It’s all Greek as village honours famous son
Thomson’s 200th anniversary
Balfron is hoping to do one of its most famous sons proud on the 200th anniversary of his birth.
The villagers are organising a programme of events throughout the year to celebrate Alexander “Greek” Thomson.
The internationally acclaimed architect, who was born in the village in 1817, is credited with designing some of Scotland’s most significant architecture, particularly in Glasgow such as the St Vincent Street Church and the Egyptian Halls.
He was born in 1817 in Endrick Cottage, the 17th child of John Thomson who was the bookkeeper at the Ballindalloch Cotton Works.
In 2010 villagers installed a plaque in the village to commemorate his achievements.
For the bicentenary, much of the activity is expected to centre around April, the month of his birth.
Events include an exhibition of Phil Sayer photographs from Gavin Stamp’s book on the architect.
Local art groups and the primary school are also using Thomson as a theme for a number of projects and workshops.
A one-man play, “Speculations on Infinity”, will be accompanied by a 1960s film of the architect’s Glasgow work courtesy of the National Library of Scotland Film Archive.
Local history walks - all free thanks to a grant from the Big Lottery’s Celebrate Scotland scheme - are being planned to accommodate the many visitors expected to come to the village during the bicentennial year.
In the last few decades Balfron Heritage Group has been among those instrumental in strengthening the profile of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson in the village.
The group’s founder chairman and one of the organisers of this year’s commemorations, Jim Thomson, said: “We have co-ordinated closely with the Thomson Society which has its own exciting programme throughout the year from Glasgow to the Clyde coast resorts of Cove and Rothesay in partnership with Holmwood House and the St Vincent Street Church.
“We shall never match the Charles Rennie Mackintosh juggernaut but it should be an exciting year to celebrate our own world famous architect.”
More details of events are expected to emerge over the coming weeks.