated talk about the Kidney Kids charity which she founded in the year 2000. The charity supports children in Scotland who suffer from serious kidney disease which can only be treated with haemodialysis or transplant. It helps with transport costs, some treatment only being available in Glasgow. It also funds specialist nurses in other parts of the country and the provision of portable home dialysis machines. Due to the ways this condition affects all aspects of life, from home life to schooling, there is also a support programme helping children and families come to terms with living with kidney disease and transplants. Kidney Kids also provides support and encouragement to transplant recipients taking part in the Transplant Olympics.
After a lively and informative Question-and Answer session, a touching and heartfelt vote of thanks was delivered by David Mould.
Thanks also go to the Camelon Social Club for providing the premises and refreshments.
The next meeting of the Club, whose website can be found at "falkirkprobus.org", will be on 22nd March, and the speaker will be Keith Jackson speaking about Winston Churchill's early years.

22nd February 2022

The Club met on Tuesday 22nd February at our usual venue, the Camelon Social Club, and after the usual coffee, tea and biscuits Chairman Ian Low welcomed 30 members, 1 guest, and our speaker David Elliott. After retiring from his profession as an engineer, David began volunteering at Callendar House where he landed the daunting task of cataloging some 60,000 photographs in the Falkirk Archives. Many of these were attributed to J.P.Munn (b.1892). Nearly all in black and white, they are highly acclaimed for their professional techniques, but also extremely interesting from a historical perspective, dating from 1914 onwards. He didn’t bring them all!!! but concentrated on those of Grangemouth and some of life in the Highlands. Trying to date them involved using clues such as clothing styles, vehicle registrations, tram lines, gas or electric street lights etc. In WW11 he took family photos for wives to send on to troops serving abroad. Bill Fleming proposed the vote of thanks. The Club’s next meeting is on March 8th with Speaker Sheena Dunsmore MBE on “Kidney Kids”. New members are always welcome and full information is on our website at falkirkprobus.org.

8 February 2022

The Club’s first meeting of 2022 took place on Tuesday 8th February at The Camelon Social Club when Chairman Ian Low welcomed 25 members and our speaker Geoff Bailey. A minute's silence was observed for three members who have sadly passed away since we last met. Geoff Bailey is a well known local historian, having written several books and is the Keeper, Archaeology and Local History at Falkirk Council among several other roles. His subject was James G. Callander (1881 – 1942) known as The Falkirk Architect for having designed many notable public buildings in the town and a large number of private residences all by individual commission. Many architects expect a free hand in their design but Callander took client's instructions and followed them exactly. Much of his work was in the 1920/30’s during which time for example he designed 5 homes for Walter Alexander and his family, and the Bus Station. All of the homes in Major’s Loan bar one, Falkirk and Glenbervie golf club premises, Doak’s Dance Academy, the impressive Co-op buildings in Vicar Street, Cow Wynd and Camelon, the war memorial arch at the Parish Church all show how much Callander was responsible for the Falkirk we know today. A lively Q & A session showed the interest which Geoff had generated in his subject. The Club’s next meeting is on 22nd February with speaker David Elliot on “Summer’s Lang Syne” - the Photographs of John P. Munn. New members are welcome and full details of our activities can be found on falkirkprobus.org.

23rd November 2021

The Club’s final meeting of the year took place on 23rd November with 29 attendees including 3 guests from Grangemouth Probus Club and one new member. Chair Ian Low introduced our speaker Niall Bowser, a well-known face in Scottish farming. Since 1982 he has farmed on his family estate of Argaty, near Doune where he has earned a reputation for environmental farm management and for the Red Kite sanctuary on the property. During his fascinating talk Niall showed 3 drone videos of the red kites, his sheepdogs in action herding, and his open to the public tours in an off-roader. A lively question session followed which allowed Niall to explain his philosophy of wildlife conservation alongside the responsibility of farmers to produce food. Alastair Robb proposed the vote of thanks on behalf of the Club. Our next meeting will be on January 11th with speaker Rev Willie Shaw on “Message for 2022”. New members are very welcome and full information on all the Club’s activities is on our website falkirkprobus.org.

9th November 2021

The Club held another interesting and entertaining meeting within Camelon Social Club on Tuesday, 9th November. It was well attended, with 29 members present. After the usual socialising among the members, Chairman Ian Low introduced the guest speaker, Mr. Michael White, who went on to deliver a fascinating talk on "Screen Memories". This is a charity which helps dementia sufferers in hospitals and care homes reconnect with the memories and feelings associated with their love of Cinema through a fun and stimulating environment. Using film clips, images and memorabilia, the charity has helped recipients develop more self-confidence and communication skills. As well as photos and background history of all the original cinemas in Falkirk and District, Michael also resurrected some of our members' memories of Saturday morning Minors' Matinees and Pathe News stories. He also mentioned that he is looking for images of the Ritz cinema in Camelon to add to his stock. After a vote of thanks by John Fraser, and appreciation to the Social Club for their efforts, the meeting was closed.

