Glasgow – Matthew McKinnon's Blog

2025 Another stage started on Life’s Journey.

IT’S BEEN A BUSY START!

This year we spent the first day of January with family and friends at Skelmorlie on the Clyde coast, at the home of my son Allan and wife Jacqui. The best of cuisine in the best of company. On the second day of January we met again at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for ‘The Messiah’ presentation by the Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus – absolutely beautiful and inspiring! To finish the day we had a tour around the centre of Glasgow to see the ‘Christmas lights’ before they were dismantled for another year! The following sunny but frosty day we made a visit to my daughter and son-in-law at Gartmore, and finally at the end of that first week we met with friends for our annual church day of prayer. Whew, yes a busy start! Photos follow.

A peaceful New Year;s Day with family and friends.

Winter by Robert Burns
The wintry west extends his blast,

Other special big events so far this year, included a trip to hospital with my wife who was having the first of two cataracts removed from her eyes. Thankfully she is already seeing much clearer and sharper in the one eye as a result. Also, we received news that our grand-daughter Lindsey and husband Jamie had presented us with another new great-grandson named Finn. Mother and child both well and now at home.

On a sadder note we have said our farewells on this earth to a number of our older family members and friends during the last few weeks. But we await with hope a reunion in a day to come in the presence of our risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ.

A VISIT TO THE ROBERT BURNS MEMORIAL IN ALLOWAY, SCOTLAND

Here in Scotland, just exactly one month after Christmas, on the 25 January we celebrate Scotland’s National Bard, Robert Burns and his amazing poetical works. So since the weather turned a bit milder this week, we used our National Trust Cards to visit the thatched cottage where Robert Burns was born in Alloway, and the nearby Burns Museum and coffee shop. It’s well worth a visit if you haven’t been, or haven’t been for a while. Here are some photos, and a couple of short excerpts from two of his best known poems.

‘Tam o Shanter’ by Robert Burns ‘But pleasures are like poppies spread: You seize the flower, its bloom is shed; Or like the snow fall on the river,
A moment white – then melts forever

‘To a Mouse’ by Robert Burns

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best-laid schemes o’ mice and men
Gang aft a-gley, And lea’e us nought but grief and pain, For promised joy!

I love so many of Burn’s poems and songs, but perhaps my favourite is ‘The Cotters Saturday night‘ which gives such a great picture into family life for many here in Scotland away back in the eighteenth century. I have recorded my recitation of it on You Tube and you can listen to it here if you wish. https://youtu.be/2DJf4xWGZdg?si=huyDHOFIDWMY0lPK

I have seldom if ever, heard anyone quote the words of Robert Burns as he faced death, but in 1781 when that seemed imminent he wrote these words.

O Thou unknown, Almighty Cause of all my hopes and fears, in whose dread presence, ere an hour, Perhaps I must appear. If I have wandered in those paths Of life I aught to shun; As something loudly in my breast Remonstrates I have done.

The last verse says:

Where with intention I have erred, No other plea I have, But thou art good; and goodness still delighteth to forgive.

Sad to read of his uncertainty regarding his final eternal destiny, when it is possible to be sure! When we go on a journey we invariably have everything organised to the last detail, and particularly our final hotel/Guest House accommodation. Yet on our journey through life, thoughts of our final destination are often completely ignored. Our morning Bible reading today was from Matthew 7:13,14. where Jesus says
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.’ Jesus is the Gate! (John 10.9) and Jesus is the Way (John 14:6)

So in our current uncertain and unpredictable world where none of us knows what a day may bring, I would ask you, do you know the road you are on? and have you thought of your final destination? In the bible the Apostle John writing to Christians in his first letter says ‘And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.’ (1 John 5:11,12)

Time to check it out?

Until next time – I wish you God’s blessing wherever you are.

Matthew

A Famous Son of Scotland. David Livingstone / Missionary, Explorer, & Philanthropist extraordinaire!

Last week we visited the birth place of Dr. David Livingstone at Blantyre, which is just 20 miles from our home here in Glasgow, Scotland. There is a beautiful Memorial Museum there which in recent times has been completely refurbished, and faithfully records the life and times of Livingstone.

It’s not surprising then that this also brought to my mind a visit we made with my son and daughter in law to Bagamoyo in Tanzania during one of our African travels. So before sharing with you something of the Memorial Museum, there follows a few photographs of our trip to Bagamoyo. This town was once considered to be the capital of Tanzania, a centre of business and commerce, strategically placed on the East African coast. David Livingstone’s body was brought here by his faithfull African friends and companions after his death on the southern shore of Lake Bangweolu on the 1st May 1873, he was aged sixty. They had carried their friend and colleague more than a thousand miles over a period of nine months, so that he could be transported back to his home country for burial in Westminstter Abbey, London.

