Family give Sma Shot Cottages a Paisley lion
A special tribute has been paid to one of the lions of Paisley life.
The late Ellen Farmer was well known for her 30 years of work with the Old Paisley Society.
And, in memory of her, Ellen’s husband Edward has now handed over to the society’s Sma Shot Cottages one of the famous and colourful Paisley Lions figures that were seen on the streets of the town last year.
The lion is dubbed Fergus, which was Ellen’s maiden name.
Edward said: “My son Bobby bought the lion in the auction that was held when the liond were taken off the streets. “He bought it for the family. “This was the lion that was put outside the cottages last summer, and, when we found out it was called Fergus, it seemed like quite a coincidence because Ellen’s maiden name was Fergus.
“The lion will be at the cottages for the summer, and then I thought some of the schools could maybe get it.”
Ellen, who served as president of the Old Paisley Society for a number of years, was known for her work in promoting the history of the town.
She also played a major part in preserving and developing former weavers’ homes Sma Shot Cottages as both a historical resource and a tourist attraction.
Ellen, who died in 2013, was a former mill girl who went on to be awarded the MBE and was made a Fellow of the University of Paisley for helping to preserve the town’s illustrious heritage.
She also penned A Century Of Paisley and Paisley People And Places.
Her love of all things Paisley kick- started when she was a child and her grandfather Andrew Fergus took her to the Dooslan Stane and Paisley Abbey.
You can see Fergus the lion at Sma Shot Cottages from noon to 4pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays.