Every few months, we will present a different item from West Dunbartonshire Council's collection. We would be interested to hear from you if this photograph stimulates any memories.
E-mail the Collections Officer with any memories.
Object for September/October2010
Commemorative Key.
The inscription on this key reads: “Presented to and used by Mrs Christie in opening The Christie Park, Alexandria, 5th July, 1902”.
Christie Park was opened in 1902, being an extension to an existing park; previously know as Notmans Park and then School Park, after the North Public School was opened in 1884. This park had also been used by the Dunbartonshire Agricultural Society for its Agricultural Show. The park takes its name from John Christie of Galangad, husband of the Mrs Christie mentioned on the key, a Director of the United Turkey Red Company (UTR), known locally as “The Craft”. Many would assume that Mr Christie had gifted the funds and land for the park, but to the consternation of many of his employees this was not really the case. The park did cause some resentment amongst the local people, most of whom were employed by Christie and UTR, as part of UTR employees wages came as an annual bonus, Mr Christie and the UTR Directors decided that rather than pay the workers their bonus they would instead build the park, whether their employees wanted a park or not. For many years after the park was opened it was known locally as “The Bonus Park”.
From its beginning the park had a bandstand, a glass-enclosed pergola and a putting green, now sadly all gone. But it continues to be a much used green space with well tended flower beds. Christie Park is also the site of The Vale of Leven Cenotaph, modelled on the original Cenotaph in Whitehall. The cenotaph has the 363 names of those from Bonhill Parish who fell during the First World War and 78 of those who fell during World War Two.
