Part of this project took us to Norway to start to make some friends across the water. We visited some of the former whaling towns that are directly connected to Dumfries as the home of those first arriving into Dumfries Station in the summer of 1941 – Tonsberg (our former twinning town), Sandeford and Bergen.
The enthusiasm and sense of shared connection to Dumfries with the people we met was quite overwhelming. We spoke about the project in the Forsmannsenteret Centre for elderly residents in Sandefjord, children of those relationships and marriages made during the time of so many Norwegians in our town. Met with local officials and other arts organisations to talk about future collaborations and tried to capture a tiny part of Norway’s side of our story. There is still much to find out but we have made a start at least….we even made the local Sandefjord Press!
Catching up on ‘Our Norwegian Story‘ Instalment I.
Finn the Whale – written by our very own talented Stove Curatorial Team member Martin Joseph O’Neill and local artist Maria Ruiz Plana – took the metaphors of Exile, Journey, and Friendship and wove them into a beautiful tale of finding your true self and a safe place of Refuge. Workshops were held at The Stove and Lincluden Primary school in November with performances given to inspire the compositions of our young Paragon musicians. Both these compositions and the Shadow Puppet show were performed as part of the Our Norwegian Story showcase in November’s STORY event.
The results of our Midsteeple Quarter Architecture Competition have been announced, with Ayr based ARPL Architects winning the 1st prize of £1000. Gordon Flemming from ARPL Architects stated, “We are very pleased that our ideas for the Midsteeple Quarter in Dumfries were recognised by the competition judges. The challenge of ensuring regional town centres stay viable and lively is a great task and we hope our contribution to the discussion helps add a new dimension to this.”
Gordon Fleming’s entry wins First Place
The Midsteeple Quarter project is an important part of a national debate about the future of town centres as traditional retail declines everywhere, the architectural ideas submitted are not proposals of what will be built, but a way of continuing the conversation of how the Midsteeple Quarter could develop as a new heart of our town centre.
The judging panel consisted of John Dowson, a Dumfries High Street Resident; Melissa Gunn, Lecturer in Business and Enterprise at the University of the West of Scotland & Chair of the Board of Directors at The Stove Network; Tim Gray, Director at Holmes Miller Architects & GIA President; Iain Monteith, Director at Loader & Monteith Architects and Tutor at the Mackintosh School of Architecture and David Cowan, Head of Regeneration Unit at the Scottish Government.
Second place was awarded to a group of young female architects who focused their entry on the social aspect of regenerating Dumfries High Street, providing solutions which introduced both day and night time activity. Their reimaging of the town centre sought to provide an achievable, affordable and permanent solution to empty shop fronts whilst integrating student accommodation into the heart of a potentially thriving community. Third place was awarded to Pioneer Landscape Architecture, who looked at the unique nature of the site and its spaces to guide their response. Their aim was to revitalise the Midsteeple Quarter by making proposals on both a regional and local scale, reinstating the importance of Dumfries as a regional capital in a post retail society. In addition to the cash prizes the Judges wanted to commend Ryan Canning and Titas Grikevicius from Holmes Miller with a Drawing Commendation.
Second Place was awarded to Andie Cooke, Megan ward, Cara Brunton and Ashley Mitchell.
Sam Patterson, who coordinated the architecture competition on behalf of the Glasgow Institute of Architects, commented, “The GIA are delighted to have worked with The Stove Network on developing such a rich and challenging competition brief and we are thrilled with the range of ideas that were received across the 15 submissions. The quality of the submissions exceeded our expectations and we hope will stimulate the debate in Dumfries about the potential of the Midsteeple Quarter.”
Long-term and careful public consultation has brought a consensus that re-populating the town centre is an urgent necessity. Late last year,we conducted an online survey and had responses from over 800 members of the public. Their responses revealed support for a more diverse approach to the future of the town centre with a very positive response to ideas of enterprise, education, live-work, health services and restaurants/nightlife all being available in the town centre as well as more events, festivals and markets to encourage more people to come into the town.
On Friday 9th June, entries to the Midsteeple Quarter Architecture Competition will be on display in the Stove building, 100 High Street, until 21st June, as well as South Block in Glasgow. The exhibition launch at The Stove will be opened by the new Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Councillor Elaine Murray, and will begin at 6.30pm. Everyone is invited to come along and view the architectural concepts for the Midsteeple Quarter of Dumfries High Street from professional individuals and practices for a reimaged urban core of Dumfries. The public in Dumfries will be able to vote for a ‘Peoples Choice’ winner at the exhibition at The Stove.
