Barrhead
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Canadian town, see Barrhead, Alberta.
  Map sources for Barrhead at grid reference NS501588
|
Barrhead (Ceann a' Bhàirr in Scottish Gaelic although Gaelic is not spoken by natives of this part of Scotland] or Baurheid by some 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.
Contents |
[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.
The name Barrhead derives from the agricultural term 'Barr', ie. long ploughed furrows for cultivation of crops. The original homestead or hamlet was literally situated at the head of barrs and became known as Barrhead.
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 This status was withdrawn in 1975 at the time of the institution of Strathclyde Regional Council and Renfrew District Council.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.
There are several public houses in Barrhead. These include: Cross Stobs; The Kelburn; The Arthurlie Inns; The Fereneze Inn and The Brig Inn.
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 Roman Catholic High School and Barrhead High. It also has six primary schools: Auchenback Primary School, Carlibar Primary School, Cross Arthurlie Primary School, Springhill Pimary School, St. John's Roman Catholic Primary School and St. Mark's Roman Catholic Primary School. Notably, St. Mark's recently received an outstanding HMIe report with 11 'excellents' making St. Mark's the best school in Scotland.
[edit] People
Natives of Barrhead are known as Barrheadonians.
Famous Barrheadonians include author Christopher Brookmyre, actors Douglas Henshall and Gregor Fisherbetter known as Scottish comedy star "Rab C Nesbit" was a former pupil of Barrhead High School, although lived in neighbouring Neilston. , 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 Barrheadonian 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.
James Maxton the Scottish socialist politician, and leader of the Independent Labour Party lived in Barrhead from the age of 5, where his father was headmaster of Grahamston School. In the 1960s, Maxton's second wife Madeline gifted a plot of land to the people of Barrhead on which the local council built a memorial garden as a tribute to Maxton.
Rosie, the guitarist of punk band The Hedrons is also from the town. [1]
[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
