The Voluntary Sector Gateway West Lothian are organising a Community Fair in association with Dunedin Canmore Housing Association and in conjunction with the Centre of Health and Wellbeing on Friday 27th August

The Centre of Health and Wellbeing will provide health advice and advice on healthy eating as well as offering access to complementary practitioners.

The Voluntary Sector Gateway will broaden this event to include stalls from twenty local organisations who will offer opportunities for volunteering, money and energy advice and further community advice to all members of the public.

The Gateway will be featuring their Library Outreach, Community Drivers and Literacies projects alongside volunteering opportunities.

Other exhibitors invited are Acredale House %26 Braid House Day Centres, Advice Shop Pensioner Income Maximisation %26 Energy Advice teams, Blackburn, Seafield %26 District Credit Union, CAB, Carers of West Lothian, CFine - Community Foods Initiatives, Fire Service, Food Train, Handicabs, HomeAid, Kidzeco, Network Rail, Police and 50+ Network.

The event will commence at 11:00 and close at 15:00 on Friday 27th August in the main auditorium of the Regal Community Theatre, Bathgate.

Mary Mulligan MSP has agreed to open the event.

Hi Allan: You and I have exchanged emails about "Burnhead House" the manse for the first minister of Longridge Church.
I hope info I sent is helpful with all the information you have included on your website about Longridge. I still would like to be in touch with current owner to share information. My grandfather, Robert Alexander, was born at Burnhead in July 1885. I have visited the home twice,the last time being 1990.
Your website is great and so informative.
Diana Butland, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho USA

Dear Webmaster

I write on behalf of West Lothian Family History Society who have organised a Local History Fair next Saturday in conjunction with this year’s Scottish Association of Family History Societies’ Conference at the Howden Park Centre in Livingston and would be grateful if you could bring this event to the attention of your readers.

The press release is below and any further background can be obtained from our Secretary, Rhona Gordon, at r.gordon1@sky.com

Yours aye

Jim McGregor


The Family %26 Local History Fair opens to the public from 9.30am on Saturday 17th April and goes on throughout the day - admission is free.

Many societies from all over Scotland will be in attendance at the Family %26 Local History Fair showing their publications and giving advice on their areas. These include Aberdeen %26 N.E. Scotland FHS, Orkney FHS, Borders FHS, Glasgow %26 West of Scotland FHS, Lothian's FHS, Troon %26 Ayrshire FHS, Central FHS and Dumfries %26 Galloway FHS.

The theme for the Scottish Association of Family History Societies’ Conference is ‘Paupers, Physicians and Paraffinalia - 150 years of social history in West Lothian’. Anyone wishing to attend the Conference part of the day, should complete a booking form which is available from local libraries or by download from our website www.wlfhs.org.uk

Our guest speakers and their subjects are –
• Dr Irene O'Brien, Senior Archivist, Glasgow City Council – Scottish Poor Law: Painting the local picture in West Lothian.
• Dr Morrice Macrae, Royal College of Physicians – James Young Simpson and his world.
• Professor Michael L Hitchman, Strathclyde University – Social aspects of the Paraffin industry in Scotland.
• Elizabeth Henderson, Museums Development Officer, West Lothian Council – Banners and Benefits: Friendly Societies in West Lothian.

West Lothian Local History Library %26 Museums will also be attending with others including Scotland’s People, National Library of Scotland, Family Search (LDS), Scottish Monumental Inscriptions and National Library of Scotland (Maps).

This is a great opportunity for anyone to start researching their family tree and we look forward to meeting you and advising you on how to start.

What an excellent site. I have started reseaching my family and found information on the history page about Rev William Millar, who is my Great Great Grandfather (Minister 1832-1852). I would be delighted to hear from anybody who has further information on his family.

well what a great find...i was born in longridge in 1971 in the front room of 59 kirk brae. i lived in the same house for 8 years. and went to school in fauldhouse, my gran also lived there in 9 or 6 church place right up to her death (rose connor).
i knew many of the people there but dont know if they still live there?. it was a close knitt community where everyone knew everyone else.
a great place to grow up i have many many fond memories.......stephen kirkwood

I would like to thank you for the use of photos and information which have helped to create the souvenier gala programme.
The website is very interesting and has some great facts about Longridge.
Thanks again
Tammy Wood

I left Longridge for South Africa in early 1976 and have been back only a few times since. My mother Nancy and sisters Mary and Angela both still live in the village. My Daughter Emma,who works in Cape town came across the site and alerted me to it.
It brought back many memories to see the old church organ where Ian (Speedy) Walker and I used to take turns in pumping the bellows during the hymn singing and testing how low we could let them drop before it had an effect on the sound. Needless to say, the minister came over regularly and gave us some evil looks (for a minister).
Regards from Sunny south Africa
Peter Cook

Hi Alan my name is Elizabeth Mckay was born in Longridge in 1948 used to live in the Old Kirk and then Northfield Crescent, the sunday school picture you have that is me right in the front row standing next to Mary Cook my two brothers Billy and Ian were also born there as was my Dad George McKay. My Dad at one time was bar steward at the Welfare and later in life looked after the community center my mum Annie used to deliver the post to everyone at Christmas time. My grandmother and grandfather also lived there in number 1 Northfield Crescent and our family ended up living in that house after my grandfather died and my gran moved down to 9 Northfield Terrace. I now live in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands but am in Livingston this week visiting my brother Billy. If anyone would like to get in touch who knows me from Longridge my e mail is lizamck1@yahoo.com

Hi there, my mame is Meryl Booth (nee Gardener), my earliest memories of Longridge go back to 1948,whenthey used to hold Clay Kite competitions.
These wrer held on the fields on the Fauldhouse Rd next to the Bent Row. Longridge had a team, My grandfather (Sandy Gardener) my uncle Tam and my father Davie Garedener were all in the team. they used to play teams from the surrounding villages, these teams always played on a Saturday and it used be great fun.
The mothers used to bake and we had a bit of a party especially when we won. I remember that Longridge won the cup on several occasions
The Gala Days always used to be great fun, we even had the shows turn up. I was'nt much of a runner but my friend Elspeth Butler and I always won the three legged race.
It was a great enviroment to grow up in and a good community spirit prevailed and we all looked out for one another.
The school was another focal point for the village, the school concerts were always great fun, Mrs Bailey and her husband Davie looked after the school and made sure that all in the village knew that their support was needed.
The fields all around were a great safe playing area for all of us. Many a happy memory of Blaeberry picking down the Hen Ness road and picnics at the wee burn down the Stoneyburn road, a box of jam pieces and a bottle of water and we were off on the great adventure.
My best friends at schoolwere Elspeth Butler and Jane Johnstone
I hope you find this intersting as I have many more memories that can write about.
Congrats on the web site.
Meryl Booth

My name is Alan Gardner, son of Alec (Alexander) %26 Enid Gardner. My grandfather was David Gardner (brother of Tam) who was married to Jessie (my gran). I was born in 1974, we lived in Northfield Crescent, as did my gran and great uncle Tam. I have very fond memories of Longridge indeed.