Meetings

We meet on the first (occasionally second) Monday of the month at 7.30 p.m. in the Upper Hall (there is a lift), Bearsden Community Hub, 66 Drymen Road, Bearsden, G61 3QT (near Bearsden Cross).
This map shows the Hub and the main car parks in the area.

Membership is £15 per annum, and visitors are welcome (£4 per talk & 50 pence for juniors). Tea is served after the talk and there is an opportunity to chat and socialise.

Membership form
You can print an application form here.

For further information please contact us at enquiries@mbhistorical.org

PROGRAMME FOR 2023-2024

2023

Monday 2nd October
Are we nearly there yet?
This illustrated talk is titled “Are We Nearly There Yet?” and it’s about Scottish milestones. Not just distance markers, but early methods of measurement and mapping and the 18th and 19th century travellers whose journals laid the foundations of the Scottish tourist industry. It also celebrates the “Top 50 Scots” - the sportsmen and women who have gone the extra mile in terms of speed and endurance to set new world records. Bruce Keith


Monday 6th November
What lies beneath
The presentation will describe the geology of Strathkelvin, concentrating on outcrops where the strata can be clearly seen and looking at evidence for what lies beneath the surface in areas where rock is not exposed. In the north, the lavas and ancient volcanoes of the Campies are well exposed but most of the built-up areas are underlain by sedimentary rocks which are largely covered by thick layers of glacial and alluvial materials. Coal, sandstone and limestone have been exploited and traces of the workings remain. The Kelvin Valley forms a major east – west transport corridor. Geology has played a significant role in the history of the area. Murray Reid is a retired engineering geologist who lives in Kirkintilloch. Murray Reid


Monday 4th December
Christ's Samurai: The Shimabara Rebellion of 1637-38
In 1637 a rebellion broke out in the province of Shimabara, in the south of Japan. It was a peasants' revolt, following years of bad harvests in which the local lord had refused to lower taxes. Many of the rebels were Christians, and they fought under a Christian banner. Following the revolt, the Japanese were ruled by the Shogun, who closed Japan to foreign visitors for 250 years, apart from a small trading post in Nagasaki. Patrick Parsons


2024

Monday 15th January
Paris in the Twenties
Occasionally, history throws up a period in time, place and people, where events merge like a rock being thrown into a stagnant pool where not only does the initial impact create a big splash, but the ripples continue to reflect to the present day. Such is the case of Paris in the Twenties – ‘The Crazy Years’ that Patrick will be talking about.
Note: Contains some nudity and sexual references. Patrick Murray


Monday 5th February
Cumbrae and the Vikings
Maura McRobbie, author of Vikings and Skylarks on Cumbrae will describe the historical events that inspired her children’s story. The Isle of Cumbrae, or Millport as it is usually known, is Scotland’s most accessible island, with cycling and the crocodile rock as its main attractions, but evidence suggests the island has an early Christian legacy that rivals Iona and a Viking history that is more peaceful and harmonious than is frequently depicted, especially in the years preceding the Battle of Largs in 1263. Maura McRobbie


Monday 4th March
Using Commission archives for research - War graves commission
The talk provides a general introduction into the work of the Commonwealth Graves Commission - covering the foundation and activities right up to the present day. We then look at the Archives and how the public can research their own families. Grant Pinkerton


Monday 8th April (note - not the 1st Monday)
The Art and Architecture of Scottish Cinemas: Fleapits and Palaces
In the golden age of Hollywood, the films transported us to exotic locations all over the world, but sometimes the cinemas themselves did that even before the picture started! Join us to explore how a little bit of Latin America ended up in Muirend, a hint of Turkey landed in Finnieston and a dash of Egypt adorned Govanhill as we explore the story of Scotland's cinema architecture from the earliest screenings to the present day, ranging from fleapits to palaces and everything in-between! Gary Painter


29th April
AGM and Members' Night
Short talks to be arranged.