The book which was supported by the Coop Community Fund, is published as an A4 sized Hardback contains short biographies and pictures of 100 remarkable men and women with connections to the Helensburgh & Lomond Area – including Hollywood Stars, Medal-winning Olympians, pioneering inventors and a British Prime Minister.

Biographies include:

Andrew Bonar Law– Prime Minister
Gordon Reid – Wheelchair Tennis Star
Mary Ure – Oscar nominated Actress
John Logie Baird – Father of Television
Sir James Guthrie – Artist & Glasgow Boy
Tom Vaughan – Film Director
AJ Cronin – Author
Emma Richards – Yacthswoman
Charlotte Cooper – Wimbledon Champion
Eunice Guthrie Murray – Suffragette and Political Campaigner
…..and many more.

Trustee and Co Author, Phil Worms stated: “The guiding principle underpinning the foundation of Helensburgh Heroes was that every member of our community has something to offer and contribute and, by doing so, can become a hero, if only for a day. To support this belief there is abundant evidence, past and present, that people with Helensburgh & Lomond connections have made major contributions to society at the local, national and international level. Our vision has always been that by celebrating our past we may inspire and shape our future. We hope that this book will help us demonstrate to people how rich and diverse our communities are.”

Inspiring Lives:100 Remarkable People retails for £24.99 but is available for the special price of £19.99 when purchased in the Heroes Centre.

To obtain a copy simply send an email to info@helensburghheroes.com and we’ll get back to you.

The ‘Bubblegum Pink’ 50s themed cafe – dedicated to actress Deborah Kerr – opened for business on Saturday 30th December.

Named in honour of Deborah Kerr’s breakthrough American movie ‘Hucksters’, Hucksters offers great tasting classic cafe fayre – from cheesecakes to thick shakes to frozen yogurt.

The film starring Clark Gable and his ‘New Star- Deborah Kerr (rhymes with Star)’ was a Classic 1947 movie about the fledgling advertising industry, and also featured Adolf Menjou, and Sydney Greenstreet.

As well as traditional 5os style furniture and features, the cafe features over 15 original film posters from many of Deborah Kerr’s most famous films – King & I, From Here to Eternity, An Affair to Remember, Heaven Know Mr Allison – among others and a 50s cocktail dress once owned by the actress. Although born in a nursing home in Hillhead, Glasgow, Deborah spent the first three years of her life in the town and always considered Helensburgh as the place of her birth.

The cafe serves fresh locally roasted coffee, leaf teas blended in Scotland, a daily selection of cakes and scones, cheesecakes, milk shakes and a selection of toasted paninis.

Open Monday – Saturday from 9.00am to 5.00pm Hucksters will extend its opening hours to 9.00pm and seven days in the spring.

The ‘ribbon cutting’ opening ceremony was performed by Miss Laura Conley, grand daughter of Jean Baird, John Logie Baird’s sister, and Professor Michael J Baker, Chairman of the charity. The premises contains a merchandise area, retailing items associated with Helensburgh & Lomond area and an exhibition of John Logie Baird and other notable Helensburgh residents. A 50s themed cafe – Hucksters – is due to open in 12 days time.

The cafe is named after actress Deborah Kerr’s breakthrough Hollywood movie, made in 1947 and starring Clark Gable.

The premises is also a designated VisitScotland Tourist Information Centre and partner for the John Muir Way.

The charity’s trustees hope the centre will generate support for the larger and more ambitious second phase of Helensburgh Heroes, involving a learning and training facility, a multi-use public space and support for local business start-ups.

Currently opened Monday – Saturday 09.00 to 17.00, it is planned that 28 Sinclair Street will open seven days per week from 09.00 to 21.00 later this year.

Gordon won Gold when beating his doubles partner Alfie Hewett in the Men’s Singles Final 6-2 6-1 on Friday 16th September. The night before the pair had been beaten in the Men’s Doubles Final by the French team in a thrilling match to take the silver medal.

After the Single’s final Gordon, who has already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon Single’s titles this year, stated that he had been inspired by compatriot Andy Murray’s gold medal winning performance on the same Rio court a month earlier. Both men have managed the Wimbledon/Rio Gold double.

Gordon Reid with Wimbledon Men’s Wheelchair Singles Trophy

This weekend saw Heroes Centre Ambassador Gordon Reid make tennis History.

