PLEASE NOTE ALL EVENTS ARE
CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19
WINTER PROGRAMME 2019-2020
PLEASE SEND BOOKINGS TO ARRIVE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
NON-MEMBERS ALWAYS WELCOME
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CHEQUE PAYMENT OPTIONS
PLEASE ENSURE THAT CHEQUES ARE MADE OUT TO “STIRLING MEMBERS’ CENTRE NTS” AS OUR BANK MAY REFUSE THEM OTHERWISE. PLEASE ALSO ENSURE YOU HAVE SIGNED AND DATED THEM.
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PLEASE NOTE
All of our events take place in the St Ninian's Old Church Hall, Kirk Wynd, Stirling.
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24th 2019 at 2.30pm (AFTERNOON)
Cost - No charge (for SMC members); £7pp (for non SMC members) including refreshments
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE STIRLING MEMBERS’ CENTRE NTS followed by:-
ILLUSTRATED TALK - “FROM KYOTO TO CLACKMANNANSHIRE – THE HISTORY AND RESTORATION OF COWDEN GARDEN” by Kate White, Head Gardener (Organisers Sandy & Margaret Moreland)
Kate White is the Head Gardener at Cowden Japanese Garden. Kate originally studied Crop and Soil Science at the University of Wales, Bangor and worked in large scale organic agriculture on the Moray coast for seven years, before deciding to change career to horticulture. She completed the two year HND Horticulture with Plantsmanship at RBGE in 2009, with a sandwich year in Dunedin Botanic Garden, New Zealand. With a strong desire to work in public gardens in Scotland she then completed two one year placements at Cruickshank Botanic Garden, Aberdeen and NTS Leith Hall. She gained a permanent post in the Rock & Woodland garden team at RBGE in 2011, and took the opportunity to complete the newly created Diploma in Garden History during this time. After a secondment to NTS to work in the Gardens & Designed Landscape team on plant records, she gained the post of Head Gardener at Cowden in October 2016. Kate is involved in verifying the RCHS Grow and Learn scheme and active in the Japanese Garden Society.
The talk will cover a brief history of how Japanese gardens were introduced to Europe, along with a precis of elements of Japanese garden design and symbolism. We will then turn to the example of Cowden Japanese Garden, and discover the background to the creation of this garden in 1908, it’s subsequent use and unfortunate vandalism in the 1960’s. The final part of the talk will look at the restoration process and plans for future developments.
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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 21st 2019 at 2.30pm (AFTERNOON)
Cost - £6 (for SMC members); £7 (for non SMC members) including refreshments
ILLUSTRATED TALK – “SURVEYING ST KILDA” by James Hepher (Organiser Kate Luke)
James Hepher’s background is as a trained Archaeologist and Landscape Surveyor. He studied both at the University of Glasgow. After working commercially as an Archaeological Surveyor, then as a Surveyor for RCAHMS he joined Historic Environment Scotland. He has been involved in 3D surveying of historic landscapes and buildings for 17 years.
He has been lucky enough to be involved in 3 working visits, to St Kilda. He will talk about his experiences of working on St Kilda as part of The Digital Documentation Team at Historic Environment Scotland. The 3D survey of Village Bay and the St Kildan landscape as part of HS/HES’ Scottish Ten Project and working on the earlier GPS mapping project of Hirta as part of the RCAHMS Survey team."
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12th 2019 at 2.30pm (AFTERNOON) Cost - £6 (for SMC members); £7 (for non SMC members) including refreshments
ILLUSTRATED TALK – “THE STORY OF DR JOHN ROEBUCK (CARRON IRON CO) AND JAMES WATT AT KINNEIL HOUSE” by Ian Shearer, Chairman of the Friends of Kinneil. (Organiser Bob McKean)
Celebrating the 250th anniversary in 2019 of their patent for James Watt's steam engine
Events are taking place across the UK this year to commemorate the Bicentenary of the death in August 1819 of James Watt. 2019 also marks the 250th anniversary of his 1769 patent for the condensing steam engine, one of the most significant patents in the history of industry and technology.
Many are familiar with the account of Watt's childhood in Greenock, early work in Glasgow, and then subsequent fame and commercial success in Birmingham together with Matthew Boulton. Less well known is the fact that pioneering testing and development work for his engine took place over several years in the Forth Valley area, in the secluded grounds of Kinneil House in Bo'ness - then the home of Dr John Roebuck, co-founder of the mighty Carron Iron Company. It was Roebuck, not Boulton, who was Watt's original partner and patron for the engine patent.
Ian Shearer, Chairman of the Friends of Kinneil, will tell the fascinating story of Roebuck and Watt - a tale of visionary enterprise, industrial espionage, personal setbacks and failures, but also success in developing one of the greatest Scottish inventions and in other projects in this area of Scotland.
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Cost - £6 (for SMC members); £7 (for non SMC members) including refreshments
ILLUSTRATED TALK - “RECENT DISCOVERIES IN STIRLING’S ARCHAEOLOGY” by Dr Murray Cook, Archaeologist, Stirling Council. (Organiser Bob McKean)
Dr. Cook explores recent archaeological highlights and discoveries from the area. His wide-ranging review includes new research into a previously unknown prehistoric fort in the King’s park, a broch like structure near Gargunnock, a likely medieval murder victim in a Bronze Age grave and the hiding in plain sight of a medieval Catholic stoup. In addition Dr. Cook offers new insights into why the English lost the battle of Stirling bridge. He also hopes to be able to include new material from investigations in the last six months of 2019.
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Cost - £6 (for SMC members); £7 (for non SMC members) including refreshments
ILLUSTRATED TALK - “GARDENS AND DESIGNED LANDSCAPES” by Colin Wren, Gardens Manager for the NTS (Organiser Sandy Wilson)
Colin is one of four Gardens Managers for the National Trust for Scotland, overseeing the management of gardens throughout East and Central Scotland. Colin’s area of responsibility is Edinburgh and East which includes the gardens at Culross, Malleny, Priorwood, Inveresk Lodge and the designed landscapes of House of Binns and Newhailes. He will speak about his work for the Trust and recent and planned developments.
Colin has extensive experience, working in France and Britain in private gardens and for public bodies including RBGE and Edinburgh Zoo as Curator of Horticulture where he oversaw development of the Penguin Enclosure, Darwin Maze, Meerkats and Asiatic Lions Enclosures.
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Cost - £6 (for SMC members); £7 (for non SMC members) including refreshments
ILLUSTRATED TALK - “GLASS & LIGHT” by Alison Kinnaird MBE MA FGE, Artist working in Glass and Clarsach Musician
(Organisers Sandy & Margaret Moreland)
Alison Kinnaird was born in Edinburgh 1949.
She has an international reputation as an artist working in glass, with work in many public, private and royal collections. Her work can be found in the collections of the V&A Museum; Corning Museum of Glass, New York; the Tutsek Foundation, Munich and the Fitzwilliam Museum. She is in demand at home and abroad as a lecturer and teacher, and is also well-known for her contribution to Scottish music.
Alison Kinnaird MBE will talk about her career as an artist in glass, and how her work as an engraver combines an ancient technique with modern LED technology, producing magical imagery in light and colour. Her work ranges from small intimate pieces to major architectural installations. She will particularly focus on her major commissions in the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, and her installation 'Unknown', which recently toured major historical venues in Scotland. She will also discuss the innovative new techniques that she has recently developed for stained glass windows and doors, but which are equally striking when used with contemporary imagery. Alison is also well known as a player of the Scottish harp, and will talk about how both strands of her arts have run parallel throughout her career.
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