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World record cyclist Mark Beaumont rides into town

Record-breaking cyclist, Mark Beaumont will ride into town to tell a sell-out audience about his adventures going around the world in 80 days.

The 36-year-old Scot is a well-known long-distance cyclist, documentary maker and author will talk about his adventures in the saddle as he cycled 18,000 miles in 79 days in an epic record-breaking bike journey around the world.

Around the World in 80 Days – An Evening With Mark Beaumont is a free event organised by Renfrewshire Libraries and takes place in The Lagoon Leisure Centre, on Monday, March 11, at 7pm. Mark will also describe his other adventures that have seen him travel to 130 countries.

There will be complimentary refreshments for ticket holders in the new temporary Central Library next to The Lagoon at 6.30pm.

Chairperson of Renfrewshire Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes said: “Mark has become a household name through his documentaries about ultra-endurance and adventure.

“Having smashed the circumnavigation cycling World Record twice in his career, he now holds this 18,000 mile title in a time of 78 days and 14 hours, averaging 240 miles a day.

“His epic documentaries have taken viewers to over 100 countries including the Arctic and he also survived his boat capsizing in the mid-Atlantic.”

08/03/2019/by Brian McGuire

A new chapter in the story of Paisley’s library services has begun.

The temporary home for Paisley Central Library opened this week in a new building next to The Lagoon Leisure Centre.

The move has been made to allow the refurbishment and creation of a learning and cultural hub at Central Library, on Paisley’s High Street, when it re-opens in 2021.

The work is part of an investment in Paisley town centre venues by Renfrewshire Council to support a wider push to use the town’s unique cultural and heritage assets to transform the area’s future and bring new footfall to the town centre.

In the meantime, the usual services of book lending, free computer and internet access, Bookbug sessions and children’s activities are available at the library facility at The Lagoon.

Opening hours are 9am to 5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and 9am to 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday.

Councillor Lisa Marie Hughes said: “There are exciting times ahead for Renfrewshire cultural scene in general and Paisley library service in particular.

“Once work has been completed at Central Library, the people of Renfrewshire will have a fantastic literary, cultural and social facility we can be proud of.

“And while that work is on-going we’ll have the same library services available at the Central Library’s temporary home, so no one misses out.”

13/02/2019/by Brian McGuire

Industry leaders have praised Paisley: The Secret Collection after it just missed out on the Cultural Project of the Year Award at the 2018 Architects’ Journal Architecture Awards

Paisley Secret Collection MFG

The project was ‘Highly Commended’ by the judges for the inventive nature of its aim to revitalise the high street by bringing the area’s historic collections to life.

Scooping the top prize was the third phase of works to remodel Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre which saw the refurbishment of its basement into an open performance studio capable of hosting a range of events from comedy to jazz.

stella-shabti

Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Convener of Renfrewshire Leisure, said: “The Secret Collection has been a fantastic addition to Paisley as we aim to transform our High Street and bring people into the area.

“The collection includes some of Paisley’s world-famous textiles, plus a mix of ceramics, world cultures, social history, art and sculpture, natural history and local archives – with many of those items unseen by the general public in decades or longer.

“It’s fantastic that everyone involved with this wonderful project has received industry recognition as it really is one of Renfrewshire’s hidden gems and I would encourage everyone to take the time to visit and see the outstanding exhibits.”

Paisley Secret Collection MFG

Paisley: The Secret Collection is the first publicly accessible museum store on a UK High Street and contains thousands of objects which reflect Renfrewshire’s amazing heritage and culture.

The state-of-the-art storage facility is a space where everyone can explore, learn, research and discover hidden treasures in the collection.

Brought to life by Collective Architecture, the project was a key highlight of the work they have carried out transforming buildings using modest budgets to achieve maximum impact.

Ewan Imrie, Project Architect, said: “We are absolutely delighted that this project has gained national recognition through the Architects’ Journal Awards.

“The judges recognised the vision and bravery of the client in placing this precious facility within a very difficult central site, so that it is both accessible and a catalyst for regeneration.

