Edit Springburn's past
It has a strong historical link to heavy industry, particularly railways, with the manufacturing of locomotives. In the past, Springburn produced 25% of all the trains in the world, thanks to its many train workshops.
These included Cowlairs, Walter Neilson's Hyde Park Works, Sharp Stewart and Company's Atlas works, Eastfield and the Caledonian Railway's St. Rollox works.
Later it became the headquarters of the North British Locomotive Company. Also in Springburn was Eastfield running shed, built by the North British Railway.
St. Rollox became the largest works, and is the only one still in operation today.
The highest point in Springburn and of the City of Glasgow is its famous park on Balgrayhill, donated to Glasgow by James Reid, a business colleague of Walter Neilson, in 1892; a statue in honour of Reid was erected in the park in 1903. Cowlairs F.C. were a founder member of the Scottish Football League in 1890 but were bankrupt by 1896.
The old suburb of Springburn was virtually obliterated by the redevelopment of the area in the 1960s.
The handful of Victorian villas which remain around Balgrayhill gives only a glimpse of what had gone before.
The vision remained incomplete, and by the mid-1970s Springburn had become one of Glasgow's most notorious areas, exacerbated by decaying housing. Since then, substantial activity has ensured a degree of regeneration for the area, but Springburn's core social problems remain.
Scattered through Springburn are various suburban areas (Forest Hall, Fernbank, Colston), which refrain from mingling with the shadier parts of it's society.
Many people from Springburn have left their mark on the world, some of more the famous being Scottish International footballer James McFadden, singer Sydney MacEwan, broadcasters and writers Tom Weir and his sister Molly, the railway author John Thomas, and the politician John McAllion.
The above would be a fair assessment on the brief history of the area. To turn the district from a bustling small town into a ghetto of housing schemes is a mark which has scarred the area and it will not go away. The road which splits Springburn in two having being built in 1984 was also a contributing factor in the demise of the area, for which most of Springburn Road had been cleared between the years of 1975 and 1985. Any regeneration for this area will not bring back the area's former identity as a bustling town; it will only serve to replace failed housing schemes built in the 60's.
I would go futher than Gordon Waddell's good comment and say that any regeneration for springburn would have to be of a massive scale, eg. planned east end, to try to inject some kind of revival into what was one of Glasgow's great industrial centres
it doesn't matter what regeneration gets done if they still let the hooligans and the crooks run the scheme which has happened for the last 40 years
Born and bred in Springburn 1960, lived in Reid House Street which is now behind the shopping centre and then Cowlairs Road before moving up to Hilda Crescent, Old Robroyston. My family all worked in the Caley and St Rollox rail works and my mother Jackie Inglis tought dancing with Nan Keeling in the old Cowlairs dairy in Kemp Street and also the Quarrywood Halls,Barmulloch. My primary Barmulloch now has the biggest influx of refugees which my 3 kids are now at and are being held back due to large numbers and English is not the first language their classmates know, the school needs to be demolished and rebuilt as it is 48 years old. Springburn is now a deprived area and is way down the list of Westminster and council list priorities, the scheme is falling apart.
I was born in Springburn in Keppochhill Road and lived there until I was 20 years old and emigrated to the United States. It was a wonderful place to live especially during school summer holidays when a group of us youngsters would walk to the swimmig baths in Kay Street. We would come out after a good swim and go across to the City Bakeries at Balgrayhill and get something to eat. Wonderful times were spent at Springburn park in the paddle boats in the pond. We would walk for miles in those days. I remember going to Mr McLeods barber shop at the corner of Millarbank Street and getting my hair cut and if you were sick your parents got your medicine at Mr. McNees Chemist shop at the corner of Springburn Road and Flemington Street. It was always a big treat when your mother took you to the Cooperative and got you a new pair of shoes or a winter coat. On Saturday mornings we used to go to a matinee at the Princess Picture house in Gourlay Street and we had a club at the Princess called the ABC Miners and they gave us a Christmas Party at Christmas and we always looked forward to that. I always felt so lucky to have the wonderful memories of those days. I have lived in the United States now for 47 years and live in the State of Georgia. My Maiden name was Isabella Brisbane and I would love to hear from anyone who may remember me. I went to St Theresas and St.Cuthberts Schools. I probably would not recognize Springburn to-day but he wonderful days of growing up there I will always cherish. My Email address is clyd709@aol.com would love to hear from someone.
