FALKIRK - An Unremarkable Town

When Scottish poet Robert Burns visited Falkirk in 1787, he reckoned there was nothing remarkable about the town, with the exception of the tomb of Sir John De Graeme in the graveyard of the old church off the High Street, which he knelt at.

The tomb of Sir John De Graeme, a knight who fell at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, is still there, complete with a replica of the sword he took into battle. But there are some things in Falkirk that are no longer there.

Atmospheric streets and wynds, like Silver Row and Horsemarket Lane, were swept away in the 1960s and 1990s to make way for shopping centres, and in some places the town's character has been changed for the worst. Interesting buildings of architectural merit were replaced with eyesores, and as a result the quality of life for those who lived in Falkirk must have gone downhill somewhat. For we all need pleasant things around us, buildings with architectural merit and a pleasing disposition.

Towns and cities in Scotland all developed and grew in different ways. Their lanes and wynds grew from the mercat cross like the strands of a spider's web, each and every one unique in its shape and form. But when a town is nibbled at, with bits removed to create things like shopping centres, a little bit of that special character and individuality is also removed, and you run the risk of making one town just like any other town. Certainly you would be hard pushed to tell which town you are in when inside most shopping centers.

But all is not lost for Falkirk. Many of the narrow lanes and wynds leading off the High Street still remain, although not all in their entirety, and much fun may be had exploring these passageways. For the visitor who has had his or her fill of major tourist attractions like the Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies, both outside the town centre, wandering the streets of Falkirk is a most enjoyable experience, and I highly recommend it.

[vermeerofdelftscotlandwalk]

The shopping centers destroyed the web of quaint old streets. The web then destroyed the shopping centers, with online shopping. Sadly, we'll never have the quaint old streets back. Great video.👍

[thomasks]

Another great video Ed. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish local councils would think harder about the design of new buildings. It’s as though we may have lost the ability to design and build attractive buildings any more. We’ll at least where I live!

[pmbholw]

Here's an interesting local myth about the area of high street at the start of the video, where the big white shopping centre is. For context, this end of the high street has always struggled compared to the west end, it's just always been a grim and derilict place and for decades theyve struggled to regenerate it. Callendar Square, the shopping centre shown, has really struggled to attract businesses and has sat pretty much empty for years. Local legend is that this end of the high street is cursed and has had bad luck because they disturbed the Graveyard in Erskine Church (seen in the map in this video!) when demolishing Silver Row

Great video as always!

[joc]

Ed, I grew up in Falkirk and moved to Canada in 1969. This excellent video certainly brought back a lot of memories, especially Siver Row where the Roxy used to be. I remember most of the passage ways (closes) you referred to and especially the atmosphere in the town on a Saturday with the crowded streets and the barrows selling their goods next to the bus station. Then there was the sweetie counter at Bishops, ah yes I remember the good old days which were simple times when comparing them to modern times. Thank you for this throughly enjoyable video. John Vancouver Canada

[bryher]

I found your channel last week through your hiking videos, this is the first time I have watched one of your town videos, now I will have to watch them all! This is really interesting and well put together. What a shame that the shopping centres destroyed those lovely winding streets.

[annie-francelaparre]

Many thanks for your wonderful video, and so interesting comments. SCOTLAND❤ is my favourite in the UK. Nowadays, I am an old retired lady, nearly 76 aged. I spent the 1980 summer in FALKIRK, among the social workers of the UK council (Social Department).
Scottish people are so friendly, and reminded me of the time they helped French to struggle against the English.
I appreciated too visiting Glasgow. By a sunny day, drinking a beer outside, at a coffee terrace, was similar to sitting at the Canebiere in Marseille.
Lots of love❤❤🩶💙❤️

[jamesss]

Extraordinary, excellent videography; but more importantly > what a fascinating pictorial history. thank you very much for sharing ....

[speccyguy]

I grew up in Falkirk, the high Street used to be brilliant. The shopping centre before Callander Square shopping centre was so much better. Now its a ghost town.

[BarryFinlay]

I'm from Falkirk, lived here for 40yrs and I really enjoyed the old / historical photos of how beautiful it could have been if it hadn't of been of the "Modernisations" from the mid 20th century.

[williamf]

I remember Falkirk very well - when you were a wee boy the highlights were looking in the window of the model shop and looking at the airfix planes and stuff then just along the lane looking in the windows of the pet shop and a lot of the time you were lucky and there would be animals in the window - puppies were the best because sometimes they would interact with you through the window - the round to the end of the lane to the street where Moscadinies was with their famous fish tea (fish chips and peas with bread and butter and tea) - little did these places know they were creating the memories that people would look back on with fondness almost 60 years later - Falkirk may well have become unremarkable like a lot of places but there is nothing wrong with the people of Falkirk and there never was - fine down to earth folk

[jocky]

Great content and great music, keep going old fella!