For more information, please contact David Smith at [email protected] or visit the Glasgow Institute of Architects website http://gia.org.uk.
Kirsten McClure Rowe has recently been in touch with the Stove as she has recently been researching into the history of Dumfries’ fountain, with the aim of hosting a crowdfunding campaign to restore the fountain to it’s former glory. Her proposal includes stripping back the layers of old peeling paint and professionally restoring it to it’s original colours which were gold and bronze with cactus painted to appear real.
The following is some of Kirsten’s research into the history, and potential future for the Dumfries Fountain:
‘On the 5th of December 1882, Provost Lennox unveiled the fountain which stands on Dumfries High Street. It was made by the Sun Foundry, Alloa and is one of only two models of its type known anywhere in the world. The fountain commemorates the supply of public drinking water to the town from nearby Lochrutton.
The first pipe of the waterworks was laid on 16th January 1851 after many years of wrangling by various committees in Dumfries and Maxwelltown. Many felt that the pipeline wasn’t necessary and that the half a dozen or so seepage wells, which supplied some of the water and the bulk of the supply taken by the “burn drawers” in their dirty wheeled barrels from just below the main sewerage outlet in the Nith and sold at a penny a bucket, were sufficient.
Original Fountain circa 1870
In September 1832, Cholera struck Dumfries. A total of 841 people contracted the disease and 421 died within Dumfries, with a further 237 becoming ill in Maxwelltown of which 127 died. A mass grave at St Michaels churchyard bears a memorial to 420 souls. Unofficial figures state that as many as 700 coffins were produced in the 3-month period of epidemic which ended on 27th November 1832.
“In 1848 cholera struck again. The infant Scottish Board of Health, with little real power, sent Dr John Sutherland from Glasgow, a man of strong personality. He found corpses lying in the streets and no action being taken at all. He got a medical board organised, a house cleansing programme under way and immediately tracked the cause to the water supply and cleared up the epidemic, but not before 431 people had died out of 814 cases.”
Colours of the Fountain in 2004
As early as 1765 there had been proposals to introduce a clean gravitation water supply into the town, however it took until 10th May 1850 for a Committee of the House to give a unanimous verdict in favour of the promoters. As it was chiefly working-class areas that suffered in the first cholera epidemic, it was suggested that intemperance and lack of religious faith had led to this divine punishment of the poor. It was only after the middle-class residents of Dumfries and Maxwelltown began to fall ill, that any real action was taken.
A newspaper article from 22nd October 1851 reports the “Record of Public Introduction of Water to Sister Burghs of Dumfries and Maxwelltown” “This boon has been secured after a severe and protracted struggle against the ignorance, apathy, prejudice and selfishness, which formed a strong anti-sanitary battalion that was, with difficulty, beaten from the field” “When the news arrived in Dumfries next day, the bells were rung and bonfires kindled in token of the general joy”
Early 1900s
“The 21st October 1851 was chosen to introduce water from Lochrutton. Midsteeple bells rang, music from the Annan band played and flags flown”. “A fountain was erected between the Kings Arms and Commercial Hotels being the principle place of resort for the congregated crowds” “This structure, formed of fire clay is in a Roman style of art with Grecian ornaments and is very handsome”
The opening ceremony was performed by Provost Nicholson and was not without incident. When the Provost turned the valve, water shot into the air and descended to soak the assembled citizens!
This fountain was only ever intended to be a temporary fixture and was moved to Nithbank Hospital when our current fountain was unveiled 30 years later.
The fountain is no longer at Nithbank and further investigation is needed to uncover its current whereabouts.
Original fountain sited in Nithbank
The district council funded the purchase of the new fountain from the Sun Foundry, while donations from the townspeople of Dumfries paid for its decoration. A total of £191.0s 6d from 221 subscribers was raised. The fountain was a glorious sight to behold and the townsfolk crowded onto the High Street to witness the unveiling. The Dumfries and Galloway Standard dated 6th December 1882 describes the fountain in vivid detail.
Brilliant painted photo showing original colours
“The boys, the dolphins and the storks are entirely gilded and look to be figures in massive gold. The ground of the fountain is bronzed with some of its conventional details displayed in gold. On four pedestals in the freestone basin are placed as many iron vases holding each a large iron cactus, coloured so cleverly after nature, that many who saw them thought they must be real.” – where are these cacti filled vases now?
