It is almost two decades since villagers in Cove and Kilcreggan took the brave decision to take responsibility for Cove Burgh Hall, threatened with closure by Argyll and Bute Council.
In 2020, it isn’t obvious how brave that decision was, but the historic building had been badly maintained, and was running at a loss* – and had been targeted in three different closure attempts, dating back to 1986.
Now the thriving, publicly-owned hall is used by a library, community groups ranging from cinema to highland dancing, hosts touring theatre and music groups, and is a community hub for flower shows, beer festivals, book festivals and Hogmanay balls.
And today an open day is being held at the hall from 12 noon to 4pm, with everyone in the community invited to chat to the directors about the recent £210,000 restoration project, as well as potential options for the future.
It was in February 1999 that Argyll and Bute called a meeting at the hall, with officials initially saying closure was the only option.
In the days before council documents were accessible online, the officials were visibly taken aback that their flawed report had been made available locally.
They were also disconcerted that the hall was absolutely packed with very unhappy local people, and the officials were definitely on the back foot when the first three people to ask questions all said they were structural engineers.
Overall the evening was so eventful that the council officials said they wouldn’t close the hall and were sent back to Lochgilphead to think again.
That change of heart didn’t last long though, and 12 months later there was another closure attempt by the council and another public meeting in the hall.
This time, the council staff, rather memorably, were asked to leave the building they were meant to be managing by Kilcreggan man Peter Holland, who in their absence organised a plan for the community to run the hall which subsequently took effect, as detailed on the hall’s website. He went on to be the first chairman of the newly reborn hall.
But this week Kilcreggan resident Nigel Reid-Foster unearthed a newspaper cutting which revealed a previous vain attempt to close the building, by Dumbarton District Council in 1986.
Controlled by Labour councillors who enflamed Helensburgh by insisting that the red flag was flown at the Victoria Halls in Helensburgh – and then took a dim view when a local resident replaced it with a pair of knickers – this council said that the hall and library had to be closed, in order to save £9,000 (13 years later, the alleged saving had risen to no less than £190,000).
The Helensburgh Advertiser pulled no punches in its front page story, saying it was a ‘£9,000 death knell for Cove’, and quoting an impressive array of furious local sources – Enid Leckie of the drama group, Ann Bray of the literary society and Susan Saxton of the SWRI.
Regional councillor Billy Petrie anticipated events 14 years subsequently by offering to help local people take over the building, but the district council clearly had a change of heart and the hall remained in council ownership.
So, if you have some time today, please brave the weather and pay a visit to a building which has been a priceless public facility since 1893 – there will be coffee and home-made cakes for all.
*The council officials were told at the 1999 meeting that their sums didn’t add up, literally – in the document advocating closure, they had added up the figures incorrectly, giving the impression that the financial situation was worse than it actually was.
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