26th October 2021

A meeting of the Club was held in the Camelon Social Club on Tuesday, 26th October. 24 members of the Club, plus 1 guest, attended the meeting, which was opened by Chairman Ian Low. After his opening remarks, Ian went on to introduce the guest speaker for the day, Jim Summers, M.B.E., former Chief Operations Manager for British Rail Scotland. Jim, whose working background was on the production side of Railways and whose career included acting as consultant for railway companies and projects world-wide, proceeded to present a highly interesting illustrated talk entitled "Above My Station!" about the way railways work. His talk covered freight traffic, commuter travel and tourist railways, the safety of railways and rail travel, and what is envisaged for the future of rail travel. A lively question-and-answer session followed, with the final vote of thanks being given by Bill Laurie. Thanks also go to the staff of Camelon Social Club for their provision of refreshments. The next meeting of the Club will be on Tuesday, 9th November, when the talk will be on "Screen Memories".

12th October 2021

On Tuesday 12th October Chair Ian Low welcomed 23 members and our guest speaker Sybil Cavanagh to our recently adopted venue, The Camelon Social Club. Sybil was in charge of the West Lothian Local History Library for 26 years, and has published histories of several local towns and villages. Her talk was on “The Shale Industry of West Lothian” and covered the rise and subsequent decline of what was a thriving oil producing area long before the North Sea fields were discovered. Oil shale is a black shiny rock full of oil. It's not that common and it was found in West Lothianin the 1860's, after when multi-stage processes were invented to turn it into paraffin oil, candles, machinery lubricants and even petrol for WW1. The discovery in America of oil strait from the ground accelerated the decline and the last production facility closed in 1962. David Brotchie proposed a vote of thanks. The Chairman then presided over a vote on whether the Club should remain with the status quo dress code, jacket and tie, or adopt a more casual one. There was a unanimous vote to remain! Our next meeting is on 26thOctober with Speaker Jim Summers, ex ScotRail, on “Above my Station”. New members always welcome, details on falkirkprobus.org.

28th September 2021

The first formal meeting of the Club since Covid restrictions were eased took place on 28thSept at our new venue, The Camelon Social Club. Chairman Ian Low welcomed 22 members and one guest and introduced himself as the Speaker for the day. Potential speakers are being approached and it is hoped to announce the Autumn and Winter programme shortly. Following retirement from the Textile industry Ian has been an Official Guide at several prestigious venues across Scotland including Hopetoun House and Glasgow Cathedral. Ian’s talk was entitled “Stirling Castle – A Steward’s Stories”. His first ‘guiding’ job was as a Steward at Stirling Castle and his recounting of it’s fascinating history and his experiences there was enhanced with numerous humorous anecdotes. Following the talk there was continuing discussion on the Club’s policy on dress at meetings and Ian announced that he proposed to take a final vote at the next meeting which is on Tuesday 12thOctober. On that date the speaker will be Sybil Cavanagh, formerly the Local History Librarian at West Lothian Council, talking on “The Shale Industry in West Lothian”. Hamish Scott proposed a vote of thanks to Ian for his talk and for his efforts to get regular Club meetings restarted. New members to the Club are most welcome and full information can be found on falkirkprobus.org.

14th September 2021

An informal meeting of the Club took place at 10.30am on 14th September at The Camelon Social Club, the primary purpose being to establish member’s views on restarting regular meetings following the enforced Covid break. In Ian Low’s absence Hamish Scott acted as chair. This informality allowed members to catch up after such a long break during which, sadly, 5 of our members passed away. A silence was observed to remember them. 24 members attended and were unanimous in the view that we should restart from Tuesday 28th September at 10.00am at this new venue which has now been booked through to year end. There will be a speaker at this meeting and a further schedule will be announced on the website in due course. Among other topics discussed was the possible departure from formal dress to more casual (but) smart attire. No decision was taken on this. To aid communications, members with e-mail addresses are requested to bring a note of these at the next meeting. The meeting closed at approx. 11.45am with a vote of thanks to Hamish for chairing."