“They were also very impressed by the creative and collaborative working relationship that developed between ourselves and Renfrewshire Council which allowed a bleak former shop unit to be converted into a hidden jewel on the High Street.”

The Secret Collection was one of several successful projects which saw Collective take home the coveted prize of Architect of the Year at the Awards ceremony.

Councillor Hughes added: “Collective brought imagination and an inspired sense of style to what could have been a purely functional space.

“They also had an enormous commitment to getting every detail right in a complex state of the art facility and we’re delighted that their work on the project has been recognised in this way.”

The Secret Collection is open to the public and free guided tours should be booked in advance.

For more information on The Secret Collection, visit www.renfrewshireleisure.com/thesecretcollection

10/12/2018/by Brian McGuire

THE chilly winds of winter might be blowing around Paisley, but youngsters can have some fun at an INDOOR BEACH that’s been created inside Paisley Museum.

Making sandcastles and playing beach games is just one of the activities being organised for the Farewell Frenzy, at the Museum.

Now that the Museum, Central Library and Coats Observatory are closed for major redevelopment, staff at Renfrewshire Leisure decided to have a final farewell bash with free activities such as board games, roller disco, Laser Quest, pop-up cinema, indoor sports activities, gaming, family ceilidh and a kids messy play area, along with the indoor beach.

The Farewell Frenzy starts on Friday, November 23 and goes on until Sunday, November 25 with activities taking place both during the day and in the evening.

Two sold out music gigs are also being staged in Paisley Central Library with Brick Lane studios and Loud ‘n’ Proud presenting Dogtooth, Uncut, Vera, The Spyres and Ghostbaby on Friday, November 23 between 6pm and 10pm. The following evening, between 6pm and 10pm The Vegan Leather, plus guests will also perform at Central Library.

Log on to www.renfrewshireleisure.com/farewellfrenzy for full details of these events.

Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, chairperson of Renfrewshire Leisure said: “It’s rather strange seeing Paisley Museum empty of all the fantastic exhibits and artefacts that have been there for many years.

“But before the work starts to refurbish the building, we thought we’d give kids and adults alike some fun by inviting them into the building for a whole host of different activities you wouldn’t normally find in a museum.”

The Farewell Frenzy is part of a bumper weekend of activities in Paisley town centre as it’s also the first weekend of the Paisley First’s Winterfest and the Paisley Winter Mela is being held in the Town Hall, on Sunday, November 25.

Paisley Central Library will move to a temporary home in early 2019 next to the Lagoon Leisure Centre before moving to the new learning and cultural hub being built on the High Street when it re-opens in 2021.

Public access PCs are available at the Paisley.Is offices at 5a High Street, Paisley. Library staff will be on-hand to assist visitors and the opening hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm and Tuesday and Thursday, 9am to 8pm.

To access the Paisley Museum collections, you can book a tour of The Secret Collection, 9 High Street, Paisley on www.renfrewshireleisure.com . The Heritage Centre has now moved to Mile End Mill, Abbey Mill Studios, Seedhill Road, Paisley. Opening hours are Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri and Sat 9am to 5pm, Thursday 9am to 8pm.

The redevelopment work is part of a £42 million investment in Paisley town centre venues by Renfrewshire Council to support a wider push to use the town’s unique cultural and heritage assets to transform the area’s future and bring new footfall to the town centre.

That programme includes the transformation of Paisley Museum, which will reopen in 2022, a revamp of Paisley Town Hall and Paisley Arts Centre and a new learning and cultural hub on the High Street.

22/11/2018/by Brian McGuire

Paisley’s heritage collection has found a new home in one of the most iconic buildings in the town.

With Paisley’s Central Library and adjacent Museum closing as part of a multi-million refurbishment, the Heritage Centre has now opened in new premises – in the Abbey Mill Business Centre, housed in the former Mile End Mill, in Seedhill Road.

There’s a treasure trove of books, maps, archive newspapers and other resources to help research your family history and the local history of the area inside the bright and spacious area of Unit 907 on the ground floor of the business centre.

Opening hours are 9am to 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 9am to 8pm on a Thursday and 9am to 5pm with an hour closed for lunch on a Saturday.