On Sunday 10th July, Gordon became the first man to win the inaugural Wimbledon Men’s Wheelchair Singles Title when he beat Sweden’s Stefan Olson 6-1 6-4 to clinch his second singles Grand Slam. Prior to the event, Gordon had stated that he grew up watching Wimbledon on television and it was always his dream to play singles there. “To now have that opportunity, to be a part of the first field of players that is going to go down in history, is a massive opportunity. I cannot wait to get out on the match court.”

What made Gordon’s victory all the more remarkable was that it came less than 24 hours after he and partner Alfie Hewett had taken the Men’s Wheelchair Doubles Title by beating number one seeds Stephane Houdet and Nicolas Heifer of France 4-6, 6-1 7-6 in an absorbing match that lasted 2 and half hours.

And if that wasn’t enough to sap Gordon’s strength the night before his greatest game, it also transpired he had a troubled night having had to find a new hotel room to avoid late-night revellers “I was staying at the National Tennis Centre the last two weeks. There was a party on last night that went on till one in the morning. I ended up moving hotels at 10 o’clock last night and escaped the noise,” Gordon later revealed to the press.

Fortunately he came through it all to achieve a potentially career defining moment: “A Wimbledon title is always going to be unbelievable, but to be the first ever in the singles event, I’m never going to forget that.”

Our sincere congratulation to Gordon – a truly remarkable and inspirational sportsman.

Image copyright Tennis Foundation.

Gordon who was supported throughout the tournament by family and friends, told the BBC that “he would be buying them drinks all night” to celebrate his achievement.

He added: “It’s amazing to showcase our sport and I want to thank everyone.”

Gordon certainly didn’t have an easy draw on his way to winning the title. He had to knock out the World Number 1 Shingo Kunieda of Japan in his first match. Kunieda, who later partnered Gordon in the Doubles, had won eight out of the nine previous Australian Open titles, having never lost a singles match since 2007.

Gordon has been a Heroes Centre Ambassador since the project was launched in 2013.

Image © Luke Hemer/Australia Tennis

But our most recent correspondence has certainly led to us receiving one of most unusual items for potential display in the Centre as  well as understanding the backstory of one of our Inductees a little better.

We are particularly indebted to Mr Val E West of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada who recently contacted us about Ronald Low and  the lifelong companionship that the built having met during National Service in the late 1940s.

Ron Low, who spent his final years in Helensburgh, was the son of RD Low, head of the children’s publications department at DC  Thomson. RD Low was a driving and creative force who masterminded many of Britain’s most popular and best loved story papers and comics including The Dandy and The Beano.

One day young Ron strolled into his Dad’s office to find out when he would be home for tea. At the time, staff at the DC Thomson headquarters were struggling for inspiration for a new character, when in walked Ron, scruffy hair, dressed in dungarees, clutching a bucket of potatoes.

Cartoonist Dudley D Watkins immediately set about sketching him sitting on the upturned bucket. The image, drawn in 1935, became the iconic character Oor Wullie.

Raised in Dundee, Ron always had a love of flying and planes and was a member of the local Air Cadets and University Flying Club. After graduating from St. Andrews University he embarked on a successful career as a GP in Lochinver before joining the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) where he trained as a pilot at RCAF Gimli in Manitoba, Canada and flew jet aircraft, eventually becoming a Squadron Leader.

This was about as much as we knew about Ron until we were contacted by Val who kindly provided this personal insight. And his enquiry was sparked by an old letter that he found whilst having a clear out.

The following words are those of Val as he provided us with some insight into Ron’s career.

“In rummaging through old stuff which, no doubt, my sons will throw to the garbage bin when they “clear out “my place after I’m gone, I came across a letter Ron Low sent me when he had been posted to Yatesbury Radar School from Coltishall. Like all of us he was short of funds so the letter was written on toilet paper!

We were in the same Radar Unit at Coltishall. The actual site was Neatishead but we lived at the airfield near Norwich. Ron preceded me to the Radar School at Yatesbury. I caught up with him again there. We enjoyed that sort of easy relationship the service men find when mixed with complete strangers. He was two weeks ahead of me so he was posted before I’d finished the course.

Apart from a letter or two we lost contact. 

Then one day he wrote that he would be coming down to London and asked if he could stay with us over night. Naturally I said yes. We agreed to meet after our “business” was completed. Ron seemed a little stunned when we met up. Of course the story of how he came to be in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and all the things that stemmed from it, must be well known to you. If however you would like the version he gave me…

He was a young recently minted (newly qualified) doctor trying to establish a practice. He said he was sitting at home, where he had his practice, when an urgent knocking at the door called him to open to a scene of consternation. An elderly woman had collapsed on the sidewalk (pavement) in obvious distress.

