New 2015 Maryhill Burgh Halls Building Tours

What:

Join our free guided tours to learn more about the historic building and it's place in Maryhill. Discover the original stained glass windows in our magnificent Halls which tell the story of Maryhill's past and present. 

Where: 

Meet at the ground floor foyer by the entrance. 
Maryhill Burgh Halls
10-20 Gairbraid Avenue 
Glasgow 
G20 8YE
(Enter the building through the Firemen Gates on Gairbraid Avenue, we're the building entrance on the right)

When: 

2pm on - 
Thursday 4th June
Thursday 9th July
Thursday 13th August
Thursday 3rd September
More dates to come!

Tours last approximately 1 hour. 

How: 

To book a place on a tour please email or phone us. 
Email: heritage@mbht.org.uk
Phone: 0845 860 1878

If you would like to book a group tour on an alternative day, please email: heritage@mbht.org.uk 

Come join the team - new Heritage Development Manager needed!

Are you passionate about heritage, community & stained glass? Come work for us - we need a new Heritage Development Manager!
This re-advertised fixed term, full or part time post is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland. Reapplications are welcomed.

Find out more and download the application pack on our Jobs page here.

Closing date Midday February 20th 2015.

Exciting plans for 2015

We are looking forward to an exciting 2015. Our new refurbished cafe is now open and welcomes everybody with hot beverages and wide range of foods.

We will of course be taking part in Doors Open Day in September and hope have as much fun as last year. Tours of the building are available before then and can be arranged on request. Please check our Tour page on the website.

We are always looking for volunteers; in particularly we will need lots of volunteer gardeners to transform the outside spaces. Please check our volunteer page.

We have a new list of caterers for all our events and they will provide a wide range of tastes and budgets.

Songs of the trades Celebrate Christmas

We are proud to announce that our celebrated Songs of the Trades Choir will be performing here at the halls on Sunday December the 14th at 2.00 pm. This performance will be free and feature music from the distant and not so distant past as well as the specially commissioned songs created this year.

This is a very special event where in addition to the Songs of the Trades Choir there will also be a performance from our Choir Leader Maeve McKinnon and a raffle for charity too . After the concert we will also provide a tour of the building led by our heritage volunteers.

Before, during and after the event you can sample the wonderful fare from our new cafe and help us to celebrate the end of a very special year,

A message from the Rio Cafe

After nearly 9 Years running the Rio Café in Partick we thought it was time to spread our wings and head North. We love the space at Maryhill Burgh Halls and the scope and diversity of the tenants and activities there have really inspired us. We want to create a new Café based on the principles that make the Rio café special for people in Partick, but also focused on the requirements of the community who use Maryhill Burgh Halls. 

With that in mind and very keen to get started, we are taking a softly softly approach. A couple of months with some good coffee and a variety of sandwiches and snacks, just until we find out what it is that everyone wants from their “New Foyer cafe”

We are planning on bringing different coffee, tea and food specials for you all to try over the next couple of months, so if you don’t see what you want, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

Come and tell us what you want to eat, what you would like to drink, and how you would like to use the space. Together we can bring the smiles and the laughter back in to the beautiful space that we all share in Maryhill Burgh Halls..

If you want to see what we do at the Rio Café in Partick, watch the video below.

So lets get started… Come and see us…

IN THE FOYER NOW… (well from the 1st December 2014!!)

Oh, I feel all “ Pearl and Dean”

Rio.

Changes to Halls Catering Arrangements

Now that the restored Halls has been open for a couple of years, Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust has been working with professional consultants in reviewing all of its operations, partnerships and organisational structure.

One major outcome of this is a change in how we provide the cafe and event catering services to Hall users.
Feedback from past, current and prospective users has made clear that there is a great demand for the option to choose between multiple providers for event catering, as well as the need to re-focus the cafe provision.

The Trust, supported by Fare Consulting, has therefore managed a tendering process that invited a number of organisations, including Clean Plates, to bid to provide catering services to the Halls under a new structure and with defined service level agreements.