Sadly this port was used by Arab slave traders who brought caravans of slaves from the interior to be shipped to the slave market in Zanzibar. It is estimated that 50,000 young and old African men and women were shipped from here every year over a number of decades, amounting to an approximately 1.5 million souls, not counting those who died on the way. It was a sobering experience walking around that place.

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THE BLANTYRE MEMORIAL MUSEUM is set on the banks of the river Clyde, surrounded by open fields, and paths, and the old mill houses have been remarkably well preserved, one end of the row forming the museum on three levels with lift access. There are modern toilet facilities in the museum, and on site, also a shop and restaurant. This place is well worth a visit, with plenty of space for a group outing and for children to play. Entrance prices are very competitive and can be checked on line.

David Livingstone, one of Scotland’s famous sons was the second child of Neil and Agnes Livingstone, and was born on the 19th March 1813. He was of humble birth and had six siblings, but grew up knowing the love and discipline of good Christian parents in a happy home. At the age of ten, he was sent to work at the local cotton mill, first as a piercer and then as a spinner. At the age of twenty he made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ after readng Dick’s “Philosophy of a Future State”. He said ‘I saw the duty and inestimable privilege immediately to accept salvation by Christ‘. This experience determined the course of his life.

Livingstone had a great love of reading, and this opened up the world to him. He is said to have read all sorts of books that came into his hands, but especially books on travel and missionary enterprise. By the age of 23 years, he was studying theology and medicine at Glasgow University and by September 1838, had been provisionally accepted by the London Missionary Society. After further studies in England, he returned to Glasgow in November 1840, and passed at Glasgow as a licentiate of the faculty of physicians and surgeons. During that same month he was ordained a missionary at Albion Street Chapel, and the following month he set sail for Capetown in South Africa. Here are some photos from within the museum.

This Memorial Museum is well worth a visit if you are ever in Scotland, I suggest it be one for your bucket list!

Thirty three years later on his last expedition in search of the source of the river Nile, he penned his last journal entry. This was just a few weeks before his death, he wrote “Nothing earthly will make me give up my work in despair. I encourage myself in the Lord my God, and go forward”. 25 March 1873.

During his 33 years in Africa it is estimated that Livingstone walked 29,000 miles crisscrossing a third of the African continent. The map below shows some of his most famous missionary / explorational expeditions.

**Dr. David Livingston**e – **Expeditions**

Journeys of Dr. David Livingstone:

Capetown 1852 – For their safety his family returns to UK. and Livingstone to Lynyanti.
November 1853 he departs on his expedition to Luanda, and arrives 1854.
September 1854 he returns to Lynyanti.
November 1855 Livingstone departs on an expedition to the East Coast, and on route becomes the first European to witness the magnificent Zambezi waterfall, which he named the ‘Victoria Falls’
May 1856 he successfully arrives at Quelimane on the East Coast
Sadly David’s loving wife and fellow worker Mary (nee Moffat), who had returned to be with her husband in Africa died of malaria on 27 April 1862 aged 41, and was buried at Shupanga.
Between 1866 – 1873 David’s last expedition in search of the source of the Nile, took him around Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. On this journey he had his meeting with Stanley, who on finding him famously said ‘Doctor Livingstone I presume‘.
May 1st 1873, He died on the southern shore of Lake Bangweolu.

Things people have said of him:

Mr Young lecturer at Glasgow said – Livingstone was the best man he ever knew, he had more than any other man of true filial trust in God, more of the Spirit of Christ, more of integrity, purity, and sismplicity of character, and of self denying love for his fellow men”.

Hildebrandt J – ‘Apparently he did not know fear and inspite of periods of gloom, he was generally hopeful and had a quiet humour. He had an indomitable will power which propelled a body often racked by fever. He was skilful in dealing with people and was a keen and accurate observer.’

What he said about himself at Cambridge University in 1857 – ‘…people talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can it be called a sacrifice which is simply paid back as a small part of a great debt owing to our God? ”’ it is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege.

Others of course have been critical, but it’s relatively easy to be critical with hindsight. Livingstone was not to know of the excesses to which future colonialists would go in their exploitation of Africa.