3rd March 2020

On 3rd March Chairman Ian Low welcomed the 36 members present and went on to welcome our guest speaker Lesley Sweeney who is an Outdoor Access Ranger with Falkirk Council’s Ranger Service. Lesley’s illustrated presentation was entitled “Falkirk’s Access Network – The story so far.” Our Local Authority area covers 297 square miles within which the Council manages over 600 kilometers of off road access, which are available to a population of 162,000 comprising 71,000 households. Historically the encouragement of outdoor leisure activity through the provision of access paths and trails began with the Greenspace Feasibility Study in 1993 and was further developed by the Open Space Strategy published in 2010. This latter determined that every household should have accessible greenspace close to home. Lesley showed a number of examples of new and upgraded trails, an outstanding example being that from Bo’ness to Blackness alongside the foreshore, which is flat, tarmacked and now used daily by lots of walkers. Funding for these works comes from a variety of sources including the Local Authority, Historic Scotland, Scottish Canals, Landowners, user groups, community fund raising etc. In addition to patrols by Lesley and her colleagues there is a Volunteer Path Warden Scheme in operation. Falkirk was crowned Britain's Best Walking Neighbourhood 2019 by the Ramblers, a charity which promotes walking and protects the rights of walkers throughout the country, a fitting tribute to Falkirk Council and the Ranger Service. Ian Low proposed the Vote of Thanks and announced the next meeting on Tuesday 17th March when the speaker will be Niall Bowser on “Farming and the Environment

18th February 2020

New chairman, Ian Low, welcomed 39 members to the meeting. The guest speaker was Phil Swierczek from the Greenhill Historical Society. In her talk entitled, Bonnybridge - more than UFO's" she chronicled the history of Bonnybridge from pre-roman times through the industrial revolution and into the 21st century. She outlined the work of the society in recording the history of the area and making it accessible to the public. She emphasised the role of the Smith & Wellstood foundry and a particularly interesting tale was of a letter from Florence Nightingale thanking them for the donation of a stove for the field hospital at Balaklava during the Crimean war. Following questions, The chairman proposed the vote of thanks. The next regular meeting of the club is on Tuesday 3rd March at the usual time of 10.00 for tea & coffee with the guest speaker, Kenneth Lawrie of the Falkirk Council at 10.30am.

4th February 2020

The Annual General Meeting of the Club took place on Tuesday 4th February followed by a talk by Hugh Dan MacLennan. At the AGM there were reports by the outgoing Chairman David Waddell, the Treasurer and the Website co-ordinator, and the members of the current committee were re-elected. Both Jimmy Mackie and incoming Chairman Ian Low paid tribute to David’s excellent stewardship of his office over the past two years. David then noted that it was the first time we had had a speaker with his own Wikipedia page making his task of introduction rather easier! Hugh Dan’s talk was entitled “Camans to Camelon” and in addition to introducing us to the past history of Falkirk Shinty Club from the 1890’s he delivered a fascinating outline of his lifestory from childhood in Gaelic speaking Lochaber to the present day with a specific emphasis on the sport. This childhood was devoid of today’s electronic toys and his expertise with the shinty stick, or caman, from an early age led to a long career as an accomplished player. Many different camans were demonstrated and Hugh Dan lamented the decline of the sport in schools since the ‘80’s mainly due to the cost of equipping teams with expensive camans etc. versus the minimal cost of a football. Other highlights of his talk included the amusing tale of his encounter with a pre-presidential Donald Trump in New York while at a Scottish promotional event when he was Director of Communications for Caledonian MacBrayne. Altogether a most interesting talk and Ian Low gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the 43 members present.

Tuesday 21st January

Chairman, David Waddell, welcomed 40 members to the meeting. The guest speaker was Sue Walker whose talk was entitled Inner Forth Wanderings and Windings. She described how the current project was building on the legacy of the Inner Forth Futures Project. Wanderings & Windings are nine heritage trails around Stirling, Falkirk, Fife and Clackmannanshire, encouraging people to explore the wildlife and history of this unique landscape at the heart of Scotland. Whilst they are designed as day long walks or cycles they can be done in sections and the routes have been specifically designed to link with public transport. She concluded her talk with a short video highlighting some of the places accessible from the trails. The video was made with the help of a group of Falkirk High Pupils. Following questions, The chairman proposed the vote of thanks. The next regular meeting of the club is on Tuesday 4th February and will include the AGM. Tea & coffee will be available from the earlier time of 9.30am followed by the AGM at 10.00am and the guest speaker, Hugh Dan Mclellan, speaking on Camans in Camelon at 10.30am.

Tuesday 7th January

At the first Meeting of the New Year on Tuesday 7th January, Chairman, David Waddell, welcomed 31 members to the meeting. He then paid tribute to Alex Bennie, Past President and former treasurer for twenty years who died during the holiday period. The guest speakers were husband and wife David and Marianne Pattison who related their experience on board the Viking Sky cruise ship whose engines stopped in heavy seas of Norway last year. Marianne opened the talk describing the early part of the cruise which went to plan including sighting the spectacular Northern Lights. David described what happened when they hit heavy seas. A particularly large swell lifted the ship's propellers clear of the water which for technical reasons caused the engines to shut down. David explained how industry standards had been reviewed as a result of the incident. On board with another couple all of whom had been involved in the Red Cross Society, the ladies helped to calm and reassure passengers whilst the gents helped deal with minor injuries. Both David and Marianne were profuse in their praise for the crew and commended the response of the company. The experience has not put them of cruising and as well as the full refund of their ill fated cruise they intend to take up the offer of a free cruise from the company. Following questions, Bill Laurie proposed the vote of thanks. The next regular meeting of the club is on Tuesday 21st January, in the Falkirk Stadium. The speaker will be Sue Walker who's talk is entitled, "Inner Forth wanderings and windings". There will be a committee meeting on Tuesday 28th February. Advance warning that the AGM will be on Tuesday 4th February, coffee will be available from 9.30, AGM at 10.00 Speaker at 10.30.