Fiona Naylor, Acting Chief Executive of Renfrewshire Leisure said: “The Heritage Centre is a great facility and service for people who want to find out about the history and culture of their area.

“The excellent staff at the Heritage Centre have also transferred to the new facility, at the former Mile End Mill, so it’s business as usual.”

Paisley Central Library will move to a temporary home in early 2019 next to the Lagoon Leisure Centre before moving to the new learning and cultural hub being built on the High Street when it re-opens in 2021.

Public access PCs are available at the Paisley.Is offices at 5a High Street, Paisley. Library staff will be on-hand to assist visitors and the opening hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 9am to 5pm and Tuesday and Thursday, 9am to 8pm.

The work is part of an investment in Paisley town centre venues by Renfrewshire Council to support a wider push to use the town’s unique cultural and heritage assets to transform the area’s future and bring new footfall to the town centre.

That programme includes the transformation of Paisley Museum, a revamp of Paisley Town Hall and Paisley Arts Centre and a new learning and cultural hub on the High Street.

09/11/2018/by Brian McGuire

A Dutch based company has been awarded the £1m contract to redesign the exhibitions for the Paisley Museum Reimagined project.

OPERA Amsterdam will create the interior displays housing the museum’s internationally renowned collections as part of a major refurbishment and extension.

The museum is the signature project of Paisley’s heritage led regeneration strategy and is part of an £100m investment by Renfrewshire Council to transform town centre venues and cultural infrastructure over the next four years.

Award winning firm AL_A have already been appointed as architects for the ambitious £42m plans to transform it into an international-class destination. Work at the A-listed building due to start in early winter this year, with an estimated completion date of late autumn 2022.

OPERA’S co-director Jo Pike says that the firm, which has worked with prestigious venues across the globe, including Kensington Palace and the British Museum in London, is excited about the ‘radical’ brief.

It will work in close cooperation with another Dutch based company, Studio Louter, and Jo, who heads OPERA with co-director Jeroen Luttikhuis, said: “There is so much here that really excited us, including the town’s rich history and heritage. The Museum Team have asked us to be bold, radical and ambitious in our approach to achieve something different.

“We are excited to work with the collection as it is very eclectic, from archaeology to textiles, to scientific instruments.”

More than double the number of objects previously displayed will go on show in 2022 with the opportunity to display parts of the collection never seen before.

The museum has the largest known global collection of Paisley shawls and also has art works by the Glasgow Boys, Scottish Colourists, John Byrne and other key 20th century artists.

Jo says that her first visit to the town and museum was inspiring and says the community will also be involved in the project.

She said: “Paisley Museum Reimagined is about co-production, it’s a museum of the community and we are going to be working with them and hearing their stories and ideas because who better an expert than the people who’ve lived and worked here and have donated objects?

“That will inform a lot of how we approach the project and help formulate our ideas and designs.”
Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, Chair of Renfrewshire Leisure, which operates the museum, said: “We are delighted to welcome on board an exhibition collection design team of such calibre as OPERA.

“Renfrewshire’s heritage and collections are globally significant and we want Paisley Museum to reflect the town’s bold and radical past as well as inspire future generations and be a valuable educational resource for our young people.

“It is the centrepiece of the work to transform the area’s fortunes by harnessing our unique cultural heritage to make us a destination and help quadruple museum visitor numbers to 125,000 annually.”
The £100m investment in Paisley town centre also includes projects to transform the interiors of Paisley Town Hall and Arts Centre into 21st-century venues, a new learning and cultural hub on the High Street, new sporting facilities and events space at St James Playing Fields, and major investment in outdoor spaces and the town’s transport links.

The museum project is also being funded by The National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

31/10/2018/by Brian McGuire

Blog, Events, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Library, Paisley Photographs, Paisley Visitor Attractions, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire Arts, Renfrewshire Leisure

Bookbug finds a new home

PAISLEY’S Central Library may have closed, but its free Bookbug sessions for kids are still going on at a new venue.

