onsideirvine - The Irvine Archive

The Irvine Archive

Welcome to The Irvine Archive. This resource was founded on 11th August 2012 by the Academy of Imagineering, a volunteer group which conducts action research into community led regeneration: https://sites.google.com/view/the-academy-of-imagineering/home. On 1st April 2017 it was transferred to the Community Action Commitee of Irvine Meadow Community Club CIC, onsideirvine, who now runs it on behalf of the local community. You can contact their team of volunteers via email: onsideirvine@gmail.com

Irvine, located on the Firth of Clyde in Scotland, is the administrative capital of North Ayrshire. Its history can be proven to date back to the time of the Roman occupation of Britain (and, in all probability, it served as a tribal centre before this). It has fulfilled many roles over the past 2,000 years: it served as the military capital of Scotland for two centuries; it was a port for the City of Glasgow for six hundred years; it was a significant administrative, legal and mercantile centre (holding sway over much of the north of the former County of Ayr); it became a major player in the development of the UK's chemical and munitions industries; in 1966 it was designated as Scotland's fifth New Town (Britain's only seaside New Town); it is linked to the development of Robert Burns as a published poet; and is the birthplace of artists (including George Henry: one of the world-famous 'Glasgow Boys'), engineers (James Steadman has been credited with the invention of the screw propeller), actors (including Broadway and Hollywood star Robert B. Mantell), writers (including John Galt), poets (including James Montgomery) and publishers (The Macmillan Press was co-founded by Irvine boy, Alexander Macmillan).

The town was the location for the signing of one of Scottish History's most infamous peace treaties between Scotland and England (The Capitulation of Irvine, 1297); and in May 1887, on Irvine Moor, Keir Hardie gave his first major Socialist speech (starting a process which would lead to the formation of the UK Labour Party; Hardie became its first Leader).

The main purpose of this website is to provide users of The Archive with a means of gaining rapid access to material stored elsewhere on the Internet (such as Flickr, You Tube and file-sharing sites). You will find links to these resources contained within the The Photographic and Document Collection (to the right) and the The Film and Video Collection (below). The above video on this page serves as a brief introduction to The Irvine Archive, we hope that you will enjoy viewing it.

We also hope that you will enjoy viewing this onsideirvine webpage and using it as a means to exploring the magnificent heritage of The Royal Burgh of Irvine. Please have a look through the other pages on our website, we are actively engaged with our community in making a difference.

The Film and Video Collection

Below are links to The Irvine Archive's Film and Video Collection on You Tube and Vimeo. To date, we have had one anonymous donor, whom we wish to thank for providing us with six entertaining and informative amateur films. There is also a brief animation of the development of the Royal Burgh from 1200 until 1900. Should you wish to help us to expand our collection, please contact The Archive at this address:

onsideirvine@gmail.com

THE AYRSHIRE PAGEANT (1934) Filmed in black and white by A.G. Watson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oinn23mq17s&feature=youtu.be

This event was held at the Dam Park in Ayr in June of that year. Look out for the participants from Irvine, who appear 43 seconds into the film. For more information on this event, please visit this website: http://www.historicalpageants.ac.uk/pageant-month/pageant-ayrshire-1934/

KING GEORGE V's SILVER JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS (1935) Filmed in black and white by A.G. Watson

https://vimeo.com/117266766

A field gun salute on Irvine Moor (between the Burns Statue and the former Irvine Royal Academy building) is the central part of this movie; the procession to the Moor (including a body of troops and officers and a military Pipe band), and the departure of both participants and spectators, along Academy Road form the opening and closing sequences.

IRVINE (1930s) Filmed in black and white by A.G. Watson

https://vimeo.com/117269942

The main part of this film is set in Academy Road. Although the film has not been labelled, it may be that we are viewing either parts of the Silver Jubilee Day, or rehearsals for it. A real treat begins at 1 minute and 9 seconds into this movie, a drive through Irvine Town Centre: we are first taken down the High Street, towards the Cross; and then we are driven down Bank Street, through the Cross, down Bridgegate, over the Water Bridge and into Montgomery Street.

MARYMASS 1935 Filmed in black and white by A.G. Watson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGKSRh8hIOw&feature=youtu.be

This film depicts the Procession as it heads for Irvine Moor along Kilwinning Road, and it briefly shows both human and horse races (as well as some fascinating shots of the crowd).

MARYMASS 1937 Filmed in colour by A.G. Watson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulPT_tm8b6U&feature=youtu.be

This film shows the crowning ceremony in front of the Town House (the stage having been constructed around the War Memorial, in its former location). The Procession then heads for Irvine Moor along Burns Street. The final shots show one of the annual horse races, the winning jockey and his horse.

MARYMASS 1974 Filmed in colour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-cZftUq3oc&index=4&list=PL25oBXFvutIW9XqzKS2IF37_a4m15ddIx

This film shows the Procession heading along Kilwinning Road, it also records a couple of the annual races on Irvine Moor and a crowd scene.

DEVELOPMENT OF A ROYAL BURGH

https://vimeo.com/557505858

A short animation which demonstrates how Irvine grew and changed over seven hundred years (from 1200 to 1900).

The Photographic and Document Collection

Below are provided links to the resources of The Archive : photos, videos and documents. onsideirvine wish to thank the following local photographers for generously contributing their time and their work to The Archive Project: Steve A; Andy Baird; George Barr; Bricheno; Ted Crancher; Liz Crichton; George Gallagher; Donald Gibson; Charles Gordon; Graeme McCormack: Dave Hitchborne; Les Hutchinson; Gordon McCreath; Hazel and Gordon McGibney; Bob Mason; Jutta Meyer; Alex Mitchell; Campbell Mitchell; Archie Niven; Anne Oldfield; Tom Parnell; Robert Poole; Phineas Redux; Thomas Rees; Harris Reid; the Scottish Maritime Museum; Kevin Smart; Alexandra Watson; Roger Whitehead and our largest donor to date, the late George McMaster.

The Irvine Archive on Flickr

Irvine's Heritage

a series of images which explore the town's history:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2628328@N25/

Before 1966

photos and drawings from the pre-New Town era:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2065279@N23/

Irvine New Town (1966-96)

the time of expansion and redevelopment is explored:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/2620129@N25/

After the New Town (1997 until today)

more recent images of the town: