From the archives

1970

Cumbernauld Town Council approached Dumbarton County Council in an effort to have more schools in Cumbernauld open after hours as play areas for children. At the time, only Abronhill Primary and St Mary’s Primary schools were open for this purpose, but the Town Council have proposed that another three schools should be opened at night.

A FACTORY which had been an integral part and iconic image in Cumbernauld was closing down after being part of the landscape and life-blood of the town for almost 100 years. Workers were already moving out of the Lochside Coal and Fireclay Company’s factory at Greenyards and more were set to follow. 18 of the factory’s 44 employees were made redundant this week with the rest following them in coming days.

CLAIMS were being made by the strikers of the Draughtsmen and Allied Technicians Association, who had been sacked by Burroughs Machines Limited over a wage dispute, that their action had brought deliveries to the company’s Cumbernauld factory to a virtual standstill. An iconic picture coupled with the story, showing around 20 workers struggling with police as they tried to stop a worker from driving through their picket line into work.

1976

MOTHERS in Cumbernauld were triumphant this week after winning a quickfire battle to keep their children safe on a Cumbernauld road. They started their fight when workmen closed a busy footpath leading from Larch Court, in Abronhill to the shopping centre and two primary schools. The mothers complained and argued that the lives of their children and old-age pensioners were in danger because they now had to walk along Larch Road, where lorries frequently travelled, making deliveries to the shopping centre. Although the public only had to walk along the road for 25 yards, the angry mothers were quick to act and within hours a 75 signature protest petition was raised and sent to the council the following day.

It was a sad day for the expressive arts in Cumbernauld as the Light Opera Society was disbanded and put in the hands of a caretaker committee because of a lack of interest.

Vandals struck again at the Ravenswood Pavilion on Sunday. The building was set on fire but not extensively damaged. The building had been subjected to a number of attacks but this was the first time it had been set ablaze. A police spokesperson said: “We are treating this as a case of wilful fire-raising. Our inquiries are continuing.”

1986

MOTHERS in Cumbernauld were triumphant this week after winning a quickfire battle to keep their children safe on a Cumbernauld road. They started their fight when workmen closed a busy footpath leading from Larch Court, in Abronhill to the shopping centre and two primary schools. The mothers complained and argued that the lives of their children and old-age pensioners were in danger because they now had to walk along Larch Road, where lorries frequently travelled, making deliveries to the shopping centre. Although the public only had to walk along the road for 25 yards, the angry mothers were quick to act and within hours a 75 signature protest petition was raised and sent to the council the following day.

It was a sad day for the expressive arts in Cumbernauld as the Light Opera Society was disbanded and put in the hands of a caretaker committee because of a lack of interest.

Vandals struck again at the Ravenswood Pavilion on Sunday. The building was set on fire but not extensively damaged. The building had been subjected to a number of attacks but this was the first time it had been set ablaze. A police spokesperson said: “We are treating this as a case of wilful fire-raising. Our inquiries are continuing.”

1996

OPPOSITION was growing in Cumbernauld over plans to drive a ‘new motorway’ through the town. It seems as if opposition to the M80 was as prevalent in 1996 as it is today as meetings held in the town showed that the message was clear from the start: “We don’t want it here.” Scottish Office officials overseeing the ‘long-awaited’ M80 extension had to choose between a route through the Kelvin Valley, by Kilsyth or along the existing A80 through Cumbernauld, and despite local councillors reporting widespread displeasure at the options available, Cumbernauld was picked.

WOrk on a £648,000 Town Centre improvement project got under way this week in 1996. The 16-week project was aimed at improving the cosmetic appearance of Forth Walk in Phase One and saw the floor recovered in tiles, the walls given a face -lift and the roof lighting system repaired.

Schools in Cumbernauld were at crisis point, as North Lanarkshire Council admitted it did not have cash for large repairs and even some basic facilities. The council’s already strained education budget was hit by a £4million shortfall, leaving schools facing patch-up repairs, obsolete equipment and out-dated classrooms.