Monthly Archives: May 2013

The Knitted Lace Pattern Book (c1870)

by bmcuser

The latest digitised item from our Ayrshire Collection is The Knitted Lace Pattern Book: Simple and Correct Instructions by C. & W. Thomson. It was published by Thomson Brothers, 29 King Street, Kilmarnock and printed by Smith Brothers, Bank Street. It contains lots of lace patterns, instructions and illustrations. The book is regularly referenced on vintage needlecraft websites (often dated as 1850 but this seems unlikely).

Thomson Brothers are listed as Drapers in the 1846-47 Post Office Directory, at 19 King Street ( ’one stair up’). By 1868 they are at 29 King Street and by 1879 they are listed as ‘Haberdashers, hosiers, and Berlin wool merchants’. By the 1890s the business appears to have been taken on by M. & C. Laughland at the same address.

Click on the image below and zoom in to see the lace pattern detail.

Generations – Community Sponsored Historic Walk – Postponed

by bmcuser

Unfortunately this event has been postponed until 2014 – more information on the  Centrestage website.

We’re delighted to be involved in ‘Generations’ – the historic walk through Kilmarnock to support Centrestage Music Theatre’s community projects, on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June. The aim of the walk is to bring together different generations of families and members of the community, to walk together, talk together, and share memories of their town.

Walk logo colour

The walk will visit the town’s historic landmarks, and participants will stop off at the Dick Institute, Dean Castle, and Burns Monument Centre to see the facilities and of course the wonderful collections held at these great venues.

Here at the Burns Monument Centre walkers will get a taster of our Family History facilities, including a look at how you can find family records from 1513 to the present day using Scotland’s People. There will also be a wide selection of local history and archive material to browse, including old Kilmarnock newspapers, Victorian magazines, pamphlets, programmes, and photographs. The walk is also being supported by Kilmarnock & District History Group and Frank Beattie.

Staff will be on hand to help, as well as the Walk Group Leaders. Let’s hope for a warm and sunny day! Ticket details are on the flyer below.

CS Walk Flyer A4

Treasures Writing Workshop

by bmcuser

We’re proud to be the only Ayrshire venue for Scottish Book Trust’s Treasures writing workshops, a project to get people writing about the things they love the most. We’re delighted to have the highly acclaimed novelist Ewan Morrison (Tales from the Mall, Close Your Eyes) here for the workshop, on Saturday 15th June at 1.30 pm.

And it’s free! Contact Scottish Book Trust to book a place – 0131 524 0160 or .

treasures-workshop-email

Readers’ Day

by bmcuser

This is a fantastic opportunity to spend the day with four wonderful writers – novelists Louise Welsh and Christopher Brookmyre, poet Vicki Feaver, and host, Imprint patron and novelist Zoe Strachan. Join them for a relaxed day devoted to books and reading, under the approving gaze of Robert Burns!

readers day email 2013

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Discoveries in our Kilmarnock Periodicals (part 3)

by bmcuser

The latest discovery in our Kilmarnock Periodicals collection is a title from 1921 – Ayrshire Review and Kilmarnock Monthly Magazine. This was printed by Irving Brothers at 6 King Street, Kilmarnock, probably for D. Brown & Co. We have Vol. 1, No. 1, dated September 1921. This was possibly the only issue. The magazine isn’t listed in any bibliographies that we’re aware of, or on the catalogues of the National Library of Scotland or British Library.

Ayrshire Review and Kilmarnock Monthly Magazine

The Editorial on page 3 gives a slightly downbeat introduction -

“In presenting this Magazine to the general public, we are conscious that we may disappoint many people who, perhaps, expected to get a local ‘Punch’, or even a local ‘Strand Magazine’, with cartoons, short stories, serials, and all the rest of it. However, we ask you not to be downhearted over the first number, for we mean to improve with every succeeding issue, if there are any, and we feel sure there will be.”

The Editorial also makes reference to the magazine’s place in the long line of Kilmarnock periodicals. As far as we know, this is the first magazine since St. Marnock ceased in 1900. It follows a similar style to that magazine and it’s predecessor Auld Killie (1893 – 1898), which possibly makes it seem slightly dated for the 1920s.

For more on our collection of Kilmarnock periodicals, see previous posts Discoveries in our Kilmarnock Periodicals, Discoveries in our Kilmarnock periodicals 2 and A Visit for our Kilmarnock Periodicals.