The winning tenders were by organisations other than the current Grassroots/Clean Plates team. As a result, the current operations at the Halls by Clean Plates will cease at the end of October 2014. Events prior to that date will continue to be serviced by the current team.
We wish to thank Louise and the Clean Plates team for all the hard work and effort they have put in since April 2012, and wish them all the best for their future endeavours.

We will be announcing the new catering providers and more detailed arrangements shortly. For events after 1st November 2014, the Trust will be contacting people who have already made bookings directly to explain the new more flexible arrangements.

From 1st November, the cafe will be closed for a couple of weeks while refurbishment, repair and redecoration works take place. Please keep an eye out on our website for the re-opening date. The building will remain open as normal during these times.

For any queries or questions, please contact the Trust directly on info@mbht.org.uk or 0845 860 1891.

It's that time of year when Wee Doors Open Day's big brother comes to visit!!

Following a successful two years of Doors Open Days and an extra special Wee Doors Open Day earlier this year in celebration of the Commonwealth Games, we can announce our schedule of events and activities  for this weekend's Doors Open Day 2014!

Saturday 20th September 2014

10am     Building opens

11am      Tour

Midday Heritage Talk by Ian Mitchell, Historian and former Board Member of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust

1pm       Tour

2pm      Heritage Talk again by Ian Mitchell

3pm     Tour

Sunday 21st September

10am      Building Opens

11am      Tour

Midday   Heritage Talk by Dr Gordon Barr, Board Member and former Heritage Manager of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust

1pm        Tour

2pm        Performance by our Community Choir

3pm        Tour

Plus special Doors Open Day competitions and other activities including the Creative Cargo Barge....

Come along and join us, pop in and say hello!

Plus you can now make use of the Doors Open Day app!!

http://glasgowdoorsopenday.com/news/happy-exploring-this-weekend/

Celebrating our Commonwealth Heritage

As Glasgow prepares for the Commonwealth Games 2014, we at the Burgh Halls are celebrating our ties with the Commonwealth in a number of interactive initiatives and events.  Come and get involved and be a part of history!

Sunday 20th July 2014

As part of the Celebrate initiative funded by the Big Lottery Fund, our Community Choir will be performing songs linked to the trades depicted in our stained glass windows and celebrating Maryhill's historic role in the Commonwealth at the locks in Maryhill.  The performance will take place in the perfectly created amphitheatre of the Kelvin Dock and with a supporting act of the Creative Cargo supplied by Glasgow Sculpture Studios   Here you will be able to take part in workshops..... on a barge!

Come and join us for the performance at 2pm.  If the Glasgow sunshine decides not to make an appearance, the performance will still go ahead but in the beautiful Main Hall of Maryhill Burgh Halls.

Monday 21st July

Come and join us as the Queen's Baton Relay makes its way to and ends Monday in Maryhill at the Burgh Halls.  There will be street entertainment as the Baton arrives at approximately 3.20pm.  Our very own Project Coordinator, Hunter Reid, will have the privilege of bringing the baton to us!

Wednesday 23rd July

We are proud to be a part of Wee Doors Open Day run by Glasgow Building Preservation Trust.  As Glasgow's Built Heritage Festival, takes in 18 buildings, come and join us at the Halls for a full day of entertainment.

We will have ongoing demonstrations and interactive exhibits provided by Glasgow Science Festival.

Glasgow Sculpture Studios will be hosting contemporary stained glass workshops and these will run on the hour every hour.  The stop press announcement we have is that following your stained glass workshop, there will be an opportunity to take the Creative Cargo barge down the canal to the The Whiskey Bond where the Sculpture Studios are based.

The full schedule is as follows :

10.00am Building opens and first  Glasgow Sculpture Studio (GSS) stained glass workshop takes place 

11.00am  Heritage Talk - "Windows on Maryhill's Past" by Gordon Barr, Board Member and former Heritage Manager, Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust

GSS stained glass workshop

Midday GSS stained glass workshop

1.00pm    A short recital of approximately  15mins of Classical and Scottish Music performed by Barbara Downie, Violin, (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) and Nicola Boag, Viola.

