Johnstone’s new town hall was given a housewarming to remember at the weekend – with an afternoon-long party to which the whole town was invited.
Thousands turned out to enjoy entertainment laid on by Renfrewshire Council designed to celebrate the £14.5m facility in the heart of the town.
The official opening was performed by local MSP Hugh Henry, who unveiled a plaque during a short ceremony for guests from the local community.
Clyde 1 DJs Gina McKie and George Bowie got the public party started on the main stage in Houstoun Square, with an afternoon of music, dance and more, as well as a funfair.
Acts appearing on the day included Scottish X Factor starlet Emily Middlemas, as well as local rockers Lemonhaze, singer Liam Doyle, McCallum School of Music, Splash Productions, Christine Aitken School of Dance and Johnstone Brass Band.
There was also plenty going on for kids, with theatre performances inside the town hall, plus giant inflatables in Ludovic Square.
And local traders were able to show off everything the town has to offer to visitors, with a showcase run by the Johnstone Business Consortium.
The fun continued into the evening with a family ceilidh led by Clamjamfrie in the main hall – showing off the flexibility of the facility.
The town hall will be a hub for life in Johnstone and the villages for generations to come, and contains modern facilities including theatre space, a library, dance studio, ceremony suite, cafe, meeting rooms and conference facilities.
The building is also home to offices for council housing, social work, registry and Adviceworks staff, meaning it acts as a one-stop shop for a range of services.
Police Scotland and Macmillan Cancer Support are also due to move into the building later this year.
Renfrewshire’s Provost Anne Hall was there on the day and said: “This town hall is very much for the people of Johnstone – it was designed in partnership with the community and with their needs in mind.
“So it was only fitting that we put something on in the town centre on the day of the official opening which would bring the people of Johnstone and the villages into the new building and the area around it.
“The day itself was a great success – it’s always a pleasure to be out and about and meeting people at occasions like this.”
The new Johnstone Town Hall is now available for functions, and will soon be taking its first wedding.
For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/johnstone, or call 0300 300 1210.dr