Anyone know anything about Eaglesham?

[Alan SHARP]

Greetings Sheila.

Sorry but It's not quite as simple as that, once a thread gets underway. The only post that you can change (edit) are the ones that you authored. You may note that when I last added to the post, I changed the "subject line" but not on my prior posts to this thread.

Alan SHARP.

[kennethm]

I had a smile when I noticed the typo said "anoy one" which is most definately NOT the case.

Kenneth

[Alan SHARP]

Hi KennethM

It's so easy done. I raised a laugh with my gigsaw instead of jigsaw on the recent Horse Tax post.

To you and Russell, the post war (WWII) boom has seen a generation that has enjoyed some success, and are now keen to look back and preserve their heritage. Here in NZ, all appear to be driven by like minded volunteers, some more successful than others, at tapping into discressionary funding. Be it charitable trusts, lottery, public reserve accounts, or Government initiatives. Especially the farming community here have an ethic of helping each other, NZ is so new a country as far as settlement goes, that without neighbourly voluntary input, community initiatives would not have been achieved. There is only so much that central governance taxes can do. Two I'm involved with are http://www.woodlands.co.nz (My Grand Mother's home) and http://www.fieldays.co.nz which has grown into one of the largest Agricultural Expos.

A great success story here was a small group that decided a cycleway should be created along a disused South Island railway line, highlighting heritage points of interest along the way. Now several large businesses are supporting the trail with hire equipment and accommodation, and the locals have refuelling (food) pit stops all along the route. Our Government has just announced that 14 new bike trails have got it's support with seed funding.

Alan SHARP.

[marilyn morning]

Hi Marilyn,

Thanks for the info! I didn't know that I could do that for a title. I just corrected it. Better still I can correct any in the future.

Hi Sheila,

You're welcome! I never noticed it until you pointed it out

Regards
Marilyn

[kennethm]

I discovered a song by Tom Johnston entitled "The Eaglesham Bus".

Tom Johnstone, was a Glasgow barber who had a sister in Eaglesham and often travelled back home to Glasgow in The Soor Milk Cairt and wrote about a blossoming romance between the driver of the cart, Dan Steele who was employed by Robert Munro of Polnoon Farm and Maggie Watt in the song of the same name. He'd probably have travelled in the Eaglesham Bus - the only conveyance into Glasgow apart from the soor milk cairt. The bus was drawn by a team of horses - three abreast and one in the lead - which left the Eglinton Arms each morning at eight o'clock and the journey was a hour. Tom beautifully descibes the journey, the views and tells of folk sitting on top when "we're scrimpt for room". Incidentally the passengers would see the "weary tree" (pictured below) on the stretch of road between Waterfoot and Eaglesham and know they were near home.

The Eaglesham Bus

Ye Eaglsham callans ye'll listen I'm shair,
Tae a sang frae a son o' the heath'ry muir,
Wha was born and bred in yon wee muirland toon,
That stan's near the auld ruined wa's o' Polnoon.
I canna boast the Montgomery line,
Nor a lang pedigree frae the days o' langsyne.
The siller I earn is the length o' my purse,
An' the carriage I ride in's – The Eaglesham Bus!

Ye maun ken that the beauties o' Eaglesham toon
Are becomin' quite famous the hale kintrae roon'd.
An tae escape frae the reekin' o' Tennant's big lum,
The folk oot o' Glesca' in dizzens they come.
Sae oor Provost and Cooncil, like men o' guid sense
O' the gran' Boolin' Green, they're providin' for us.
We will gladly subscribe on The Eaglesham Bus!

Orr passengers always are plenty 'tis true,
But they're vera select whune they chance to be few;
We carry the Baillies, the Cooncil as well,
An' gae often oor guid Provost Paton himsel'.
An' lots o' braw lassies, frae kintry an' toon,
Wha will mount o' the tap if we're scrimpt for room.
Od' the lads they like fine whune there comes a bit crush,
For they'll sit on ye're knee in The Eaglesham Bus!

Whune we come tae the Bell Craig, that wonderfu' brae,
The view frae the tap is unrivelled thet say;
Faur awa' tae the left is Argyll's Boolin green,
While in the front faur distant Ben Ledi us seen.
Then ower Dixon Blazes, the bleak Campsie Hills,
Can be seen through the reek o' St. Mungo's big mills,
While the sturdy Ben Lomon' an' hills abune Luss,
Ye can plainly discenr frae The Eaglesham Bus!.

O' the scenery's gran', but the bonniest bit
Is yon Haunt o' the Fairy's the sweet Water-fit,
whaur the Cart an' the Earn, they meet wi' a smile o' Cobbie's green isle.
Then they row-chow thegither doo the auld mill,
Like two happy bairns rantin' hame the lintie an' thrush;
Man! It's often admir'd frae The' Eaglesham Bus!

Gae 'wa wi' ye're railway 'awa wi' ye're train,
O' sic risky conveyance we dinna want nane,
The whustle we use is a merry gee'hup,
Trappie turns on the steam wi' a crack o' the whup,
Whune ye're trains in collision ye gang in the air,
O' ye're destination ye canna be shair,
But a bit o' ham twine pits and end tae the fuss,
Gin there's ony breakdoon on The Eaglesham Bus!

[kennethm]

Hi Shiela & Carol,

Do you remember the engraving of Eaglesham I posted a wee while ago in the Eaglesham thread? I've found a complete copy of the image which shows the houses in Montgomery Square (or Backrow as described by the enumerator). Unfortunately I can't include it in a posting here however get in touch by personal message if you'd like a copy (as well as anyone else that's interested).

Kenneth

[sheilajim]

Hi Kenneth

Thank you so much for posting that song which I am downloading. For all I know, some of my ancestors took that 'bus'.

I will also be getting in touch with you by e-mail.

[Currie]

I don’t know whether this collection of old Eaglesham photos has yet surfaced in this thread, but just in case it hasn’t.

East Renfrewshire's Heritage Collection.
Portal to the Past.
http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/heri ... =undefined

See “Collection Title” drop-down etc at bottom of page.

Alan

[speleobat2]

Ken,

Thanks for the copy of the engraving! Eaglesham looks like a quiet little village in 1837.

Alan,

That's a great bunch of pictures. Can't remember seeing them before, but I may have missed them. Some wonderful old postcards in there!

Carol

[Hibee]

I know the hill shown above all too well, having lived in Waterfoot and climbed it 5 days a week in order to catch the East Kilbride bus. Plus all those trips to the Swan Inn (an even more arduous climb).

Where the beech tree stands, the road cuts through an outcrop of rock, known as Bell Craig. There are two theories behind this name.

Firstly, there is a fine crop of Bluebells on it, every summer. Secondly, and more sombrely, a woman by the name of Bel Geddes hung herself from the branches of the beech.

Hibee