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The Neilston Men's Group visited Glasgow's Fairfield Heritage, a community museum in Govan dedicated to telling the story of Govan's outstanding role in world shipbuilding. The building was once the headquarters of the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company Ltd, arguably the greatest shipbuilding enterprise in the world which, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries built the largest and fastest sea-going vessels the world had ever seen.
It's run by very knowledgeable and friendly volunteers and there are lots of great exhibits, videos, and testimonials about the history and importance of shipbuilding in Govan. There was also a display on the role of shipbuilding during the two world wars.
The A-Listed building dates back to 1891 and is one of the finest merchant buildings of late 19th-century Glasgow. It was designed in 1890 by John Keppie, the future mentor of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the offices served their original purpose until 2001 when they became unoccupied and gradually fell into a state of disrepair. Govan Workspace purchased the building in 2009 and it's been refurbished into what we have today.
Govan Milestone
I'd passed it many times on the bus and noticed the somewhat-outlandish sculpture by the door - I always thought it was some sort of alien crab but then I'd never gotten close to it. Apparently it's called Govan Milestone by artist Helen Denerley and it was unveiled in 1994 as one of the nine Glasgow ‘Milestones’ that were sited throughout the city by the end of September 1994 following the city’s 1990 ‘Year of Culture’. It's described as a swollen semicircle mounted at right angles upon another, with four long-billed birds standing where the arcs cross. The birds are made of a combination of scrap metal (chain links, steel rope, nuts and bolts) from the then adjacent Kvaerner Govan shipyard.
The Group Shot
If you’re interested in visiting the Fairfield Heritage museum, then here are some more details:
The museum is located in Glasgow, Scotland and is easily accessible by car, bus, underground or even by foot from the city centre if you're feeling limber.
It’s currently open seven days a week until October and admission is free.
For more information, please visit the Fairfield Heritage website:
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