Tuesday 19th November

Chairman, David Waddell, welcomed 41 members to the meeting. He reminded members of the arrangements for the Christmas lunch to take place on Tuesday 10th December, details from the Treasurer, David Brotchie. The guest speaker was Dr. Moses Jenkins, who's subject was, "The Brick Industry in Scotland. Dr Jenkins who is a technical Officer with Historic Scotland gave an enthusiastic and at times amusing talk. As with many things the Romans brought brick making to Scotland. However after they departed bricks did not make a comeback until the late 17th century at which time they were handmade and often produced on site, for example the building of Fort George. It was not until the mid 19th century that mechanisation was wide spread in the industry and Dr Jenkins outlined the role that Scotland played in its development. He outlined how the industry thrived with the improved transport systems firstly the canals and then the railways. In the early 20th century there were at least 250 brickworks in Scotland now sadly reduced to one. No talk on Scottish bricks would be complete without reference to the local industry and Dr Jenkins happily obliged. Following questions, the chairman proposed the vote of thanks. The next regular meeting of the club is on Tuesday 7th January, in the Falkirk Stadium. The speakers will be Marianne and David Pattison who's talk is entitled, "Worse things happen at sea - Really!", the story of their experience on board the Viking Sky when it lost power of Norway in March 2019.

5th November 2019

Chairman David Waddell opened the meeting by welcoming the 43 members attending, visitors and our guest speaker Alan Corrie. New member David Wilson was then inducted into the club. Alan is the owner/operator of Images Above Ltd based in Linlithgow, and gave us an enthusiastic talk entitled “Introduction to Drone Flying”, featuring many sample films of his work. Coincidentally today saw the launch of the government’s legislation requiring all drone owners to register their drones with the Civil Aviation Authority by the end of November so his presentation was very appropriate. All drones will then be issued with an owner’s ID number which must be displayed. A licenced drone pilot is required to comply with a whole raft of Rules & Regulations covering ‘who, why, when, and where’ drones can be operated including a maximum height of 400ft and not within 500m of people, and must always be within the operator’s line of sight. A ‘flying log’ is also required. Alan brought 3 different sized drones for members to look at, and flew the smallest around the room – with the caution “Nobody stand up” drawing much laughter. The presentation ended with a review of the ever growing number of ways that drones are now in common useage. David Waddell proposed the vote of thanks. Full information about the club is on falkirkprobus.org and new members are always welcome. The next meeting is on 19th November when Moses Jenkins will talk on “The Scottish Brick Industry”.

Tuesday 22nd October

Chairman, David Waddell, welcomed 35 members to the meeting. Treasurer, David Brotchie outlined the arrangements for the Christmas lunch to take place on Tuesday 10th December. The cost is £19.00 per person for dinner and entertainment. Menus are available from David during the November meetings. The guest speaker was ex provost, Pat Reid, who updated members on the improvements to the towns War Memorial. He started with a brief introduction to the establishment of Arnotdale, its purchase in 1920 by Robert Dollar and its subsequent donation to the town. The town's War Memorial was established in the park in 1926. It was enlarged in 1953 following the Second World War. However neither memorials listed the 1600 plus men from the Burgh who lost their lives in the conflicts. He outlined the progress in correcting this omission leading to the dedication ceremony on 3rd November a week before this year's Remembrance Ceremony. He also clarified that to qualify to have your name added to the memorial you had either to be born in the burgh or resided in the burgh during the conflict. The work of the local committee is to be commended for their efforts. Following questions, the chairman proposed the vote of thanks. The speaker at the next meeting, on the 5th November, in the Falkirk Stadium, is Alan Corrie an Introduction to Drone Flying with Images Above LTD.