Bookbug’s new home every Monday is at The Lagoon Leisure, Centre, in Paisley.

The Baby Bookbug Group meet to hear stories being told, sing a song or two and generally have lots of fun from 10.15am to 10.45am and the Toddler Group meets from 11.15am to 11.45am.

Bookbug is Scottish Book Trust’s Early Years programme, encouraging parents and children to read together from birth along with a range of fun activities.

Paisley Central Library will move to a temporary home in early 2019 next to the Lagoon Leisure Centre before moving to the new learning and cultural hub being built on the High Street when it re-opens in 2021.

Public access PCs are available at the Paisley.Is offices at 5a High Street, Paisley. Library staff will be on-hand to assist visitors and the opening hours are Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 9am – 5pm and Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 8pm.

The heritage library will go to a temporary home in Mile End Mill for the next four years then move back into the museum when it reopens.

The work is part of an investment in Paisley town centre venues by Renfrewshire Council to support a wider push to use the town’s unique cultural and heritage assets to transform the area’s future and bring new footfall to the town centre.

30/10/2018/by Brian McGuire

Book Week Scotland 2018 runs from 19 November to 25 November

#BookWeekScotland

Working with a wide range of partners, Scottish Book Trust – the national charity changing lives through reading and writing – will deliver events and activities across the country during Book Week Scotland 2018, which runs from 19 November to 25 November, linked to this year’s theme of Rebel.

The programme for Scotland’s seventh national celebration of books and reading launched with a photocall of rebellious librarians held at Central Library, Edinburgh. Drag queen and Book Week Scotland ambassador, Nancy Clench, and bestselling author Claire Askew posed with copies of the Rebel book, which features a story from Nancy, as well as others submitted from the public.

During Book Week Scotland there are hundreds of free events taking place across many different local authorities, funded by Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC). In Renfrewshire, there is a selection of interesting events for Book Week Scotland, including:

An Afternoon with Peter Kerr, November 22, 2:30pm – 4:00pm

Johnstone Library, Church Street

Enjoy an afternoon with Scotland’s best-selling travel writer Peter Kerr. Peter’s critically acclaimed Mallorca-based books have sold in large numbers worldwide and were inspired by his own experience. A talented artist, Peter also illustrates his own work. A free ticketed event, please book your place online.

https://bookweekscotlandevents.com/events/an-afternoon-with-peter-kerr

Paisley Central Library – Open Day, November 23 – 25, 15:00 – 10:00pm

Paisley Central Library, High Street

Last month Paisley Central Library closed its doors, but before refurbishment work begins, there is a chance to enjoy this well-loved building with Book Week Scotland themed events and activities. Open days will take place from Friday 23 until Sunday 25 November. Please call 0300 300 1188 for further details.

https://bookweekscotlandevents.com/events/paisley-central-library-last-visit

Pitch-It

For the first time, Book Week Scotland will run ‘Pitch-it’, an opportunity for libraries and community groups to submit their proposal for an event. Those involved include: bestselling author Joanne Harris, discussing her new book Blue Salt Road; rapper, writer and activist Akala; public speaker Sam Conniff Allende of Be More Pirate; and Scottish Alt-folk musician and author Peter Kelly, aka Beerjacket. Scottish Book Trust will welcome submissions for interesting and creative events that fit the Rebel theme. Submissions are now open, and the deadline is 15 October. Applications can be made via Scottish Book Trust’s website.

Initiated by the Scottish Government and supported by National Lottery funds through Creative Scotland Targeted Funding, Book Week Scotland is delivered by Scottish Book Trust (and its partners) from 19 November to 25 November 2018. There are hundreds of free events taking place across many different local authorities, funded by Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC).

For more information about Book Week Scotland 2018 and how you can get involved, visit www.bookweekscotland.com where you can find information about all the events taking place in your local area.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “We’re delighted to present another packed programme for Book Week Scotland, our national celebration of reading and writing. After listening to feedback, Scottish Book Trust is pleased to make 100,000 copies of the Rebel book available to the public. Many thanks to our partners and funders for making this programme possible, and we hope everyone joins us for Book Week Scotland, whether at a physical event, or by taking part in our Digital Festival.”