His writing of papers, his speeches back home, and his book ‘Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa’ highlighted amongst other things the needs of Africa. Particularly however was his horror of the slave trade. When confronting Arab slave traders in Tanganyika he wrote –‘This is a den of the worst of slave traders … they are the vilest of the vile. It is not a trade, but a system of consecutive murders; they go to plunder and kidnap, and every trading trip is nothing but a foray”. His last recorded words are these – “All I can say in my solitude is this, “May Heaven’s rich blessing come down on everyone – American, English, Turk – who will help to heal this open sore of the world”. Almost within a month of his death the slave market in Zanzibar was closed forever.

When David Livingstone applied to the London Missionary Society he stated at the start of his career his ideas of a Missionary’s work. He wrote “The missionary’s object is to endeavour by every means in his power to make known the Gospel by preaching, exhortation, conversation, instruction of the young; improving so far as is in his power, the temporal condition of those amongst whom he labours, by introducing the arts and sciences of civilisation, and doing everything to commend Christianity to their hearts and consciences. This extraordinary man, by God’s grace and help, and by his inspiration, accomplished through his work and writings nearly all of this to the Glory of God and the blessing of Africa’s peoples.

I hope the above photos and paragraphs have been enough to encourage you to visit the Blantyre Memorial if you live in the UK, or are on a visit here. If not you may wish to read one of the many books on Doctor David Livingstone which are readily available . I acknowledge their value here, as I have drawn on some of these invaluable resources when compiling this short blog.

It would be lovely to think of slavery as a thing of the past, but have you ever stopped to consider that slavery is still a problen in almost every country in the world today? Current estimates mention a figure of 50 million worldwide. In the UK a recent government report from the Home Affairs Committee on Human Trafficking was submitted to the government. In that, it mentions that the potential victims of modern slavery has increased substantially. There were 16,938 referrals in 2022, five times as many as the 3,263 referrals in 2015 when the Modern Slavery Act was passed. Nonetheless it has been estimated that there are at least 100,000 victims of modern slavery and human trafficking in the UK.

I felt aghast reading these statistics, just to think of the depth of human misery, exploitation and suffering that these statistics represent, and to think that they almost certainly describe situations happening in the city of Glasgow or even within a short distance from my own doorstep. It is at least heartening to know the government are trying to do something about it. But one thing it surely proves is that the human heart has not basically changed throughout the centuries. We don’t need to start by pointing the fingure at anyone else, we all know our own heart and mind. But hallelujah, there is a Saviour – Jesus, and it’s great to accept His invitation to come to Him in repentence and faith.. Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed”. John 8:34-36.

Today in Glasgow we had the first snow of the season, so we are endeavouring to keep warm. But wherever you are be blessed, and spread the word. Last night I was listening to people speaking of how Jesus had set them free from sin here in Glasgow. Some amazing stories.

Matthew

150th Anniversary – Greenview Church, Pollokshaws, Glasgow.

The Church Weekend at Gartmore House, Gartmore -some years ago

GREENVIEW CHURCH – 1439 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 3RQ.

Website – Greenviewchurch.co.uk An Excellent Booklet which gives a short history of the Church and its activities from 1873 – 2023 has been been produced by our Pastor Colin Adams

I have blogged about many things over recent years, but could not let this special anniversary year of our Church pass without reflecting on God’s grace and goodness and His blessings to us His people over many years and right up until the present. Many thousands of other lives have also been touched by the preaching and teaching of the Bible, here at home and abroad, and in recent years through the use of the internet.

As a child my family moved from the centre of Glasgow to the suburbs, and on our first Sunday, on recommendation, we walked to Greenview Church (or ‘Greenview Hall’ as it was called then) and as children were imediately welcomed into their very large Sunday School! The year was 1941. ‘Greenview’ has been our home Church ever since. It didn’t take us long to feel welcomed, even although there were eight of us, including mum and dad. The folks from Pollokshaws were so friendly and ordinary people, who had a love and passion to worship and serve an extraordinary God. Here at Greenview I was converted, baptised, and later was married and throughout the years became involved in many aspects of Church life. And here too, we brought up our children, along with my brothers and sisters and their children! It’s been quite a journey!

The Church we now call Greenview Church, had met in a number of different buildings within the Pollokshaws area of Glasgow prior to our arrival, but was now settled in the building purchased at the corner of Pollokshaws Road and Leckie Street. Here are some pics of these early locations, plus extensions and alterations made to the current building. –

Templars Hall – 1873-1876
Main Street opposite Bengal Street

On the right > is Norman Macrae one of the eight founding members with his wife, prior to going to India as missionaries. The eight men who in 1873 decided to rent the Templars Hall in Main Street, were motivated by the love of Jesus Christ, and had a burden to preach and share the Good News about Jesus with others. Their message could be encapsulated in the words of John 3v16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

The Church is its members, not the building, so here are some pictures of Church from across the years.

