Coalburn

ANNUAL GALA

The main event in many people's eyes is the Gala Day, held annually on the first Saturday of July, when the streets are bedecked with bunting and homes and vehicles are decorated. Coalburn's Pipe and Silver bands march through the village with locals lining the streets. It's a colourful affair with exiles returning from many parts of the world for the yearly blether with old friends.

Coalburn Gala Day 2006. Photo:JZ

Coalburn miners and pit pony c1920s. Sinking of Dempster's Mine.

MINING HERITAGE

Overlooked by the Hagshaw Hill Windfarm, Coalburn evolved principally due to the rich seams of coal which lay deep beneath the surface and which created work on a regular basis from about 1840 until the closure of the last deep mine in July 1968.

Twenty years after the last coal was transported from Coalburn's Auchlochan No. 9, work commenced on the extraction of more coal in the area when the largest opencast operation in Western Europe, at Dalquhandy, began.

Auchlochan No.6 Colliery

Coalburn Pipe Band 1910

MUSICAL HERITAGE

COALBURN IOR PIPE BAND

Coalburn's Pipe Band began during a strike in 1984 when some young miners whiled away their time practicing on pipe chanters. For more details, see the section on history on their website

The present band regularly competes in championships and in 2006, was crowned Cowal Champions.

COALBURN SILVER BAND

The present Coalburn Silver Band, the last remaining brass band in South Lanarkshire, was the 3rd section Scottish Band of the Year 2007.

The band has its roots in the coal mining industry and was formed in 1902. For more details, see their website.

Coalburn Silver Band 1904

SPORT & RECREATION

SOCCER Sport has played an important part in the village over the years with the main sport being football - the heyday being the late 1920s and early 1930s.

BOWLING Twenty years later a number of bowling enthusiasts set out to have their own bowling green in the village - Coalburn Miners Welfare Bowling Club - and here too, over the period, many distinguished players have been produced.

GOLF Hollandbush Golf Club recently celebrated 50 years. It has flourished thanks to the hard work and commitment of many. Originally a 9 hole course, it was enlarged to 18 holes a number of years ago.

OTHER Other sports which have featured are cricket, quoiting and, of course, two favourites among the mining fraternity, greyhound and pigeon racing. Indeed, Coalburn Homing Club celebrated its centenary in 2005.

LOCAL ORGANISATIONS

Other local organisations to have passed the Centenary milestone include Coalburn Church, Coalburn Horticultural Society and the Masonic Lodge.

Coalburn Church 2004. Photo: JZ

Coalburn School c1912

Soon to join this elite group is Coalburn School which opened its doors to pupils on 1st September 1908. The school has begun planning events and publications to celebrate its centenary and the Jim Hamilton Heritage Society of Coalburn will be taking an active role in its preparations.

Like many other villages in the district the senior citizens are also catered for - by the Old Folks Committee and the Darby and Joan Club.