Being a doctor he responded, gave a quick examination, called for his wife to ring for the ambulance, and ministered as best he could to her needs. Help arrived and he sent her off to the hospital with his quick “diagnosis” as to her condition. He thought little more of it, being busy with his own patients, until one evening, a few weeks later, a knock at his door revealed a tall officer, in Air Force blue uniform who asked “Dr Low”?

It transpired that the lady who collapsed at his door was the mother of this man. During the discussion that followed Ron found that the man, who had come to his door and wanted to thank Ron for effectively saving her life, was with the RCAF. Ron’ service in the RAF came up, as did his interest in flying. Then the Canadian gent asked Ron if he would consider joining the RCAF,as a Medical Officer. What ensued was a bit of a whirlwind since the Group Captain had more than a little “pull”.

Ron recalled to Val that: “I was inducted into the RCAF as Medical Officer with the rank of Flying Officer ,marched down a corridor to another room where I was congratulated on my promotion to Flt Lt.”

We met again in Toronto where he was serving at the School of Aviation Medicine. Later that year, at Christmas, my wife and I were invited to spend it with Ron and his wife at the RCAF station where he was at the time. A couple of times later we visited, then as often happens, lost contact.

I learned he had eventually returned to Scotland. The Scottish Medical Association, quite properly, would only give the scantest information, as would the RCAF. So I let go.

Recently I have been trying to assemble yarns about my service, and scouring the net, have contacted a lot of former RAF men .So far I have not found anyone who served on the same camps at the same time. Ron was the only one I remember.

As I type this I have to hand a wee Dram, which I raise in salute to a man I liked and admired. I am so glad to be of service to commemorate a friend who by chance and endeavour, and no doubt to his surprise, became a Man of Consequence.”

Slainte Ron.

Cordially Yours,

Val.E. West (Fomally LAC RAF 3103643)

This is a heartfelt and warming tribute to a man that so obviously meant a great deal to Val and we are honoured not only to have received this background information on a past Helensburgh resident, but also the original ‘toilet paper’ letter that has somehow survived the passage of time and sparked the memories written on toilet paper back in 1947.

Planning permission for the site has been extended for a further three years and the provision of increased public parking in the vicinity has enhanced the attractiveness of this site.

While approaches to potential funding bodies have been very well received, with feedback indicating that the project has significant merit and meets the general award criteria, our efforts have been frustrated by the absence of any explicit support from Argyll and Bute Council, despite the continuing endorsement of several locally elected councillors. In light of this we have been advised that, despite the needs identified in our consultation process, confirmed by Open Days and surveys recorded on our website, the lack of tangible financial support from the Local Authority has adversely affected our case in the face of strong competition for the funds available.

Accordingly the Charity Trustees have been exploring alternative options and reduced these to two which they would like to publicise. Option one is to seek funding that does not require Local Authority financial support as a key criterion, with the second option being to open the first Heroes Centre outside of Argyll & Bute. Discussions with interested third parties have been very encouraging. A funding partner willing to put up a seven figure sum has been identified for Option one and an alternative location outwith Argyll and Bute has been proposed with support from its developers.

As the Charity’s origins are centred on Helensburgh we have decided to adopt Option one.

Working with the funding partner outlined in Option one, the Charity aims to open the George Street premises in two phases. Phase one, with late 2015 opening, would enable the Charity to start operating the facility as planned with phase two due soon thereafter. Should additional funding streams be identified earlier than planned then the Centre will open in a single phase.

The Charity is currently working to this timescale and believes at this stage that it is both realistic and workable, with much of the planning work completed, but it does recognise that it would benefit from some additional resource and expertise joining the project team.

The Board would welcome any enquiries from local people who wish to make a difference and wish to see the Heroes Centre opened next year and would be willing to volunteer their skills and expertise as either project team members or Trustees of the Charity.

If you are local to the Helensburgh Area and are interested in joining either the project team or becoming a Trustee please contact the Charity by emailing: info@helensburghheroes.com

A Scottish Government Minister has visited the site of a proposed digital skills academy in Helensburgh just weeks before a major funding decision is due on the £2.5 million project.

The Scottish Minister for External Affairs and International Development Humza Yousaf said he was impressed by the project to build the ‘Heroes Centre’ and would do what he could to support the project to turn a deserted three storey warehouse in the birthplace of John Logie Baird into a skills and arts facility for the local community fit for the digital age.