8th October 2019

Chairman David Waddell opened the meeting by welcoming the 40 members present and introducing our guest speaker Professor James Floyd of Heriot Watt University. Professor Floyd is a professional geologist who worked for The British Geological Survey for 34 years. Since retiring he has spent time as an Expedition Guide, and lectures on cruise ships around the world. Today’s illustrated talk was entitled “Scotland’s Architectural Heraldry” and focused on Heraldic symbols as displayed on buildings and structures, this being his particular passion which happily combines his professional background in building stone with his interests in Scottish history, architecture and heraldry. Heraldic crests are to be found on Royal, State, Ecclesiastical, Local Authority, Institutional, Corporate and family buildings and can be created in stone, marble, wood, iron, mosaic and glass, and we were treated to fine illustrations of many of these throughout Scotland. Vice Chair Ian Low proposed the vote of thanks. Our next meeting is on Tuesday 22nd October when our speaker will be Cllr. Pat Reid talking about “The Falkirk War Memorial”. New members are always welcome and details of the Club can be found on falkirkprobus.org.

24th September 2019

At the regular club meeting on Tuesday 24th September, Chairman, David Waddell, welcomed the members and extended a special welcome to new member, Wallace Aitken. He intimated that Ian Low had agreed to fill the vacant post of Vice Chair. Club member, Bill Laurie, outlined procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency whilst, Treasurer, David Brotchie outlined the progress achieved in producing a recruitment pack. The guest speaker was Martin Nichol whose subject was Barr's of Falkirk 1875 - 2019. Martin started with Barr's in 1969 as a relief driver. During his 42 years with the company he became a supervisor and finally the Sales Manager covering Scotland. He gave an informative talk peppered with amusing anecdotes covering his time with the company at all levels. The speaker at the next meeting, on the 8 October, in the Falkirk Stadium, is Professor J D Floyd on Architectural Heraldry in Scotland, new members are always welcome.

10th September 2019

Our first meeting after the summer recess was on 10th September, Chairman David Waddell welcoming 37 members. Bill Lawrie notified members that an Emergency Evacuation Plan specific to our Tuesday meetings is in the process of completion in conjunction with the Stadium management and the final copy will be published shortly. Our speaker was L. Bruce Keith on the subject of “Bridgescapes – a personal journey through history celebrating Scotland’s bridge building heritage,” this being the title of his recently published book. Bruce’s interest in bridges began early in life, his father having been a bridge builder and over the years he has assembled a truly fascinating collection of photos and stories of the many hundreds of bridges, the very old and very new, across Scotland. After a most interesting illustrated talk Bruce left us with 2 memorable thoughts. “History clusters more thickly around bridges than towns” and invited us to remember the generations of Scottish engineers who had left their mark building exceptional bridges not only in Scotland but also around the world. Our next meeting is on 24th September when the speaker will be Martin Nicol on “The History of Barrs”. Full information on our Club, which welcomes new men and women members, is available at falkirkprobus.org.

25th June 2019

On Tuesday 25th June Chairman David Waddell welcomed 44 members to the last meeting before the summer recess and Almoner Jimmy Mackie announced that long serving member Walter Falconer (91) had died on 14th June. Walter was also a member of Larbert Rotary Club, Glenbervie Golf Club, Larbert Curling Club, Falkirk Bridge Club, a bowler and a staunch supporter of FFC. As a director of Millar’s Garage he was a key driver of their growth in the town and latterly had shops in Larbert and Bonnybridge. The members observed a minute’s silence in his memory and sent condolences to his family. Stuart Kennedy, well remembered by his audience as a full back for Falkirk, Aberdeen and Scotland in the ‘70’s and ‘80’s before injury ended his career, was our speaker. Stuart’s humorous reminiscences from his youth in Bonnybridge, to playing for the Scottish YMCA, to becoming Sir Alex Ferguson’s first protégé and eventually representing his country were very well received. Chairman David gave the vote of thanks.

28th May 2019

At our meeting on 28th May at Westfield, Chairman David Waddell welcomed 37 members and our guest speaker Joe Smith. Joe spent over 40 years working at the Grangemouth complex principally with Syngenta where he spent time as a chemist, Lab manager and latterly in Community Relations. However rather than cover his extensive career he chose to give us an illustrated presentation on “Falkirk Bairns, Shops, Pubs and other memories”. This proved to be highly entertaining and participative as his pictures and stories revived many memories from the audience from Trams in Newmarket Street to long gone cinemas and pubs, or Ale Houses as he preferred to call them. Tales of odours from Aitkens Brewery to meeting dates at the Bus Station to discussion on a myriad of shops and buildings long gone stirred the audience into recounting their own memories (with some debate as to accuracy!) Past Chair Jim Gilfillan gave a warm vote of thanks on behalf of members for an excellent talk. The Probus Club welcomes new men and women members and full details can be found on our website falkirkprobus.org. Our Summer Lunch is on June 11th and the next meeting will be on June 25th when Dr Hugh McLennan will talk on “Camans, Shinty”.