I wasn’t around when these photos were taken, but I grew up to know many of them who were, or became, leaders in the Church! Old friends from the ‘Shaws might recognise some of the faces. Dress style has changed a bit since then 🙂 Here are more taken some years later, in the 50’s and 70’s There are too many faces to show, let these few suffice as being representative of those who were amongst our mentors, and others with whom we served.

Jim and Annie Wands – Elder and leader in so many different capacities

The Bible is central to all our Church activities, and has been faithfully preached and taught down through the years, to young and old, week by week, indoors and out of doors, at sheduled services, in house groups and at special campaigns and events. Like so many others I’ve found it to be a lamp to my feet a light on my path. It’s an amazing book, and an endless source of treasure.

As the city demographics changed over the years it was a privilege to welcome Christians from other churches in the South Side of Glasgow. Wolesley Gospel Hall in Oatlands, Elim Evangelical Church in Crosshill and Maple Evangelical Church in Newton Mearns. Many of these Christians have made, and are making a real and valuable contribution to Greenview Church’s life and work.

Evangelist Peter Brandon preaching at Shawlands Arcade during a Gospel Campaign

Stan Ford (mentioned above) died in 1991 but you can still hear his remarkable story on line, it’s well worth the listen. He was the man who said ‘if there is a God I hate him! https://gospelhallaudio.org/sermons/if-theres-a-god-i-hate-him-54-min/

Children’s and Youth work has always been an integral part of Church life from the earliest of days until present. The Church over a period of time purchased a number of buses which were used to bring young people from Thornliebank, Carnwadric, Mansewood and Eastwood districts of Glasgow to the various activities. My wife and I spent almost 25 years of our lives working with the young people. Today the Contageous Youth Camp still attracts young people from around the country including young people from Greenview. Here is a selection of photographs.

Many missionaries from Greenview have travelled far and wide to share the Gospel story cross-culturally in Asia, Africa, India and the America’s. In the first row below are missionaries who went out in the 30’s, and who were an inspiration to the Church. In the 2nd row are some of my contemporaries from the 60’s. Since then others have gone out to Kenya, Tanzania and other destinations, with various skills – Bible translators, medical experts, Bible teachers, builders, engineers and administrators. Even today many members are serving overseas. Others have gone on short term projects throughout the UK and Europe and in various countries abroad.. Far too many to display! Here are some of the missionaries that I grew up listening to:

Jim Caldwell was a well loved gospel singer whose work was recorded. Click on the link and hear him singing ‘How great Thou art’. https://youtu.be/-3cdTlqPgys?si=bpOLEsg45YutdiDn

Dedicated work amongst men and women has been a major feature of Church Ministry. The Women’s Meeting on Wednesday’s at 2.15pm and the Men’s Meeting on Tuesday’s at 2pm from the 50’s to the 90’s was led by a dedicated team of men and women. The Women’s ministry played a major role in the conversion of my mother-in-law Muriel snr., which was a cause of great rejoicing! The nature and emphasis of the work has changed over the years, but still continues to this day. Here are some photos from more recent years of Men’s activities folllowed by some Women’s activities

Unfortunately I don’t have many photos of the women’s events, which is a bit sad considering all the work they have done, and still do in the Church. But the sewing class has donated countless quilts and other items for Children’s homes abroad and we always enjoy their ‘Coffee and Craft’ events which raise money for missionaries and charities. Many also serve in our Cafe on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Well I think I’d better bring this to a close, so I’ll finish with a general selection of some photos I like:

Church picnic to Helensburgh by tramcar and service bus!

Check out our website for details of our current programme. Morning services are live on You Tube, or if you live locally why not drop in and see us, you would be most welcome. And to past members and friends, you would receive a special welcome on this our 150th Anniversary year, please think about coming to visit us.

If you are not a Christian and all the above seems very strange to you, you may like to take a ‘Christianity Explored’ or ‘Alpha Course’. Courses near you can be checked on line, or get in touch if I can be of help.

I hope you have enjoyed these personal memories of my life at Greenview Church, but wherever you are and whoever you are, I wish you God’s blessing as we start our run up to the Christmas Festival and Celebrations.

Matthew

NB: Thanks to those who donated photographs, and to others whose old photographs of Pollokshaws are in the publc domain.

A Tribute to Daddy!

Well, not many children today use the term ‘daddy’, but back in the nineteen thirties and forties me and my siblings, and all my pals called their Mother – ‘mammy’, and their Father, ‘daddy’. Today is the anniversary of his death in 1978, so I was looking at some old photos, and recalling many happy childhood and life memories.