My dad is over from America and was born in Springburn and went to the wee albert and then on to the big albert off Drumbottie Road. Is the school still there? My dad is 80 now and wants to know if any one can help.
Hi Alice. The Big Albert is now called Springburn Academy and was re-built a few years back. The Wee Albert is still the same school.
phots of stobhill in the 1969s
"Springburn" ... just the name of the district, sends a surge of pride through me. I was born in Cowlairs Rd. in 1941 and I have many, many fond memories of people and places, that were a wonderful part of my formative years. I remember 'community' and our auld 'Maw Pates' Granny Paterson, who lived up oor close and her daughters, who were always available to take wains to the doctor's, the hospital and not for any 'fee' I remember us wains standing awestruck as a great big train turned onto Springburn Rd. from Vulcan St, with another 'choo choo' bound for some faraway land. I see some negative comments about the schemes possibly referring to Balornock and Barmulloch. I lived in both places. What I remember of Balornock would take me years to tell. How close to nature and history. Our National Hero, Sir William Wallace was betrayed on the outskirts of Balornock. A drinking well, near where he was 'shopped' and having, possibly, the longest street in the scheme named after him, "Wallacewell Rd. and Wallace's Well" Sledding on Littlehill Golf Course. Good schools, Balornock, St.Roch's, Colston, Albert, Petershill. Hyde Park etc. whose former pupils are now scattered all over the world. My 'Message Board' "Springburn Place" has contributors from Canada, the U.S. of A., Australia, South Africa and even Ruchazie, Newcastle and London on the 'home front' Springburn is still 'dear to their hearts' and deservedly so. I happen to share the name of Springburn's great benefactor, 'James Reid' but sadly, not the wealth, ha! ha! but I do have that great love of my 'auld toon' and sign a lot of the Glasgow Website's I visit, "Springburn Jimmy Reid" Especially to my Pals on the "GlesgaPals and Sunny Govan" sites. A famous son who appears to have been overlooked in the cryptic description of Springburn above is our very own, the late "Karl Denver" or, as his Springburn faimily caw him, Gus McKenzie, R.I.P. I was home in 1988 and cried when I saw what that Commie Council had done to my street, Cowlairs Rd. and I wished that I could 'gas' that mob in the City Chambers. They can destroy the auld buildings of Springburn, but not the great love that 'us yins fae therr' carry with us, all over the world. Springburn Lives!!
Hi. I read your site with great interest. I lived in Possilpark, but went to Albert Senior Secondary School in Mansel street Springburn from 1952 to 1958. My sister still lives in Springburn road, at the Huntershill end. I moved to Australia in 1969, but have returned frequently. I was shocked at seeing how the heart of Springburn had been ripped out by developers. During a recent visit home, I went to visit my old school, and was dismayed that it had been demolished. A passer-by told me it had been a listed building, had been closed and then vandalised and torched (I think Glasgow District Council might be the bigger vandals). I ran "Albert" through Google looking for more information. It appears the school was replaced by Springburn Academy nearby, and now the site is having housing built on it for people from the Red Road tower blocks. If any former pupils care to contact me (flyingscotsman@smartchat.net.au) I will ve pleased to hear from them -in particular, Fraser Gordon, who lived in Keppochhill road, and later worked for the YMCA in Sauchiehall street; Seth Sykes, who lived at 363 Springburn Road, almost opposite McNees the chemist, Ian Venters, who I last met on a 16 tram in St George's road in 1959. It's hard to realise the Springburn we knew and loved is gone, and with it a great community spirit. I recall Gourley street, which still had gas street lights as late as 1954, at least at the middle section, and the old tram depot in Keppochhill road, next to the fire station on the corner of Springburn road. As you passed the old depot you often could see the tram tracks still in place, some 60 years after the depot was closed and taken over by other businesses. One day in the 80's I peered over the wall at the back of the depot abd was astonished to see the original depot track fan, still in pace. The depot was the first electric tram depot in Glasgow, built for the first electric trams or "sparkies" in 1898. What a wonderful, original site for a working tram museum, and a form of transport that served Glasgow and surrounding areas for over 90 years. But, like the treatment of Springburn itself - NO VISION! Keep up your great work! John Stewart P.S. I attach snapshot of the boys' playground at Albert, 20.9.62
BOYS' PLAYGROUND ALBERT SECONDARY SCHOOL, 20.9.62