Tuesday 14th May

Chairman David Waddell welcomed 42 members before introducing the guest speaker David Smyth. David's talk was on the work of the Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre which is based both in both Alloa and Falkirk. He pointed out that a carer is anyone who provides care for another individual and that family members do not always see themselves as carers. The Centre aims to impact in three ways. To Inform carers of their rights, offer financial advice and training for the role. To provide support in a variety of forms e.g. emotional, listening, support groups, carer breaks and producing support plans. Thirdly to Involve them in local and national forums. Following questions the Chairman proposed the vote of thanks. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 28th May at Westfield Stadium, 10.00am for a 10.30am start, when the guest speaker will be Jo Smith from Syngenta. Arrangements are being finalised for the Summer Lunch which will take place on Tuesday 11th June. The cost is £17 and next Tuesday is the last opportunity to book places. The club is open to both men and women. New members are always welcome. Further information can be found on our web site at falkirkprobus.org.

30th April 2019

Chair David Waddell opened our 30th April meeting by welcoming the 40 members present, and our guest speaker Dr Sandra McGregor from U3A Falkirk & District. The University of the 3rd Age (U3A) has branches in many countries but each local district is self-organising, this branch commencing in 2015 with Dr McGregor as it’s first Chair. With an invitation to Learn, Laugh and Live they have 130 local members who meet regularly in small groups, and currently have 26 different interest groups in operation. Full details can be found on www.u3asites.org.uk/falkirk. The objective is “to keep learning in a loose way” – No Exams! Many meetings are held in Community Rooms provided by local supermarkets including Tesco and Morrisons, or members own homes. Dr McGregor went on to give details of several of their groups including Science Matters, Jazz Appreciation, Local History and Culture, Digital Photography, Knitting and Crochet, Gardens, Scottish History, Current Affairs and Philosophy. There is also a Dinner Club. Open Days, allowing newcomers to explore the benefits of membership, are held on the first Tuesday of every month in the St Francis Xavier’s church hall (adjacent to the library) at 2.30pm. David Waddell thanked Dr McGregor for a most interesting and informative talk. The next meeting of Falkirk Probus Club is on Tuesday 14th May when we have a speaker from Falkirk & Clacks Carers Centre. Comprehensive information on the club can be found on falkirkprobus.org and potential new members will be made very welcome.

Tuesday 16th April

Chairman David Waddell welcomed 38 members and one visitor before introducing the guest speaker Lynda Rosshalle. Lynda gave a very interesting and informative talk on the work of the Cyrenians whose local branch is based at the Dollar Park in Falkirk. We heard how the organisation started 50 years ago in Edinburgh to help the homeless. They aim to work towards an inclusive society where all lives are valued, supporting those that are excluded for whatever reason and giving them a "hand up". In Falkirk they work in partnership with the Council, the Friends of Dollar Park and local Criminal Justice Services. The walled garden has been transformed with the assistance of people who are unemployed and on a Community Payback Order. This service gives participants the opportunity to gain a qualification as well as skills. They are also working on restoring the Floral Clock. Much work has been carried out on Arnotdale and the charity is now based there and operating their services out of the house. They are planning an open day to let the public see the restored building and the work of the Charity. A cafe and toilets accessible to the public visiting the park are also planned. The vote of thanks was proposed by Hamish Scott. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 30th April at Westfield Stadium, 10.00am for a 10.30 a.m. start, when the guest speaker will be Sandra McGregor who's subject will be the University of the 3rd Age. Arrangements are to hand for the Summer Lunch which will take place on Tuesday 11th June. The cost is £17. Menus will be available at the next meeting and the cut off for booking is Tuesday 28th May. The club is open to both men and women. New members are always welcome. Further information can be found on our web site at falkirkprobus.org.

2nd April 2019

Chairman David Waddell welcomed 43 members and inducted 1 new member before introducing guest speaker Alison McKean. Alison’s law firm McKean Gardner is based in Perth but covers private clients across Scotland. Entitling her talk “As Time Goes By” Alison gave a very clear exposition of a number of legal topics of particular interest to members including: Why make a will, Making a valid will in terms of Scots Law, Intestacy, Inheritance Tax, Power of Attorney and Care Costs. The differences between Scots and English law were highlighted, particularly where these could be hazards for those tempted to go down the DIY route. Our next meeting is on 16th April with speaker Lynda Ross-Hale from The Cyrenians. For full club information visit falkirkprobus.org.

19th March 2019

The speaker was Martin Allan who gave a most informative talk on the Forth Valley Sensory Centre. The centre, based in Camelon, was set up as a model for supporting those with sight and hearing difficulties but remains the only one of its kind in the UK. The centre provides a base for the Royal National Institute for the Blind and Action on Hearing Loss, locally. It aims to help people cope with their condition and signpost them to agencies who can assist with their particular needs. They provide important opportunities for people to socialise with classes and support groups based both in the centre and in the wider community. There is also a community cafe based in their premises, why not drop in and give it a try? The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from, the Chairman, David Waddell. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 26th March 2019 at Westfield Stadium, 10.00am for a 10.30am start, when the guest speaker will be Alison Gardner who subject will be the pensions and wills. The club is open to both men and women. New members are always welcome.