GSS stained glass workshop

2.00pm  Performance by our Community Choir

GSS Stained Glass Workshop

2.30pm A short recital  of approximately 15 minutes of Classical and Scottish Music performed by Barbara Downie, Violin, (BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra) and Nicola Boag, Viola.

3.00pm  Heritage Talk - "Windows on Maryhill's Past" by Ian Mitchell, Historian and former Board Member, Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust

GSS Stained Glass workshop

The numbers for the Stained Glass Workshops are limited, so to avoid disappointment please phone and book on 0845 860 1878 or email info@mbht.org.uk

Don't worry about getting to the Halls either, vintage shuttle buses are providing transport to and from the City Centre, please see glasgowdoorsopenday.com/getting around for more details!

We look forward to you joining us!

Singing and art on the canal!

On Sunday the 20th of July Maryhill Burgh Halls Songs of the Trades Choir will be performing new and old songs at the historic Kelvin Dock. Performance will be at 2.00 pm. This is a free event and all are welcome. As well as the amazing choir Glasgow Sculpture Studio will be mooring their creative cargo barge from midday until 4 pm where you can get creative with the on-board artists to make pieces that celebrate the trades that used the canal to connect Glasgow to the furthest reaches of the Commonwealth.

All art activities are free and do not need to be booked. Simply turn up at the Kelvin Dock area of the canal (beside Maryhill road and at the top of the Maryhill Locks) between 12 and 4. The choir will be performing at 2.00 pm and are not to be missed.

For more information contact Jamie on 0845-860-1876 or jlumsden@mbht.org.uk

Moving on from Maryhill

Gordon Barr, who has been Heritage Development Manager at Maryhill Burgh Halls for the last four years, is moving on at the start of June 2014. He takes up a new role as Projects Officer for the Architectural Heritage Fund, with a geographical remit taking in the whole of Scotland and Northern England. Local projects the AHF has previously supported at various stages of their development include the Kelvingrove Bandstand, and Cottiers Theatre. 

Gordon said: “I’m sad to be leaving Maryhill after four fantastic years, and I’m really proud of all that has been achieved here - we’ve had over 6,000 people involved in over 170 different heritage related activities since 2010 - plus over 1,600 downloads of our free Maryhill Heritage Trails App. I’m looking forward to seeing how my successor at Maryhill builds on this to take things forward for the future.”

Some statistics for the heritage impact achieved over the last four years at Maryhill:

Since 2010

• People Involved: 6379

• Talks: 37 

• Tours: 85 

• Walks: 22 

• Events & Workshops: 30

• Walking Trails Booklets: 4

• Maryhill App Downloads: 1661   

MBH Supporting the RVS Scottish Baton Relay!

Around Scotland in 92 days by boat, plane and zimmer frame!

Royal Voluntary Service Scotland is taking on its own baton pass challenge to celebrate the power of volunteering in advance of the Commonwealth Games, with Scots aged from 2 to 103 years old participating in the event. 

The baton pass challenge, which will cover 2,500 miles across land and water in 92 days, will involve many of the 7,479 Royal Voluntary Service Scotland volunteers and some of the charity’s service users.  At least 30 modes of transport from vintage mini bus and golf trolley to roller blades and zimmer frames will be deployed.

Local Glasgow MP, Ann McKechin, was on hand to launch the event on Tuesday 22 April at Maryhill Burgh Halls, Glasgow. It will began with bagpipes and saw 2 year old Neve Graham begin the Glasgow leg in a toy car, followed by Harry French, 3, in a toy scooter, then Dugie the dog carrying the baton with Caroline Maxwell, 58, Service Manager for Royal Voluntary Service and Ian MacDonald, age 21, on a unicycle.

The whole community with some Royal Voluntary Service volunteers and some of the older people they help will then walk it to Gartnavel Hospital. The baton will make its way around Glasgow throughout the week, travelling in a variety of ways including by convertible and lifeboat, before heading off to its next leg in Moray & Orkney. 

