Barrhead
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- For the Canadian town, see Barrhead, Alberta.
  Map sources for Barrhead at grid reference NS501588
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Barrhead (Ceann a' Bhàirr in Scottish Gaelic or Baurheid by locals) is a small town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, 8 miles southwest of Glasgow on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes, population approx. 20,000.
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[edit] The Town
The town was formed when a series of small textile villages (Barrhead, Arthurlie, Grahamston and Gateside) gradually grew into one-another to form one contiguous town. Other industries associated with the town included an iron foundry, tannery and Armitage Shanks, manufacturers of porcelainware, and Gaskell's carpet factory. The decline of these industries caused a fall in local population and employment throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1894 Barrhead became a Burgh, meaning that it had its own town Council. This status was withdrawn in 1975 at the time of the institution of Strathclyde Regional Council and Renfrew District Council. Subsequent reorganisation (to a single tier local authority) places Barrhead in East Renfrewshire. In 2002, part of the administration of East Renfrewshire Council relocated from Eastwood Park to Barrhead Main Street.
However, in recent years, Barrhead has become a popular residential commuter town for nearby Paisley and Glasgow. An active junior football team called Arthurlie still thrives in Barrhead, with a previous club of the same name having played in the town as members of the Scottish Football League.
Barrhead is also home to the following Bowling Clubs: Barrhead, Arthurlie, Shanks, and St John's, and also the Fereneze Golf Club and the Arthurlie Tennis Club. Barrhead Boxing Club has produced several contenders at Scottish Amateur level.
On 8th March 2006 for the first time in 31 years, a Council meeting was held in Barrhead.
East Renfrewshire Credit Union is based in Barrhead.
[edit] Schools
The town has two secondary schools: St Luke's and Barrhead High, and six primary schools: Auchenback, Carlibar, Cross Arthurlie, Springhill, St. John's and St. Mark's.
[edit] People
Famous "Baurheidians" include author Christopher Brookmyre, actors Douglas Henshall and Gregor Fisher, Alex McLeish, former manager of Rangers, former Celtic F.C. captain and European Cup winner Paul Lambert, former Scotland football manager and current Technical Director of UEFA Andy Roxburgh (peviously Headmaster of Carlibar Primary, -1975), folk star Dougie Pincock of The Battlefield Band, who is now Director of the Scottish National Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music, and Christine McGourty BBC Science correspondent (Henshall and McGourty were exact contemporaries at Barrhead High School).
Going back a little further, Barrhead also produced Gordon Murray, Scottish Amateur Golf Champion in the 1970s and member of the British Walker Cup team, and Gilbert Nichol, a 1950s Olympic speedskater.
An adoptive Baurheidian is dancer Darrien Wright (born Darlington) winner of the 2006 BBC Strictly Dance Fever competition (with Hollie Robertson). The family of pop singer Paolo Nutini had a newsagents shop in Barrhead for many years on the corner of Victoria Road and Paisley Road.
[edit] Churches
At the bottom end of Cowan Park lies St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church (usually referred to as "St. John's") which serves approximately 5300 Catholics (average weekly attendance 1800) in Barrhead. The Church of Scotland has the following parish churches: Bourock, Arthurlie and South & Levern. There is also a Methodist Church and several small evangelical churches.
[edit] External links