Dad was born at Wolesley Street in Glasgow in 1895; these were the days of horse drawn trams, and stage coaches, and when ‘horse and carts’ were the main means of transporting goods as the photo below illustrates. The family moved to the Ibrox area of Glasgow when he was still a child, and there he attended the ‘Band of Hope’, a child’s club at the local church. One night they taught the children a new song, ‘Jesus wants me for a sunbeam’. On arriving back home he found the house empty as his mammy was at a neighbour’s house and daddy was out. So he tells how he knelt at the black fire grate and prayed “Jesus if you want me for a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for you‘. You might think that a bit crazy, childish and simplistic, but Jesus loves the children as the Gospels tell us, and the truth is my daddy spent the rest of his 83 years as an ardent follower of Jesus, and always put that down to his early childhood prayer!

With countless others he lived through two world wars and the great depresssion. He had trained and worked as an engineer, but during ‘the great depression’ he managed to get some work as a welding company van driver. These were the days of community ‘soup kitchens’ and great hardship, but somehow by the grace of God, there was always food on the table. He was an inspector at Rolls Royce during much of my lifetime and worked long hours Monday to Saturday in aid ot the war effort during WWII. He had met Mary Smiith at the Bethel Mission in Kinning Park and they married in 1927. They had a family of six children. The youngest one in the pram, is not named ‘Boris’ but Matthew 🙂

Most of my earliest memories were after we moved from Ibrox to a new council flat in Shawlands. There we were enrolled in due time at the local schools and at Church Sunday school. The boys also joined the local Boys Brigade, and were regulars at our own church in Pollokshaws, who held a weekly Children’s hour packed to the door with kids. No TV in these days!! History in someways repeated itself, as just after one such children’s hour, where they were serialising the story of John Bunyon’s best selling book ‘The Pilgrim’s Progress’ accompanied by ‘Lantern Slides’, we arrived back home and our daddy was asked, how can you be sure you will go to heaven when you die? He explaianed to us in childlike terms, the amazing story of God’s love for us, and how Jesus died in our place, and rose from the dead, so we can be forgiven. Then me and my three brothers prayed the ‘Sorry’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Please’ prayer to Jesus. Sorry for my sin, thank you for dying in my place, please come into my life and be my Saviour and friend. So that’s when and how our life as Christians began.

We were a family with a love for the great outdoors, and before the days of cars, we walked for miles on Saturday afternoons after daddy came home from work. Our parents always managed to take us on holiday at the ‘Glasgow Fair’ each year, usually to a place on the Clyde Coast but occasionally further afield. Here are some photos.

My Father gave us all lots of good advice throughout life, and led by example in key areas of honesty, integrity, consistency and commitment to his word. He was a man of sincere faith and prayer, with many down to earth examples on practical living in the home and workplace, and also in love and faithfulness within marriage. One piece of advice he gave me that stands out above the rest, and has stood the test of time, was from the book of Proverbs chapter 3:5,6. It reads

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

I know of course that not everyone has good memories of their father, which is very sad. Of course no earthly father is perfect, and neither was mine, but we do have a Heavenly Father who is, and who loves us beyond measure, and we can come to Him in complete confidence and trust. He already knows all about us, our mistakes, our troubles, joys and sorrows, so we can speak openly and honestly to Him in the Name of Jesus. Perhaps a simple Sorry, Please, and Thankyou prayer to start with?

Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam – Children’s hymn lyrics

Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, To shine for him each day; In ev’ry way try to please him, At home, at school, at play.
Chorus: A sunbeam, a sunbeam, Jesus wants me for a sunbeam. A sunbeam, a sunbeam, I’ll be a sunbeam for him.
Jesus wants me to be loving, And kind to all I see, Showing how pleasant and happy His little one can be.

Blessings as you prepare to celebrate Christmas.

Matthew

My photographic Review of 2021

Another year of travel restrictions due to Covid has resulted in us spending almost all of the year at home, so most of the photographs this year have been taken locally or on ‘day trips’ from Glasgow. However as we look back on 2021 it’s amazing to remember all the interesting places we visited, some for the very first time, and the joy and peace we had in doing that. So here’s a picture or two per month!

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Reflection: This year started with some optimism as vaccines were being rolled out, and the slogan ‘we will beat this together’ sounded more plausible, but then along came the variants!

Thankfully the latest Omicron variant is reported to be less severe than those that have gone before, so we pray that this downward trend will continue in 2022. A visit to Glasgow city centre just before Christmas told its own story. Gone was the sound of laughter and the bustling Christmas market in George Square. No ‘big wheel’, ‘flying chairs’, ‘helter skelter’or ice rink, fun and joviality had given way to just a few families with kids who had come to see the lights and the nativity scene, plus some folks handing out food and drink to the poor and homeless.