Margaret Miller, Royal Voluntary Service volunteer and the oldest volunteer in the UK at 103, will pass the baton on at the end of the Glasgow week. It then travels throughout Scotland for 13 weeks through all 15 Royal Voluntary Service community hubs including Aberdeen, Tayside, Fife, Scottish Borders and Edinburgh, before arriving back in Glasgow on 22nd July just before the start of Commonwealth Games.

Find out more about the RVS and the Relay here.

Lighting up Blue for East Park and World Autism Awareness Day

We're delighted to have been supporting our friends at East Park for the last week by Lighting Up Blue for World Autism Awareness Day 2014.

Find out more at
http://www.eastpark.org.uk/news/news/waad2014.aspx

Upcoming Craft Fairs - 1st Sunday of the Month

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart - National Theatre of Scotland performances at Maryhill Burgh Halls!

The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart

Created by David Greig (writer) and Wils Wilson (director)

The National Theatre of Scotland’s incredibly popular show - The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart - returns to Maryhill later this March for a short run of performances in Glasgow, Perth and Edinburgh.

Ticket Information:
Tuesday 25, Wednesday 26, Friday 28, Saturday 29 March at 7.30pm
Saturday 29 March at 2.30pm
Sunday 30 March at 3pm

Tickets £15/£12 (Booking fee where applicable)

Book tickets online here - or by phone from the Tron Box Office at 0141 552 4267

Performances of Prudencia have sold out across Scotland, the UK and internationally, so pull up a chair and whet your whistle for an incredibly inventive and entertaining piece of anarchic theatre, live music and strange goings-on…

One wintry morning Prudencia Hart, an uptight academic, sets off to attend a conference in Kelso in the Scottish Borders. As the snow begins to fall, little does she know who or what awaits her there. Inspired by the border ballads - and delivered in a riotous romp of rhyming couplets, devilish encounters and wild karaoke - Prudencia’s dream-like journey of self-discovery unfolds among and around the audience.

With a rollicking text by David Greig, barnstorming live music; and a ‘terrific, inventive sense of fun…' (The Scotsman), The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart is the lock-in to end all lock-ins. 

National Theatre of Scotland cannot be held responsible in the event of any member of the audience losing their head, their heart or their very self during the course of the performance. 

Find out more...

Big win for Maryhill at Scottish Property Awards!

Maryhill Burgh Halls has been named Development of the Year in the Public Buildings category of the Scottish Property Awards!

The award recognises the brilliant building design by JM Architects, and the high quality build by GRAHAM Construction, bringing the Burgh Halls of 1878 bang up to date with facilities fit for the 21st Century.

Other high-profile projects shortlisted in this category included the SSE Hydro, and the Olympia in Bridgeton.

Irene Scott, Chair of Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust said:

“We are surprised and delighted to have won this prestigious award - especially given the other amazing buildings and projects that we were up against.
This is a great recognition of the hard work thats been put in over the last ten years to bring the Halls back to life as a very busy community venue and business centre.

Given our recent success as a Regional Finalist in the national Civic Trust awards 2014, this is really the icing on the cake!”

We still have a few unique, high specification business spaces available to let - so if you’d like to join us here in Maryhill, please get in touch.

More details about the Scottish Property Awards

Glasgow's Canals Unlocked - new App, Booklet and Exhibition Launched!

Travel through time and explore Glasgow’s canals
New technology unlocks heritage past, present and future

Visitors to the Forth & Clyde Canal in Glasgow can now download a free smartphone and tablet App to explore the history, heritage, wildlife and artworks along the two hundred year old waterway as it winds through the City of Glasgow.

This is the first time smartphone technology has been used to unlock and bring to life the rich heritage of the canal - from its industrial heyday through to the current renaissance led through the Glasgow Canal Regeneration Project.

Using the new ‘Glasgow’s Canals Unlocked’ App, visitors walking or cycling along the waterway (or even planning their visit from home), can now check out their location on a new colourful illustrated map of the towpaths, identify over 100 sights of historic and local interest and discover new developments underway.