5th March 2019

Noting an attendance of 42 members, Chairman David Waddell opened the meeting and welcomed guest speaker Dr Ken Thompson, Principal of Forth Valley College who proceeded to give a highly informative illustrated talk entitled “Making Learning Work”. This college mission statement is not just aimed at students but also staff, the community and increasingly local businesses and organisations with which many partnerships and joint ventures are in operation. These latter are aimed at identifying and providing the skill sets these companies require now and in the future. The new college building, representing an investment of £78m is on track to be handed over from the developers on 11th November and, as members could see from the short ‘fly through’ film, is a light airy spacious building incorporating the latest thinking in design for learning spaces. The vote of thanks to Dr Thompson was given by Jimmy Mackie. The club’s next meeting will be on 19th March featuring a talk on the Sensory Centre. Membership of the club is open to men and women and further information can be found of our website falkirkprobus.org.

19th February 2019

Chairman David Waddell introduced the guest speakers from R.N.L.I. South Queensferry, Maggie Quale and Aaron Nash. The talk they delivered was very interesting and informative ranging from the history of the service from it’s founding in 1824 by Sir William Hillary to operate around the Isle of Man up to the modern service which offers 24-hour search and rescue cover around the coast of Great Britain and Ireland. Of those who work for the R.N.L.I. only five per cent are full time staff at their Poole HQ, the remaining 95 per cent throughout the U.K. and Ireland being unpaid volunteers. As a charitable organisation the R.N.L.I. is dependant on donations from members of the public and needs to raise £150 million per year to maintain equipment and standards. The club’s next meeting will be on 5th March when Dr Ken Thompson will be speaking on the progress of the new Forth Valley College campus in Falkirk.

5th February 2019

Following a short business meeting today’s speaker was club member, Ian Low who gave an amusing and informative talk on “Myths and Lies of Scottish Tartans and National Dress”. Ian took a lighthearted approach to his subject questioning many of the myths which have grown up around the subject of tartan and the kilt. He related how many of the Northern Hemisphere tribes used checked clothing due to its warmth and how even before dying the cloth became popular, it appeared checked due to the natural variances in the wool used. Despite the earliest check cloth being dated to 2000BC in China and our own “Falkirk Tartan”, found near the site of the bus station, being dated from Roman times, tartan as we know it is a fairly modern phenomenon. Ian highlighted another local connection being Wilson’s of Bannockburn who were the only company allowed to manufacture tartan in Scotland during the period of Proscription, the act which banned the wearing of tartan in Scotland by anyone other “than soldiers in his Majesty’s forces.” Ian explained it was not until after the lifting of the ban and the Royal visit of King George IV in 1822, orchestrated by Sir Walter Scott that the modern era of tartan and the kilt we know today took off. Ian concluded by saying that the modern era of “tartans for all” was largely a marketing tool with most of the cloth being manufactured outside Scotland. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from David Mould. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 19th February 2019 is at Westfield Stadium, 10.00am for a 10.30am start, when the guest speaker will be Maggie Quayle who subject will be the RNLI. The club is open to both men and women. New members are always welcome. Further information can be found on our web site at falkirkprobus.org.

 22nd January 2019

On a cold snowy morning chairman David Waddell welcomed 38 members and our guest speaker Sir Iain McMillan CBE. Sir Iain’s talk was on “Scotland and the Global Economy”, a subject on which his expertise, as a former senior banker, Director of the CBI(Scotland) and Chairman of Skillforce allowed him to give a very clear exposition of a complex subject. The vote of thanks was given by David Mould. Our next meeting on 5th February is the AGM at the earlier time of 10.00 and the speaker will be Ian Low on “Myths and Lies of Scottish Tartans and National Dress”. Further club information on falkirkprobus.org.

8th January 2019

At the meeting held on 8th January Chairman David Waddell welcomed 47 members and introduced guest speaker Claire Kennedy from Strathcarron Hospice. Claire gave a most interesting presentation covering the extensive services provided by the Hospice, both on and off-site, and further explained the huge cost of the operation which is only partially funded by the NHS, relying mainly on community fund raising. Past Chairman Jim Gilfillan gave the vote of thanks, and Treasurer David Brotchie presented Claire with a cheque in support of their work. The next regular meeting will be on Tuesday 22nd January 2019 when the guest speaker will be Sir Iain McMillan. Full club information can be found on falkirkprobus.org and potential new men and women members are always welcome.

