Edit What do you know about Govanhill?
Govanhill (Bhrae na Ghobhain in Gaelic) is a district to the south of the Clyde between the Gorbals and Queens Park.
The council ward has boundaries of Dixon Avenue and Dixon Road to the South, Victoria Road to the West, Butterbiggins Road to the North, and Aikenhead Road to the East.
The history of the area is linked to the Dixon family. A prominent miner and ironworker named William Dixon opened local works and brought jobs to the area.
The area itself was formed in 1877 and the main avenue that runs the length of it is called Dixon Avenue. Some of the local streets were name after the daughters of William Dixon Jnr, namely Allison Street, Daisy Street, and Annette Street.
Govanhill is home to one of Glasgow's original Carnegie libraries, deftly designed in the Edwardian Baroque style by James Robert Rhind. The library is situated at the junction of Langside Road and Calder Street.
The ward has a population of approx. 8,500 and has a rich multicultural mixture. Govanhill remains the most together of all of Glasgow's suburbs, with the area having a high volume of tenement housing built in the Victorian era.
Notable current and former residents include psychiatrist and author R.D. Laing, born on Ardbeg Street in 1927.
Govanhill Pool was designed by A B McDonald and opened in 1917 after the architect's death. They contained hot baths in the upper storey and three swimming pools on the ground floor.
There was a seating gallery around one of the pools for spectators attending events such as galas. There was also a wash-house or "steamie" at the rear of the building, which was converted to a launderette in 1971.
The Govanhill baths were not the first in the area - private baths had opened on Butterbiggins Road in 1877.
The campaign to save Govanhill Pool formally began in December January 2001 when Glasgow City Council informed the community and the users that it was to close the baths on March 31st that year. There had been no local consultation and none with the users.
A feasibility study was commissioned by the Council after it was clear there was a massive and popular demand to keep the pool open.
Community members occupied the pool from March 17th until August 7th that year when, after obtaining a decree to remove the protesters from the pool Sheriff’s Officers accompanied eventually by some 250 police, horses and even a helicopter surveillance removed the protesters and boarded up the pool with steel shutters. It has remained like this since.
I used to go to the baths all the time when I lived in Govanhill and Toryglen. We would go to the baths to have our bath as the house we lived in on Batson Street did not have an inside bathroom. After moving to Toryglen in the 1950's I continued to go to the swimming pool. We swam there, and would attend the swimming galas. They should have kept them open for the publics use. So what has happened to them since they were boarded up many years ago? What about the lauderette? My mum used to go to that steamie!! I have some very fond memories there. It saddens me to think of these changes. Hazel McKenzie Ventura California USA mackenzie1281@roadrunner.com
Lived in Cathcart Road and was an avid frequenter of the place and also the Public Library just a block or so down the road. Fond memories indeed, the soup vending machine, the chip shop. Have not been to Govanhill in many, many years, although last time I was there it was a shame to see the run down aspect of so much of what used to be a very nince neibourhood. Also used to go to Crossmyloof Ice Skating, that also went in thename of progress............ Thomas Lewis - Rio de Janeiro (lewis.td@gmail.com)
i can remember when govanhill was like a super highway of shops, and had no trasffic lights it was a policeman directing traffic @ the junction of allison st and cathcart road, no pot holes in the 1960's, govanhill was not just about the baths it was a community where everyone knew one another, there were shoe shops several co-op's templetons galbraiths curleys to name but a few who remembers flints licienced grocer @ the corner of butterbiggins road the doctors connoly jewellars shops galore clothes shops and for those more well off miss allisons, childrens ware boyles the chemist connoly's butchers the post office to name but a few, holycross schools daisy st, calder street, batson street, the huts and victoria primary to name the ones nearest to where i stay, kids playing in the street, all the girls and boys round @ the summer club @ holyrood, free milk free lunch you name it we had it all a penny for sweets those were the days
We, my Ma and brother lived in Bankhall St, up until 1948/49 when wel left to go to New Zealand, where I have lived ever since. During my short time In Glasgow I went to the Calder St school, my Ma worked for the Corporation as a cleaner and my brother Bob was an apprentice buthceh at a shop around the corner in Cathcart Road..Billy Purdie