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  Streets of Bridgeton

   Fairbairn Street                      page1    page2    page3  chums   sketch     backcourt

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 Fairbairn Street has been renamed Fairbairn Path  

This is a picture of Fairbairn Path taken from Dalmarnock Road.
The trees on the right are adjacent to the church.
Unrecognisable to anyone who lived in the tenements of Fairbairn Street.

 
 
Fairbairn Path at Dalmarnock Road.

The church hall is called the 'George Gladstone Memorial Hall'   I spent many a happy hour in there!


The main building in Fairbairn Street was Dalmarnock Congregational Church on the south corner of Fairbairn Street at 231 Dalmarnock Road. It opened in 1902 and was a congregational church until 1980. It is one of the few original structures left in the area and certainly the only building left from old Fairbairn Street. It is a Cat.B listed building, designed by architect John C. MacKellar whose practice worked on a variety of tenements, commercial, domestic and ecclesiastical buildings. This church building, which was listed in Dec.1970, is distinguished by its fine Art Nouveau doorpiece and swept roof. Prominently positioned on the corner site, it adds significantly to the streetscape of the area.
                  The two-storey adjacent Church hall was added in 1912 and has its main entrance in Fairbairn Street, it is called the George Gladstone Memorial Hall.  It was a well-attended venue for Band of Hope meetings – abstinence from all intoxicating liquors as beverages – every Monday evening a queue would form outside the hall, inside were a body of volunteers dedicated to instilling in the minds of its young members a set of high moral values to take them through life. First principle being a total abstinence from strong drink. The meeting began with the boys and girls reciting in unison, the ‘pledge’.
   I promise here by Grace divine to drink no spirits, ale, or wine
   nor will I buy or sell or give strong drink to others while I live
   For my own good this Pledge I take but also for my neighbours' sake
   and this my strong resolve shall be  No drink, no drink, no drink for me
There followed an evening of entertainment provided by singers and dancers from various local church groups.
The Band of Hope objective was to teach children the importance and principles of sobriety and teetotalism founded in Leeds in 1847 it quickly spread throughout the UK.
          The 175th Glasgow BB Company operated from this church from 1927 then in session 1966-67 the company amalgamated with the local Bethany Hall 241st BB and became the 154th  BB Company. I attended the Boys Brigade in this church from 1959 to 1967, Mr..John Smart was the BB captain, then later his son Robert took over the running of the company.  In the 1960s there was a thriving churches football league and Dalmarnock Cong. as it was called locally, had a very strong team in those days.
After 1980 the church was used by the Pentecostal Church and currently, 2019, is used by the Gateway Church.

The first established church in Bridgeton was ‘Bridgeton Parish Church’ which was in Dale Street, 1836 to 1986, 150 years.  and the first minister of the church was Rev. Patrick Fairbairn. It is most likely when Harvie Street was renamed to Fairbairn Street it was named after the minister.

See Band of Hope memories

 Fairbairn St   page 1    page2    page3    chums    sketch       backcourt

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