But hold on a minute, is ‘families with kids who had come to see the lights and the nativity scene, plus some folks handing out food and drink to the poor and homeless‘ more in keeping with the Christmas story, than a ‘lets eat and drink and be merry‘ lifestyle, especially in the current circumstances? The British Prime Minister caused outrage recently when it was disclosed that last winter some government departments were partying while people were self isolating and others mourning the loss of family and friends to Covid 19.

This Christmas I was caused to stop and think again about the reason for Christmas, which this new carol, so beautfully sung, challenges us to do. Take a minute to listen!

I hope you enjoy the photographs, and like me are challenged by the new carol.

Hope to see you again in the New Year. Every blessing to you and yours.

Matthew

“The Queer Folk O’ the Shaws”

Pollokshaws Townhouse (1803) and the Memorial to James McIndoe the poet

Pollokshaws is a district on the southside of Glasgow (A Burgh in its own right until 1912) and was our home for 23 years, and is still the lifelong home of our church in Leckie Street. This blog will recall past and recent memories of life here, and the huge changes that have taken place throughout my lifetime. There is a poem on a plaque in the old part of the ‘Shaws, which always brings a smile to my face, but please don’t take the words too seriously! 🙂 The poem on the plaque reads:

The ‘Queer folk’ O’ the Shaws – “Wha’ ne’er untae the Shaws has been – Has surely missed a treat – For wonders there are to be seen – Which nothing else can beat. – The folks are green, it’s aft been said, – Of that you’ll find no trace; – There’s seasoned wood in every head – And brass in every face. – Look smart and keep your eyes about – Their tricks will make you grin; – The Barrhead bus will take you out -The folks will take you in. Thank you James McIndoe, that poem still makes me laugh!

Pollokshaws has a history going back to the 17th century, but ‘The ‘Queer Folk’ was the name first given to some Flemish weavers brought to the Shaws by the Maxwell family in the 1800’s, and over time became a ‘byeword’ for all those living in the area. (‘Queer’ in the poem had the meaning of ‘strange’ or ‘odd’) McIndoe the poet, it has been said liked making fun of folks, and it says something of Pollokshaws people that they chose to remember him by this ‘cheeky’ poem in the ‘town square’. Being able to ‘laugh at ourselves’ is surely a special virtue.

The changes that have taken place in the Pollokshaws landscape in my lifetime have been quite phenomenal! In the 40’s and 50’s it still had that close community, working class, yet small town / village atmosphere. It has to be said however, that the housing was basic, and in some parts quite deplorable and rightly described as a slum. But development was coming! (See on-line – ‘Pollokshaws – Wikipedia’ for some amazing resources)

View from our window in Harriet Street 1958

In the 60’s Pollokshaws was designated as a redevelopment area, and in due time we were given the sum of £1.00 in exchange for our two apartment flat in Harriet Street, plus the keys to a brand new flat in the Shawholm Cresent tower block, with a rent payable to Glasgow Housing Department. Wow, were we pleased? YES we were! The up and downstairs apartment had underfloor central heating, two bedrooms, bathroom, a lounge with a verandah, a fitted kitchen, and our own lock-up garage. Pollok Park was just across the road, the neighbours were great, together we polished the communal corridor and as the proverbial saying goes ‘you could have eaten your dinner off the floor’ it was so clean.

We had many happy days at Shawholm Crescent, but life moves on, and as the family grew we too moved on. But now we look back and wonder why all those hopes and dreams that the new revitalised Pollokshaws brought, would within our lifetime come to ruin and decay? The many factories and businesses in the area also closed over that period of time.

But another revitalised Pollokshaws is arising from the ashes, so time will tell if it is more successful than the last redevelopment effort. I am surprised however that expensive new houses are being built, whilst it seems little effort is going into preserving and maintaining landmark buildings, monuments and the once attractive river bank.

Our Church at Greenview.

Greenview Church, was established by some men in the Shaws away back in 1873, as they were keen to introduce to people a simple form of Christian worship. They met to pray, study the Bible, have fellowship with one another as believers and hold communion. They were also keen to share the good news about Jesus with their fellow citizens in Pollokshaws. First they met in a rented hall off the Main Street, then built a wooden hall in Wodrow Street, (Wodrow Street ran from Cogan Street past what is now Pollokshaws Parish Church – The tree now standing in the ground near the Parish Church was in the grounds of the Hall) before moving to Greenbank Street and finally to Leckie Street, where they have been since 1933. The building there has been changed and extended on umpteen occasions.

