Bathgate Through The Ages
The Carboniferous Age happened millions of years ago. This was when Lizzie Lothiana was captured for all time while frolicking in a Kirkton Quarry puddle. This, the time when our tropical forests were collapsing and compressed into a black coal.
Other ages followed, including an ice age that came long before Bathgate's own well remembered and revered ice age- the Boni-Serafini Era..
The Middle Ages came and Walter the High Steward built his castle complete with its own private golf course on the reclaimed bog. He was the first steward of many to follow and under their stewardship the club was sufficiently democratised to include all and sundry as members and his castle reduced to a mere stony hazard on the 10th fairway. But leadership and the ability to rule still lived on in the club and this was exemplified when it produced - not one - but two Ryder Cup Captains from within its ranks! A feat as yet unequalled by any other club.
Bathgate has long served as a convenient stopping-off place for the old SMT and Scottish Omnibuses on the road between Edinburgh and Glasgow but from time immemorial it has probably served many weary travellers as a resting place travelling between east and west. The Jacobite troops waited here for Bonnie Prince Charlie while he made a quick eastward body swerve to visit and dine with the Norvell family. To while away the time his Highlanders indulged in their unique games of "tossing the caber" and suchlike. Thus began a local tradition which survives to this day - a kind of Lowland Highland Games!
The Industrial Age followed with the mining and quarrying of coal, ironstone and limestone to give us the beginnings of the iron and steel industries locally. Brewing at the Glen was followed by the distilling of “Macnab’s Celebrated Glenmavis Dew”.
James Young Simpson, son of a one time Glenmavis distiller, no doubt knew of the amber liquid's qualities but apparently preferred an alternative anaesthetic when he pioneered the use of chloroform in medicine. However, some diehards among us have stuck rigidly or otherwise to the ancient usquebacchic remedies for life's ills. Whereas JYS was tending to the health needs of the body; John Newland came along to provide for the educational needs when he endowed the Academy; whilst James (paraffin) Young started the first oil refinery in the world thereby providing work for those inhabitants now sound in limb and mind.
The Modern Age was next and it brought about the demise of the heavy mining and steel industries associated with Bathgate. "Light industry" became the watchword. So Easton Pit, Menzies', Renton & Fisher's, Dougal's and Wolfe's were replaced by the likes of TCC, BMC and Motorola.
They were too light and soon easily blown away on the economic wind of change.
Even the hosiery factories were closed down, but surely that wasn't sufficient reason to force Michael Glen the renowned miler to run and win the annual Carnwath "Red Hose" Race fourteen times! Mind you the devious Carnwathians soon put paid to his little game and changed the rules thereby debarring him from actually winning the coveted prize!
But what of the future? To what next does Bathgate turn to rekindle its economic life! Geographically it lies midcentre in Scotland's central belt but is in no way central or crucial to Scottish affairs. What role can be found to play? Where are its embryo entrepreneurs? It should not be relegated to the dustbin of history as proclaimed in one line of a Proclaimers' song. It needs new ideas, new energies,new blood. Ask not what the toon can dae fur you….
