Stewartfield, East Kilbride

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Attributed the soubriquet "South Castlemilk" by the rest of the town, some of its natives like to think of Stewartfield as an upmarket residential area. Many of its residents, however, harbour higher views and cannot bring themselves to be associated with the name "Stewartfield", preferring to name their schemes somewhat apart from the vulgar whole as "Kittochglen" or Kittochside".

Stewartfield has two primary schools nearby on its south-eastern edge. These are shared with residents from nearby West Mains. Since most of Stewartfield's houses were conceived with the lifestyle of the two car family in mind, residents who live towards the north-western edge are obliged to take their children to school by car. Consequently, St Kenneth's Primary School is the only school in the town to feature a purpose-built parents' car park.

Stewartfield Community Council meets on a regular basis.

The wider sense of community in Stewartfield is, arguably, most visible in a couple of areas: its two pubs and a propensity for "Residents' Associations". With the exception of the somewhat underused community hall, Stewartfield lacks any other traditional public buildings. There is no church building, there is no library, there is no health centre. Perhaps, given that the ratio of cars to houses exceeds one to one, these are not felt to be necessary. Local newsagents are confined to the entrance areas of two substantial supermarkets.

On the plus side, Stewartfield can boast the James Hamilton Heritage Loch, which includes an artificial boating loch. The excellent Museum of Scottish Country Life may also be considered a part of Stewartfield, although a separatist movement, led by the Stepford Wives of Kittochside, have annexed this as their own. They have now deemed the area to be "Wester Kittochside", presumably in an effort to achieve a much sought after radical chic cachet.

Having been existence for a mere twenty years, Stewartfield has not, as yet, made a cultural contribution of any significance to western society. Indeed, the lack of a sense of community would lead one to consider it an area of "Disparate Housewives" were it not for the collective aspirations for perpetual pressure-hosing of monoblocked driveways, glasshoused extensions conserving the fruits of two incomes and a recent rash of somewhat bemused and be-decked gardens.

One suprising eco-friendly tendency is to be found in the repeated recycling of bathrooms and kitchens.

Work on Stewartfield began not long after the passing of Sir John Betjeman, the Poet Laureate who imortalised the inhumanity of a southern commuter town with the lines, "Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough, it isn't fit for humans now." Perhaps Mr Betjeman might look kindly down upon Stewartfield's residents who, "for their children’s good conspire." One suspects, however, that a district of little boxes designed for almost exclusive access by personal transport would draw few kind words.

[edit] External links

• http://www.stewartfield.org.uk - Stewartfield Community Council

Areas of East Kilbride
Birniehill | Calderwood | College Milton | East Mains | Gardenhall | Greenhills | Hairmyres | Kelvin | Kingsgate | Lindsayfield | Mossneuk | Murrayhill | Nerston | Newlandsmuir | Peel Park | Philipshill | St Leonards | Stewartfield | The Murray | The Village | West Mains | Westwood | Westwoodhill | Whitehills