The Church from its beginnings had a strong missionary interest, and Norman MacRae one of the founding fathers, went out in 1876 to Narsapur in the Godaveri Delta, India. Up until today a long line of men and women from Greenview Church have followed Jesus’ command to ‘go into all the world to preach the gospel’ both by word and deed. I remember as a youngster the Pollokshaws Burgh Hall being packed to the door for ‘Farewell Meetings’ followed by trips to the Central Station where we waved off our friends as they made their way to Tilbury Dock in London, before sailing to Africa and South America. Many country names come to mind – Northern Rhodesia, Argentina, Brazil, East Pakistan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania and other nations in the Middle East. Alex Simpson of Pollokshaws died in Brazil, and an orphanage there is called after him. Men and women with a wide variety of skills from the Shaws have left our shores and used their gifts and skills to help folks around the world, and to build, plant and support the Church.

No space here to expand on all the activities of the Church over the years – suffice to say they have been exhaustive. Not including the main Sunday morning and evening services, there has been Bible studies and weekly prayer meetings, Summer ‘Tent’ Campaigns, Choirs singing at Churches around Scotland’s Central belt, Christian conferences, Sunday Schools (Pollokshaws and Thornliebank) with summer trips and children’s prizegivings, Childrens meetings galore, Christian Youth Centre during and after the war, with 2 week summer camps around Scotland and winter craft making and games nights, Youth Bible Classes and special weekends away, Womens tea meetings, Sewing classes, mens meetings, a football team, white water rafting, golf outings, and much more. Some Greenview pics from the ancient past, and from more recent times follow.

During the pandemic the church services were on-line with the help of Zoom, but that gave the opportuniy to upgrade the church building and its fittings. Now services are back in church, and whilst we practice social distancing and wear masks, it’s great having the live band for our singing, and to see friends old and new in person.

Life has changed dramatically in Pollokshaws in my lifetime, and our church too has had to deal with many changes. But thankfully God does not change and the good news of Jesus does not change. In fact the Bible says of Jesus, that He is the same, yesterday, today and forever. An anchor to our souls in our increasingly chaotic world. Our community cafe has started again on Wednesday and Friday mornings, and many have already come to enjoy the friendly welcome and excellent food and coffee. Tot’s and Co. on Tuesday and Thursday mornings are seeing lots of local mums making friends and finding support there, and our ‘Christians Against Poverty’ Centre is up and running, helping folks escape the debt trap. We also have a programme in partnership with ‘Hope for Glasgow’ that deals with those who have destroying addictions. Sunday School runs in parallel with our morning service at 11am, and there is a thriving Youth Group.

If you are coming to Glasgow we would love to see you, and of course if you stay in Pollokshaws there is always a welcome awaiting you!

We look forward to following the ongoing development of Pollokshaws and its Churches, so with this picture of the Burgh Hall, I wish all my fellow bloggers and my Pollokshaws friends at home and abroad a ‘Happy Christmas and God’s blessing in the New Year!’

Matthew

2020 LOCKDOWN ESCAPES to the great outdoors!

It’s easy to look back on 2020 and think of all the restrictions that we lived under, but my photographic record seems to tell a different story. We did in fact enjoy some beautiful weather, and made many escapes to the great outdoors – either in the garden, the local vicinity or further afield. I’ve picked a photograph for each month as a review of the year, that tries to sum up our outdoor activities.

In early January we headed for Arrochar at the top of Loch Long

Arrochar is the ‘half way’ point in a popular drive from Glasgow, known as the ‘The Three Lochs’. Loch Lomond, Loch Long and the Gareloch. It’s a great place for a picnic, and we often stop here before travelling on to other destinations such as, Invergarry or Dunoon.

Irvine is our nearest point to the sea, so hardly a month goes by without us being here, either for a walk on the beach or for a read in the car if the weather is inclement! In my ‘boyish imagination’I think looking at this photo, that I’m standing on the deck of a submarine as it heads out to sea from the clyde 🙂

In March, just before lockdown we visited Balquidder on a stormy sleety March day. This is the Churchyard where another popular Scottish folk hero is buried, Rob Roy MacGregor, known as the ‘Robin Hood’ of Scotland.

Stay Safe, stay local, so we did! This is the housing estate where we live

The weather in April was amazing for this time of year, so almost every day we walked around enjoying the budding trees and hedgerows. We now know more of our local area than ever before!

May – Apple Blossom in the garden, daffodils and tulips in decline, YES! summer is around the corner

The garden and greenhouse played a major part in our outdoor activities this year, and it was a real blessing to have them.

