大象传媒

During the war of course, we were not able to go on holiday and to make up for it we had 'holidays at home' in the Woodhead park. I don't know if they were put on before the war, but they continued for many years after the end of the war and we all really looked forward to the Glasgow Fair fortnight when they were held.

During the day they had races and puppet shows and competitions for the kids and there was an icecream van and tea. No alcohol of course, even at the dances, as Kirkintilloch was still a 'dry' town. The dances at night were very popular.

One year that sticks out for me, was 1944. John and I had been married in the April and we went on the Saturday night to the Holidays at home dance. I was wearing the outfit I got married in, a pale blue silky dress, and we danced every dance. It was dancing like the Quick Step and Foxtrot and Cha Cha. Towards the end of the evening we were approached by one of the organisers, who asked if we would be staying 'til the Last Waltz. I was then invited to come up on stage to be told that I had been elected Belle of the Ball. Although I was very shy then, I did enjoy the title. Also on the stage were a family called Fletcher who were home on holiday from New Zealand but originated from Kirkintilloch.

My prize was a voucher for cosmetics from Joe Gardner's the chemist on The Cowgate. The only downside to this was that I was supposed to be working that night and when the event was reported in the Kirkintilloch Herald the following Wednesday my boss knew that I had not been sick at all. I do not remember any repercussions however and to this day it remains a pleasant memory for me.

Another year one of our local girls by the surname of McGoldrick won the area Beauty Contest, an annual event at Holidays at Home, and that was the cause of a sense of pride in the town.

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