The first of a number of plaques to highlight buildings of historical interest in Bathgate has been installed.
The newly mounted plaque can be found on what will be known to many older Bathgate residents as Greig’s Emporium, now the Bathgate Business Centre.
The plaque recording the building’s history can be found on the wall of men’s designer clothing retailer, Nautica in the heart of the town.
Enterprising Bathgate, the management company for the Bathgate Business Improvement District (BID), is leading the project as part of their wider vision to reinforce town’s “Sense of Place”.
They are grateful for public input to requests for suggestions of buildings in the town centre to include in the project. As well as the Emporium building, it is hoped to include, amongst others, the Regal, the Pavilion, the building that is now home to café bar 1912, the Bennie Museum, St David’s Church, St Mary’s Church, the former post office and bank which is now the Costa and the Air Raid Shelters on King Street.
The project has been made possible by a small grant awarded through government funding for town centre capital projects. The plaques will complement the recent addition of new street name signs, as well as the Welcome to Bathgate signs on the main routes into the town.
The plaques will also complement the recently published guide to heritage walks in Bathgate town centre, compiled by the Bathgate History Group in collaboration with Bathgate Community Council.
Enterprising Bathgate board members Sue Bedford-Visser and local councillor Harry Cartmill, who have been involved in researching the history for the plaques, joined Scott McKenzie of Nautica for a photo to record the installation of the first plaque.
The text on the plaque reads: “Opened in June 1916 as offices for the Prudential Assurance Co., the building’s architect was Theodore K Irvine - builder, architect, Provost of Bathgate 1937-1939 - who built many other iconic buildings in the town. Known first as the Colosseum shopping centre, in the 1920 Valuation Roll the proprietor is listed as John Davidson and occupants included the Prudential, John McNaughton Draper and the Buttercup Dairy Company. From the 1930s until the 1980s it was known as Greig’s Emporium, run by family members including former England Cricket Team Captain, Tony Greig. By the late 1980s it had become Quincy’s Nightclub before conversion to individual shops and office space.”
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