Edit Robroyston's past
'Dico tibi verum, libertas optimum rerum, nunquam servili sub nexu, vivito fili', which translates to 'I tell you the truth, the best of all things is freedom, never son, live under the bonds of slavery'. It was taught to William Wallace in his boyhood.
About 200 yards from the monument, 'Wallace's Well' is located on the country road.
Robroyston Hospital was built as a municipal smallpox and tuberculosis hospital and opened in 1918. It was temporarily used as a military hospital in 1918-19.
By 1925 450 beds at Robroyston were devoted to tuberculosis patients, almost half of Glasgow's total complement. In 1945 a maternity unit was added.
In 1948 Robroyston joined the National Health Service under the Board of Management for Glasgow Northern Hospitals. In 1974 it was placed in the Northern District of the Greater Glasgow Health Board, it closed in 1977.
Robroyston House, which stood on the routeway to Kirkintilloch, was demolished in the 1960s.
Throughout the 1990's there were massive housing developments in this part of the Urban/rural fringe of Glasgow that drastically increased the population of the suburb to some 8300 people.
As a result of the boom in population, the area became chronically deficient in infrastructure and provision of many local services.
About the lack of facillities in Robroyston, an Asda superstore is not sufficent enough. There are no resources for the many children and teenagers in Robroyston and this has led to problems of youth disorder among the teenagers, mostly kids from the Glendale estate who have formed their own gang and partake in gangfighting with other youths from nearby areas, mainly youths from Millerston. Would it not have been wise to create a youth club or some sort of leisure facility for the vast number of youths where the new rertail units have been created ? This Retail Park is utterly shambolic, a Homebase, Bed store and Pet Shop, with the other retail units failing to attract a buyer, is simply not what the people of the Glendale estate and other estates within Robroyston deserverd...Does anyone else agree ? From a disappointed Glendale teenager !
If you think robroyston is bad, Bishopbriggs next door isn't much better. I'm glad Rossy is a teenager making this comment. We need more teenagers to speak up, otherwise they will get 'facilities' that someone in an ivory tower thinks they need... rather than what they want
We played in and around the hospital and had pals whose parents worked there. Now houses are on the ground that's fine, Asda you need shops but a retail park come on. Tthe area needs its own school, shops, pub, petrol garage, youth clubs et.c but even the local bike park was closed which kept kids off the streets. What chance do the other established areas have, Barmulloch, Barlornock, Blackhill etc. if a new area can't get it right?
Another pastime dying-the doos
Robroyston is no better than many of the sprawling local authority estates that local government was fond of building in the past. The only difference is that these new estates are owner occupied
Hmm.. Interesting points on the history of Robroyston, even if a little geographically challenged. The site of the hospital AND Wallace monuments are part of the lands of Robroyston MAINS, not Robroyston per se. The housing developments of Glendale, Briarscroft etc. fall into this historic area also. The Robroyston "village" is in fact further to the south in the area that is now bordered by Barmulloch to the west and the railway line and bridges at Provanmill. It should be mentioned at this juncture that Provanmill was within the Prebend of Barlanark (Estates of) that extended from Easterhouse in the east (Provan hall) to the original Glasgow cross at Provands lordship (Oldest house in Glasgow).The railway line follows along which was the border of these two seperate estates. There have been domestic dwellings at Robroyston since medieval times, sited at the top of what is now Quarrywood Road at Hilda Crescent. Later a mining community established along Robroyston Road open casting on what is now Robroyston Park. I remember playing on the bing as a child in the early 70's! The current houses of Robroyston are located in the 6 streets of Earnock Street, Sheila Street, Winifred Street, Olive Street, Zena Street, and Hilda Crescent. As Glasgow sprawled and the Barmulloch housing estate evolved from its beginnings in the 1950's, it almost - but stopped just short of consuming Robroyston. The local shop which was previously a co-operative store was opened in Robroyston village in 1929. The residents of "old" Robroyston are fiercely proud of their history and many are 3rd or 4th generation Robroysteans.
Old Robroyston...that is true! Long before the days of Glendale Robroyston was a residential area. The shop (Crazy cuts) later owned by costcutter then shopsmart. Didnt know it was so old! Also amazed at the lack of notice the area is given in historical terms. Not enough research. As for youths...the town is 5mins away, plenty of things to do. The shopping area 'retail park' was never planned to be big but it has been ill advised...slightly embarasing. Just think of the possibilities it could have been what the fort is to Easterhouse or showcase cinema to coatbridge. A subway food outlet etc could improve it however minimal. Also Asda has now had the planning permission approved for a petrol/gas station. No more housing developments its divoured the mini woods were the embarrasing open sewers run.
True, the town centre is only 5 mins away, but that doesn't mean younger children in the area can simply jump on a bus and be left on their own to find something to do does it ? Sure now I'm older now, I can enjoy more of what the city centre/city has to offer, but I'm talking about the children who are of a primary school age who should be out playing and socialising with their peers, but how is this ment to happen when there are no such resources that allow them to safely do so ? The Wallacewell Primary School has a football pitch that is floodlit, but is pad-locked shut after school hours or is fully booked for training sessions by football teams. Robroyston as a whole does not have a strong sense of community, and I'm not knocking the place, more than happy living here and the people are top notch, but all the area has is houses houses houses, a deserted joke of a retail park, the Asda ofcourse, and a Lidl. No pubs, restaurants, communtiy centre/leisure centre, things which most of the surrounding areas do have. I know that was a wee bit of a rant there but just hope my point is made a wee bit clearer.
I grew up in the Glendale just as Briarcroft was being built, and there was nothing for the young people to do back then!
I am not suprised to find out that there's still nothing to do up there!!
I don't know what happened to the building in Saughs Drive, but it used to be Tony's shop, whatever happened to it?
We used to all say how it would be great if there was a local pup or something because you just felt like there was nothing for miles around you!!
It would have been ok if there was a half decent bus service, but then comes the issue of a teenager going into "someone elses scheme" is it worth the bother?
You would think with all that land they could at least build something with a bit of purpose instead of tacky office blocks( how many get used?) like a football/basketball pitch,swingpark, a half decent comminuty hall?
Just think myself and the younger generation get a hard time of it when its not entirely our fault!!
You'll always get a bad apple, but give them something to focus on, look forward to something to be proud of but open all weekend!!
The old shops that Amanda talks about down the page is now home to Robroyston Church, a small but functional building in which the chuch meets.
I have the privilege to be the new youth worker there.
Student youth worker, but still it's my desire to see Robroyston grow as a community.
I've noticed the complete lack of things for young people to do Rossy but so far been unable to dedicate the time to researching ideas for stimulating such growth.
If you or anyone else has any plans or suchlike the make socialising within the community feasible/more enjoyable I'd love to get involved and help.
I've got fairly limited resources at the present time but it's amazing what is possible with a vision and prayer :)
I'm still getting an offical work email set up but presently post something on here and I'll check it often.
Pete Singleton
For those wishing to contact me please drop a line to peter.singleton@youthworktraining.org