Tuesday 12th December

2018 Chairman David Waddell welcomed 53 members and guests to the annual Christmas Lunch at the Westfield Stadium, Falkirk Rotary Club being represented by President Jim Cairns and his wife. Following the meal which was enjoyed by all, musical entertainment was provided by popular duo ‘In Touch’. Chairman David Waddell conveyed Seasonal Best Wishes to all Probus members and their families. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 8th January 2019 when the guest speaker will be Marion Blaney from Strathcarron Hospice.

20th November 2018

At the meeting held on Tuesday 20th November Chairman David Waddell welcomed 45 members and introduced guest speaker Ian Scott, local historian and author. Ian went on to give an informative and interesting talk on Memorials and Monuments erected in Falkirk and the surrounding villages recognising the ultimate sacrifice of local men during the Great War. The Chairman gave the vote of thanks. Members who are booked to attend the annual Christmas Lunch are reminded it is being held on Tuesday 11th December in the Westfield Lounge at 12pm for 12.30pm. The next regular meeting will be on Tuesday 8th January 2019 when the guest speaker will be Marion Blaney from Strathcarron Hospice.

Tuesday 6th November.

At the meeting held on Tuesday 6th November Chairman David Waddell welcomed 43 members. Jim Mackie gave a report on the health of a number of club members. Club Members were reminded of the Christmas Lunch on 11th December and that reservation and menu selection cards must be returned to Ian Hamilton at the club meeting on 20th November. The Chairman then introduced guest speaker Gordon Harper , Forest Ranger with the Forestry Commission.  The Forestry Commission was created in 1919 to replenish and manage forests and woodlands, which had been used during the War effort of the Great War. Nearly 100 years later the Forestry Commission is responsible for 12% of managed woodlands and has broadened its role to include conservation, wildlife, health and leisure. The commission encourages the public to use the woodlands responsibly and they run many promotional educational programs. The chairman gave a well deserved vote of thanks to Gordon for his talk. The next meeting will be on Tuesday 20th November when local historian Ian Scott will be the guest speaker.

23^rd October 2018

At the meeting held on Tuesday 23rd October Chairman David Waddell welcomed 42 members and introduced Club Member Ian Lowe as the guest speaker on the subject of ‘Glasgow Cathedral’. The first stone built Glasgow Cathedral (St Mungo’s ) was dedicated in the presence of King David I in 1136. The present building was consecrated in 1197. Since that period, and surviving the Reformation, the Cathedral has never been unroofed and the worship of God has been carried out within its walls for more than 800 years. The Cathedral is the oldest building in Glasgow, and believed to be built on the site  of the burial place of St Mungo (Patron Saint of Glasgow) AD. 612.  Ian gave an interesting and educational talk on the Cathedral which was well received. Members please note that reservations are now being taken for the Xmas Lunch on Tuesday 11th December. Reservations must be confirmed by 20th November. At the next meeting on Tuesday 6th November Gordon Harper will talk on the subject of  ‘The Forestry Commission’.

9^th October 2018

 

Chairman David Waddell welcomed members to the meeting on 9th October. Speaker on the day was Charles Greer who worked offshore as a Maintenance Superintendent before retiring in 2012..  He showed a firm called the “Murchison Project”   which took 3/4 years to complete going from design stage through to first oil offshore.   The scale of the project was vast but the film highlighted the importance of planning the project in detail before the work started.  The project cost a Billion pounds and was delivered on time and within budget.       We now welcome Lady Members to the club. Enquiries should be made to [email protected]    The next meeting is on 23rd October.  The Speaker is Ian Low and his subject is  Glasgow Cathedral.   

 

25^th September 2018

 

President David Waddell welcomed a large gathering of members to the meeting on 23^rd September.  Speaker for the day was Stuart White, a Programme Manager from Network Rail.  Members enjoyed an interesting talk regarding the new investment being made to upgrade the infrastructure.  Both rail freight and passenger numbers are increasing significantly year on year. He also explained that this is the safest railway in Europe and 9 out of 10 passenger trains run on time.  The Constitution of Falkirk Probus Club has changed and we now welcome lady members to the Club.  Enquiries should be made at dwaddellfk1[email protected]   The next meeting is on 9^th October. The Speaker will be Charles Greer on ‘North Sea Oil Drilling.’

11^th September 2018

On Tuesday 11th September Chairman David Waddell welcomed 41 members to the first meeting following the summer recess.  Past Chairman Jim Mackie gave a report on the health and welfare of a number of club members, following which the Chairman introduced guest speaker Ian Wallace who gave a very interesting and informative talk on the origins and history of the ‘Order of St John’.  The order was originally raised for the protection of pilgrims on their perilous journey to the Holy Land and still survives today delivering support, care and assistance locally and abroad. The Chairman delivered the vote of thanks to Ian Wallace for his well received talk. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday 25th September when the guest speaker will be Stuart White on the subject of ‘Network Rail’.