By tapping on the points of interest on the App they can also delve deeper by accessing archive photos, audio clips and videos, hearing fascinating anecdotes and strange but true facts.

Using the App, they can also search for specific places of interest, such as locks or cafes, sort the list of places by how close they are or by how recently the information has been updated.

Glasgow’s Canals Unlocked, which is also now available as a free full-colour A5 booklet as well as the App, divides the towpaths into a series of short and easy walks or cycle rides.

It also explores the story of the Monkland Canal, as it travelled through Glasgow, and Glasgow’s often forgotten third canal, the former Glasgow, Paisley and Johnstone Canal.

The App will be updated with more information, sound and video clips, photos and points of interest over time.

Indeed, the Scottish Waterways Trust is keen to hear from anyone who has a favourite canal-side place they would like to see added or any old photos or a story to tell. To get in touch, use the Tell Us Your Story button on the App.

Download the PDF version of the walking trail booklet

Download the iPhone/iPad or Android version of the free App!

The Glasgow’s Canals Unlocked App and booklet are both available online through the Scottish Waterways Trust website or through the direct download links to the right.

The smartphone app, which is available for both iPhone, iPad and Android devices, can also be downloaded direct from Apple iTunes and Android App Stores by searching for ‘Glasgow Canals’.

The printed booklet is also available for free at leaflet drop points across the city. Call 01324 677809 for further information.

Glasgow’s Canals Unlocked is part of the Scottish Waterway Trust’s wider Unlocking the Story project, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Glasgow City Council and Glasgow City Heritage Trust.

Tracey Peedle, Development Director at the Scottish Waterways Trust, explains:

“It’s hugely exciting that we are working with the local communities of North Glasgow to use new technology to bring the heritage of the canals to life. For the first time, you can walk along the waterway and read about how it looked in days gone by, see old photographs and listen to stories and stand right where they took place.

“With Glasgow’s Canals Unlocked, you can get a real sense of how the canal is changing as it becomes one of the city’s most important heritage, health, leisure and greenspace amenities.”

Gordon Barr, Heritage Manager for Maryhill Burgh Hall Trust, adds:

“Have you ever wondered what Glasgow was like in 1790? Now you can see your actual location overlaid on an exclusive archive map that shows how tiny Glasgow was at the time.

“With some locations, you can even See Through Time with a unique 'augmented reality' mode that overlays the archive images with the current camera view when you're standing in the right spot! 

“Glasgow’s Canals Unlocked is a terrific, accessible resource which you can tailor to your own needs and interests. We hope it gives everyone more reason to enjoy the fabulous heritage, wildlife and the attractive traffic-free green open space of the towpaths.”

Other elements of Unlocking the Story, which is led by a partnership of the Scottish Waterways Trust, Scottish Canals, Glasgow City Council, Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust, Lambhill Stables, Glasgow Sculpture Studios and the National Theatre of Scotland, include a free exhibition of Scottish Canals archive materials, which is currently on display at Maryhill Burgh Halls.

Over twenty volunteers have also been trained to gather local memories and stories about Glasgow’s canals. Some of these stories can be heard on the App and others will be retold on new interpretation boards that will be installed on the Forth & Clyde Canal next year.

Work is also underway with Glasgow Sculpture Studios to create an imaginative artwork trail to complete this unique and exciting project.

Issued on behalf of the Scottish Waterways Trust by

Joanna Harrison, Mobile 07884 187404

App created by The Appstillery; Canal mapping illustrations by Kerry Hyndman Illustration 
Walking Trail Booklet and exhibition design and layout by Cactus Design.

Songs of the Trades Choir - Pop-up Performances!

The Burgh Halls Songs of the Trades Choir with Maeve Mackinnon are singing Robert Burns on a couple of pop-up performances on Saturday 15th February:

• 2.30pm Burnbank House

• 3.30pm Rannoch House

We're still looking for new members - no experience necessary! - more details on the choir and how to get involved at http://www.mbht.org.uk/choir

Calling all young artists - Free Workshops!

