Castlemilk group dig into park’s heritage
A Castlemilk heritage group are hoping to land an award next week.
The How Old Are Yew group, who meet in Castlemilk Park, are in the running for a Scottish Heritage Angel Award, which will be announced on Tuesday.
The awards, which welcomed over 50 nominations for heritage volunteers across the country, celebrate the efforts of volunteers in helping to understand, protect and value Scotland’s heritage and history.
How Old Are Yew, who are part of Friends of Castlemilk Park, meet every two months for talks, guest speakers and trips to different locations.
They have been nominated in the investigating and recording category.
Richard Bolton, community woodland officer with Cassiltoun Housing Association, was pleased at the group being recognised.
He said: “I suppose it really reflects the work done over the last few years here.
“We’ve had a couple of digs, a display for Kelvingrove Art Gallery and lots of things like that.
“The other week we were in the ice house at the park and cleared out the vegetation that had been growing there.
“It’s quite an active group and there’s some really keen individuals part of it.
“They’re all really pleased to get this nomination and get a chance to talk to other people at the awards with similar passions.
“It also helps to raise the profile of the park as a whole.
“Castlemilk is a place that has lost a lot of heritage over the years so a group like this can be really helpful in trying to keep the heritage there and make people aware of the history that is here.
“We’ve been recording some of the stories of the forest and the legacy of the people that worked around there in the past.
“There’s even quite modern history. We looked through some of the old sites for the flats recently and there were people who’d lived in them in the past.
“When we cut the ice house and posted about it on Facebook we even had someone mentioning he’d played there in the 1960s so what the group do is bring back memories.
“It’s really important to share it with people in a way that they’ll find interesting and that will get people talking.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber, whose charity established the awards in Scotland, said: “It is wonderful to shine a light on the endeavours of these Scottish heritage angels, whose triumphs of dedication, energy and tenacity might otherwise go unsung.
“Every one of them is vital to preserving and promoting the richness of Scotland’s heritage.
“I congratulate them all on their fine achievements.” The ceremony will take place in Edinburgh. The next meeting of How Old Are Yew will take place on Friday, November 18, at 1.30pm.