Boys at the Fountain 1900
In an amazing coincidence, the town of Kandy in Sri Lanka has an identical twin fountain! The inscribed dedication on the fountain reads “Erected by the Coffee Planters of Ceylon in Commemoration of the visit of Albert Edward, The Prince of Wales (1841-1910) to Kandy December 1875.” The Prince of Wales was the eldest son of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) who succeeded his mother as King Edward VII (1901-10). It was recently renovated and ceremonially bequeathed to the public of Kandy in June 2013.
Prince of Wales Fountain in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Our fountain is a hugely important part of our social history. It marks a turning point for our ancestors, the people of Dumfries. It currently stands in a very sorry state with peeling paint and green algae. This once celebrated jewel of Dumfries town centre needs our help. Sadly, due to budget cuts, the maintenance of the fountain has not been a priority for the local council. Therefore, it falls to us to rescue it and bring it back to life.’
A ‘punk orchestra’ will come to Dumfries over April and May to collaborate, compose and improvise with young musicians during five Saturday workshops, as well as offering an opportunity to perform at the Theatre Royal. The Big Jam workshops, presented in collaboration with Dumfries Music Conference, and supported by The Stove Network and D&G Arts Festival, will provide musicians with the opportunity to work with the Tinderbox Orchestra. The Orchestra, which features a fusion of instruments, styles and people, write and perform original compositions. The group will host a series of free workshops in Dumfries town centre that are suitable for musicians aged 12 and over. Founded in 2010 as a small community youth orchestra with a difference, Tinderbox has grown to become a ground-breaking youth arts organisation, charity and social enterprise. Tinderbox aims to ignite a spark in young people; one which fills them with confidence, imagination and a sense of possibility, and which enables people to achieve things they never thought possible. Tinderbox Orchestra will collaborate with Dumfries Music Conference to undertake a five-week project in Dumfries during April and May, which will culminate with the group’s performance at the town’s Theatre Royal on 27th May. During these five-weeks, free workshops will be held for five consecutive Saturdays, starting on 22nd April at Lovers Lane Studios from 12-4pm. Musicians will have the opportunity to play with a real-life orchestra and learn the craft of scoring an orchestral composition to go along with their own performances and song-writing endeavours.
Participants are invited to attend all or some of the sessions and to bring along their instrument, so that they can play with the group. The sessions will focus on a different piece each week, which will interweave around writing a group composition. Experiment with ideas, collaborate with other musicians and become part of the country’s loudest, most innovative orchestra.
For more information, visit DMC on Facebook @DumfriesMusicConference
Over the Easter weekend, Lincluden was treated to two days of family activities and events, when Creative Futures Lincluden and Lochside hosted a variety of creative workshops in Lincluden Abbey and Lincluden Community Centre.
Easter Sunday saw the return of Abbey Antics at Lincluden Abbey. Throughout the day, Medieval Monks led a series of workshops, which gave children and families the chance to learn how to weave, make pens from goose feathers, learn metal work techniques and take part in walking through a labyrinth. Dragon Egg making workshops were also held, as well as Fairy Walks and a Unicorn Quest. The day was part of ouir initiative led by Creative Futures, which focuses on bringing the Abbey back into community life, as well as giving young people the opportunity to learn about the significant heritage of their local area in an exciting and engaging way.
On Monday, the fun continued with a ‘Hoosewarming’ to celebrate the launch of our Creative Futures project at Lincluden Community Centre. This event was a chance for the community to meet the Creative Futures team and get hands-on experience of creative techniques, as well as discuss projects and opportunities for local people in the future.
Creative Futures Lincluden and Lochside is our new four-year project in North West Dumfries. It is an exciting and innovative project which uses creativity and local history to provide opportunities for young people within the Lochside and Lincluden areas of North West Dumfries. We aim to help local people develop their skills, develop their local area, increase their opportunities, improve their quality of life, connect with one another, try out new experiences and thrive as a community.
If you missed out on the fun last weekend then not to worry – we will be hosting another Housewarming event at Lochside Community Centre on Saturday 29th April. This will be another opportunity for local people to meet everyone and get involved with our open day of arts activities, information, food and music. For further information and drop-in sessions through the week contact [email protected].
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