New Rhythms For Glasgow are running some groups for young people in association with Fusion Music Studios and City Ceramics Studio on Fridays at Maryhill Burgh Halls - see the flyer or visit New Rhythms For Glasgow for details!

A Trio of Walking Trails!

The third in our series of heritage walking trails around the greater Maryhill area is now available!

Come on a journey to discover North Maryhill - taking in some stunning views from Maryhill Park, the site of Maryhill's forgotten football team, an old tram depot, and some important architecture and forgotten stories.

The trails booklets can be picked up for free at the Burgh Halls, or at a number of local libraries. You can also download PDF and large-print versions for free from our website at www.mbht.org.uk/walks

This third trail complements and adds to the two already available, which together help to create a comprehensive guide to the greater Maryhill area! Trail 1 covers Central Maryhill, the Burgh Halls, Barracks, Maryhill Locks and Stockingfield Junction. Trail 2 covers South Maryhill, North Kelvinside, and Queen's Cross, plus Ruchill Park. Trail 3 takes in North Maryhill, Dawsholm, Maryhill Park and Gilshochill.

All three trails are also included in our free interactive smartphone app, available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices - see here for more details, and download it to find out how you can walk through time!

Many thanks to Glasgow City Heritage Trust for the financial support to allow us to produce these walking trails, and to the volunteers that helped research and test them.

“Oh Maryhill! Dear Maryhill! I love your sunlit braes
Where aft times, lang syne, oor mithers bleached oor well worn claes.
And in the gloamin’s weird light, I sadly sit and mourn,
When I think about the wee well and Wyndford’s singing burn”

— Philip Smith, c.1895

Grand Charity Argentine Tango Milonga - 25th January

Happy New Year everyone. You are warmly invited to the first Grand Charity Argentine Tango Milonga of 2014 (Hosted by John and Dominika) at the fabulous award winning Maryhill Burgh Halls  www.maryhillburghhalls.org.uk - 10-24 Gairbraid Avenue, Maryhill, Glasgow G20 8YE on Saturday 25 January - 8pm till Midnight. 

This month we are delighted to welcome Georgia Moffa, who will entertain us with a solo ballet performance of Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux Variation.  

As it is Burns Night it would be great if everyone could add a little(or as much as you like) Tartan to those outfits!!!

We may even have a special appearance from the choir with some special Scottish Songs!

Entrance to the Milonga is £8 for dancers and £6 for non dancers. Students are asked to contribute what they can afford. No bar - BYOB.  Soak up the atmosphere of captivating Argentine Tango music whatever your level of dance ability and please encourage friends to come along and enjoy the evening and see the performance.  

The proceeds of this exciting evening will be used to support arts and cultural activities in the local area of Maryhill. Very many thanks to all who have attended the events so far - we have raised in excess of £3,000. We look forward to seeing you all there.

A full on night not to be missed!

Georgia Moffa Biography

Georgia was born in Scotland and brought up in Rome, Italy. She began her ballet training at the Teatro Dell’ Opera di Roma for three years and other local ballet schools. At 16 she was accepted for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on the BA Modern Ballet Course. She has recently graduated and is currently auditioning for ballet companies in Europe . She worked on the City Glimpses project, for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a project involving complete improvisation, or “real time choreography”.

She has danced in partnership with the Scottish Ballet Education Department performing the Balanchine Solo from the Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux, at the Festival Theatre in Edinburgh.  She toured the Scottish Highlands and Islands in the autumn 2012 with a 20 minute piece choreographed by Christopher Marney. This involved engaging with the community and performing with community dance groups and is an area of dance in which she is very interested in - bringing ballet to the more remote areas of the world.

In the spring of 2013 she choreographed for the 100th anniversary of the Rite of Spring, choreographed to Stravinsky’s original music score for two pianos, and performed at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with live music.   It is a six piece choreography consisting of three group pieces, two Pas De Deuxs and a solo.

She is a professional Argentine Tango dancer and teacher and has trained and taught in Italy for four years before moving to Scotland to further her ballet training. She was taught by and is dance partner to Ali Namazi, founder of the Argentine Tango Dance society in Italy.