Helensburgh Heroes, the charity behind the project, will discover in mid-December whether it has won a substantial grant to finally get the project off the drawing board.

Humza Yousaf said: “I’m thoroughly impressed. Having seen the professionalism that surrounds this project I don’t think it will be too many years before I see the great wall of fame, the cinema and the digital academy up and running.”

Mr Yousaf’s site visit followed one made by Fiona Hyslop, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, last year. He was accompanied by local MSP Jackie Baillie who is a supporter of the project.

Jackie Baillie said: “We’re coming close to a major funding decision now so it was important that the Minister came to see what the money would be spent on. His feedback is that it was a very professional presentation and it’s a thrilling idea that takes Helensburgh’s history and heritage and combines it with the present and the future. ”

Mr Yousaf spent an hour at the site in George Street, watching a video presentation of how the Heroes Centre would look if built and listening to key project members, including education partner Glasgow Caledonian University and Organic Architects, who explained their involvement.

Phil Worms, founder of the Helensburgh Heroes charity, said: “I was pleased that the Minister had such a great understanding of what we’re trying to do and of the importance of digital technology both here and throughout Scotland and he left, I believe, with a very positive impression.

“We’re all on tenterhooks at the moment as we expect to find out whether we have secured a major grant in mid-December so we’ve just got our fingers crossed and are hoping for positive news.”

A video detailing the Minister’s visit is available on view  on YouTube

When built the Heroes Centre will boast a state-of-the-art digital training academy, two cinema screens, and a 50s diner plus a wall of fame honouring local people who have contributed to society. Supporters of the project include Hollywood film director Tom Vaughan, who grew up in the town, and influential computer gaming content creator Fergus McNeill.

Image from left to right: Dr Morag Ferguson (Glasgow Caledonian University), Humza Yousaf MSP (Scottish Minister for External Affairs and International Development), Phil Worms (Helensburgh Heroes), Jackie Baillie MSP (Dumbarton) and Andrea Wise (Organic Architects).

Whilst it appears odd that there is so little tangible evidence within the town, celebrating the achievements of arguably its most famous son, the man generally regarded as almost single-handedly inventing the TV industry, it is understandable.

I believe that many projects, including a dedicated John Logie Baird Centre, have been touted over the years yet none of them have materialised. I have no evidence of why this has been the case, but I would guess that the development of a viable, sustainable business case has been the main stumbling block.

Such is the global significance of Logie Baird’s life that most of the surviving historic items associated with his achievements are held in national museum and university collections across the world and this makes it very difficult to find a suitably different angle which would attract funding. Many of ideas that would normally materialise, when considering official celebration of a life such as Baird’s already exist, for example Museums, TV Festivals, Awards for Innovation etc.

Of course Helensburgh still boasts The Lodge, the house where Logie Baird was born and raised, but as this is a private residence in a quiet residential area, I doubt whether the current owners, and their neighbours, would welcome hordes of tourists turning up night and day to take photographs and demanding a guided tour.

Should the house ever become available on the market at some future date, perhaps an institution such as the National Trust for Scotland might step in and purchase it for the Nation, in much the same way that Lennon and McCartney’s childhood homes were successfully acquired in England. If that were to happen, you would then have a truly relevant and unique point from which to stage a permanent celebration of Baird’s life.

But to state Logie Baird’s achievements are not recognised within the town would be fundamentally wrong. We may not have formally celebrated the 125th anniversary of his birth earlier this week, but that does not mean that he is forgotten.

Helensburgh Heritage Trust’s Centre in the library contains an excellent collection of items associated with Baird, including a working model of the Televisor, and regularly organises events and talks that concern aspects of his life.

Likewise, the town that gave the world the man who pioneered Television also gave us the UK’s first broadband network of professionally operated, community owned hyper-local TV channels in the highly successful URTV.

And of course we also wish to honour Baird’s achievements, along with many other inspirational people within our proposed Heroes Centre. Whilst we have been fortunate enough to have obtained several valuable and rare items associated with his life, including the World’s only surviving complete television sales catalogue from 1928, we wish to honour his memory and achievements by inspiring Helensburgh’s next generation of technology pioneers.

If we can achieve this then I think we will have more than recognised the legacy that Baird, amongst others, left for this town.

Image shows Phil Worms of Helensburgh Heroes, and Dr.Morag Ferguson, Glasgow Caledonian University, who recently announced a partnership between the two organisations to provide digital training at the proposed Heroes Centre in Helensburgh, with an image of John Logie Baird on an iPad.