[slydermartin]

Ed the work and passion you put into your videos Always comes through. Of course I'm an easy touch for the Old/Historical Glass/Dry Plate Photos.
The Swans Inn Building at 15:15 and the Monstrosity that replaced it... I lived through that in the 60's in my home town. We call it Soviet Era Neglect. I need a nice Dalmore to settle my stomach.... maybe two.
Enjoy your videos Ed.! Cheers.

[moreseh]

Great video as always! Love the history of these places that you share with us!

[bookworm]

I moved from falkirk to Manchester in 1986 and the Howgate wasn’t there then . There was a finefayre and a Tesco by the bus station. My stepdad worked at carron ironworks he cycled all the way down the canal to work . Thanks for this video brought back many memories

[lynnthomason]

Great video Eddy. I love these historic places and enjoy the way you bring a nice view of the past to each one with the old photos and information. Thanks for all you do to share your thoughts and memories. Cheers. Lynn

[godzilla]

I used to get my spectrum zx games in a wee place called venues in the old Goldbergs shopping centre and then a wee scran at the food court. Ah the memories. I wonder if anyone has interior pics of Goldbergs.

[AbenteuerSchottland]

Dear Ed. I really love this kind of videos - going so deep in historical details is very fascinating. Thank you for making this "unremarkable town" really interesting 🙂 Have the best time, best greetings from Perth. Sebastian

[pfmusic]

Really great stuff Ed - the detail you go into is brilliant. I work in Falkirk so this was insightful! Thanks for sharing

[ArcAudios]

Thanks Eddy, like all your Content here - 'Valuable to our Scotland'.
Regards

[arnothill]

A nice introduction to the town Ed, but to me - it’s like a call to arms. Falkirk deserves better from its leaders.
"Better Meddle wi' the de'il than the Bairns o' Fa'kirk". - I thought uttered first by Burns? Perhaps not, but the Falkirk folk were worth more than the town currently expresses to a visitor.  

I'm a Bairn myself who grew up in earshot of the Barr's factory on Cockburn St, I thought that all of Scotland smelled of that sweet nectar. Oh, then there’s McGowan’s Toffee! - Just saying, I won’t let Barr’s steal all the sugary limelight. Dan lived in his dotage just up the road from me, after delivering generations their regular fix of joy. He had a lovely dog and a nice smile (maybe he had a decent dentist).

It’s all memories and shadows now. But I can certainly attest to the great heritage but also a terrible loss that befell Falkirk with the end of its industrial core.
My memories are very appreciative of the town, and its history. As a wee boy, I was taken by the hand as my mum made her way up the Howgate towards the steeple, past the dairy on the right and onwards to Monfries the Butcher. It was a dull shop for a wee boy you would think, but I remember the men hauling sections of beasts in and around us. The rich smells of clot and fat, the fresh evidence of slaughter. It was not gratuitous, just honest - life and death. It did not trouble me, it was our world. Falkirk, the grimiest and noisiest of towns, had no airs and graces. The industries of old and the seemingly perpetual gloaming of Grangemouth's refinery was a living testament to the toil of its folk.
I think that still holds.

I remember later the Aitken’s brewery chimney coming down. It seemed like the whole town came out to see it. I wasn’t old enough to have tasted the beer mind, but stood respectfully, with the crowd at the top of Hope St and marvelled at how the great monolith fell so neatly, just up from Brockville. There, Falkirk FC had taken home the cup the year before I was born, but my brother saw the game at least - a replay where for that short moment, Falkirk was surely raised high again. Aye, Falkirk. can you count the Scotland managers who have worn Falkirk colours or been on their management? Expect the unexpected.

There’s more history to be celebrated, Ed.
Carron Iron works indeed - from where Burns reportedly paid for two small carronades to be sent off to the French Revolution. JMW Turner visited too and painted a magnificent nocturne of its blazing furnaces.

Falkirk should have a new museum - a small working foundry to draw in visitors, and artists - to celebrate the great pattern makers, foundry men and labourers that built the world back then. They deserve at least that, and surely those Kelpies should’ve been cast in iron, don’t you think? Imagine them gloriously rusting into their pools. Apt, I think. While I’m on that subject, those spirits are along way from home, yeah? - West coast beasties navigating the locks all the way East, just to see the sunrise, or Ineos’ torch, maybe. All those years at Comely Park and Bantaskin primaries, never heard of a Kelpie there. That’s a Gael’s story.

Yes, there’s those canals that moved the coal and the iron, with the deep locks where my dad learned to swim or surely drown - before the public baths were built. Those baths that allowed Bobby McGregor the chance to begin his Olympic Journey.

I could go on. 1970’s - Leckie’s... the gem of a shop that more or less wrote the business plan for TK Maxx. Brian Finlay’s record store on Cow Wynd, just fantastic - a great way to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday. Janetta's chip shop, where I first tasted pizza (of a sort).. The Magpie Bar.. dearie me, that’s too much to relive...