In June daytime in Scotland extends to 11pm and beyond, so it was nice to drive around the area close to home one summer evening. There I spotted this unusual cross on top of a Presbyterian Church, which seemed to me to still have the ‘crown of thorns’ hanging on the cross. With the moon in the background it was for me a very emotive scene, hence the photo and the text.

Girvan beach and ‘Ailsa Craig’ on a warm summer July evening!

In July restrictions were eased, so having already cancelled our holidays, we made most of the opportunity to make day trips here, there and everywhere!

With lots of sunshine and much care and attention the greenhouse produced a bumper harvest this year, and we are still enjoying the benefits of it yet, from the freezer!

September saw us having a short autumn break in the Scottish Highlands at Inverness. We have many memories of beaches, castles, battlefields and memorials. One of our finest memories was walking on the beach at Dornoch on a glorious sunny day.

October we were back at church with social distancing, no singing and a maximum of fifty persons. It was great to be there again, for although zoom has been an alternative and a blessing, nothing beats meeting together with fellow Christians to worship and praise God, in the quietness the church building provides.

Glasgao Necropolis – Glasgow Cathedral in the background

November we visited the famous Glasgow Necropolis for the first time, to view the grandoise tombstones of the past, and to enjoy amazing views over old Glasgow, and also Glasgow’s ancient Cathedral

December and the first signs of ice on the local pond!

Yes, winter is here, lockdown is back to level four, and on a few mornings this last week we have been scraping the ice from the car windows. But the central heating is on, and we have every comfort, and the good news is that a vaccine has been developed for Covid 19. So we are thankful for everything we have enjoyed in 2020 and look forward with faith and hope to 2021.

Matthew

The Bookcase – it’s dangerous to go there!

I confess that looking in my bookcase is not something I do very often these days, as I now find it easier reading from my ‘Kindle’ due to print size, back lighting, and the ability to carry your whole library around with you. However I was searching in my bookcase yesterday for a particular book, and in the process was distracted by two other books that caught my eye! Books have power 🙂

One of the books I picked up and browsed was Tom Lennie’s ‘Land of Many Revivals’ – Scotland’s extraordinary Legacy of Christian revivals over four centuries 1527 – 1857, published in 2015. What an amazing amount of research has gone into this book. Many people will know, and have read of the Lewis Revival (1949-52) and perhaps have heard people speak about it at an event or on TV or You Tube. But I guess most Scots are oblivious to the fact that this whole phenomena of Christian revival goes a long way back in Scottish history.

Being a Glasgow boy I looked for ‘Glasgow’ in the index, and read with interest of George Whitefield’s visit in 1741 and of his subsequent visits. Even by 1751 Whitefield recorded that he was speaking to ten thousand souls every day, with people leaving their homes early in the morning to walk into the city to hear him. Countless numbers of people came to put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, claiming Him to be their Saviour and Lord.

Pictures of Tiree

Since my ancestors came from the Isle of Tiree, that was where I next looked. I was interested to read that revival commenced there in the Congregational Church at the end of 1839, and spread to the Baptist Church. In the late 1830’s the Baptist pastor there, a Duncan MacDougal lamented – ‘sunk too much into formality, and we almost despair of prosperity’. By the end of 1840 MacDougal was exclaiming ’Our winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the time of the singing of birds has come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land’! There were frequent baptisms, one in April 1840 records 300-400 people on the edge of the loch witnessing the baptism of another six candidates. As I read that I wondered, was one of my ancestors among them?

The other book that ‘caught my eye’ was ‘Covenanting Pilgrimages and Studies ‘ by A B Todd published in 1911. It was a kind of ‘Eureka’ moment when I put my hands on it. I had forgotten that I had it, and in recent months we have been visiting some of the many Covenanter monuments that are scattered around this area of East Renfrewshire, and throughout the South West of Scotland. In fact I recently made a short video on this subject, (see below). As an aside, the book is special because it originally was given to James Wands as a Bible Class prize in Glasgow. Jim Wands was one of my leaders as a teenager at our Christian Youth Centre, and later became my friend. I received the book from his library on his death.

Today it seems that in society at large, much of Scotland’s Christian heritage is ignored and set aside. But it’s also encouraging to read of the many exciting things happening within churches of various denominations up and down the land, and the impact many are making in their communities. My own Church is always packed out on a Sunday, and every day throughout the week a busy programme is in operation.

Perhaps it is time to start praying again for ‘Revival’, as our nation and world seem in such chaos, and many individual lives are broken and in despair! May God again bless the people of Scotland!

And yes, I eventually found the book I was looking for!

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