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “As a life-long and avid reader, I know that there’s no greater pleasure than losing yourself in the magic of a book. That’s why I welcome this fantastic launch of 2018 Book Week Scotland programme, a flagship event of Scotland’s culture sector celebrating books, reading and Scotland’s rich literary history and dedicated this year to exploring the theme of ‘Rebel’.

“For the seventh consecutive year, the Scottish Government is proud to support this incredible event, which stems from the Scottish Government’s commitment to literature and as part of our commitment to literature and ensuring more people can access and enjoy cultural activity more often.

“I congratulate Scottish Book Trust and the Scottish Library and Information Council for organising such a fantastic programme of events and activities throughout Scotland, which you can be a part of in your home, at school or college, in your local library or at work, as well as online. I encourage everyone in Scotland, especially during 2018 Book Week Scotland, to commit to finding some time to immerse themselves in the world of books.”

Erin McElhinney, Literature Officer, Creative Scotland, commented: “Scottish Book Trust have produced a programme that offers a whole host of routes into reading and writing, offering a cause to the rebel in all of us. It’s a week to celebrate new partnerships and connections, between organisations and the public, between digital and the book – and an invitation to challenge our own boundaries around reading.”

13/10/2018/by Brian McGuire

Blog, Events, Foxbar, Newsletter, Paisley, Paisley Events, Paisley Library, Paisley Photographs, Paisley Visitor Attractions, People from Paisley, Press Release, Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire Council, renfrewshire events, Renfrewshire Leisure

Toy Library Service is just just child’s play

It’s child’s play for library staff after a new and improved Toy Library service was launched.

Parents and carers who are adult members of Renfrewshire Libraries can now go online to borrow two sets of toys at any one time for four weeks and the service is free.

New Toy Library at Foxbar Library 28.9.18

There are all kinds of toys for youngsters up to the age of eight available to borrow with themed toy packs featuring characters such as The Gruffalo and dinosaurs. There’s even a sensory pop up tent to borrow with specialist items and toys for youngsters to play with inside the tent.

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There are three categories of toys available to borrow and they are:

Read – a collection of books, puppets, story sacks and song and rhyme kits, which will enhance a child’s reading, experience and bring your favourite characters to life.

New Toy Library at Foxbar Library 28.9.18

Discover – a range of toys to help youngsters explore the world around them including water play resources, space exploration, outdoor fun and much more.

Learn – kids can have fun learning to play new games, solve puzzles and develop new skills with this selection of learning toys.

New Toy Library at Foxbar Library 28.9.18

Adults should log on to www.renfrewshirelibraries.co.uk to choose which toys to borrow and which local library they would like to pick them up from.

Joyce McKellar, chief executive of Renfrewshire Leisure said: “Play is crucial in a child’s development and by borrowing from our Toy Library youngsters can fire up their imagination, become creative and learn how to play with other children and share their experiences.

“But the toys aren’t just for the very young as the whole family including older brothers and sisters can join in the fun.”

01/10/2018/by Brian McGuire

The doors of Paisley Museum were locked for the last time yesterday (Thursday) before work starts on a £42 million revamp of the historic visitor attraction.

The refurbishment of Paisley Museum that will take four years to complete is the flagship project in a £100m investment in Paisley town centre over the next few years. The museum is being redesigned by award-winning international architects, AL_A.

A piper played as chairperson of Renfrewshire Leisure, Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes and the organisation’s chief executive, Joyce McKellar locked the Museum’s giant doors and carried out the last few exhibits.

The adjacent Central Library also closed yesterday, as work is about to start on creating a new-look cultural hub in Paisley.

The new-look museum will showcase its outstanding art, science and natural history collections, along with telling the story of the Paisley pattern, the town’s famous weavers and being at the centre of the global thread-making industry.

The revamped museum is expected to attract 125,000 visits a year – almost four times current numbers – when it reopens in 2022. And it’s estimated that it will create huge amounts of visitors to Paisley town centre, as well as a £72m economic boost over 30 years.

The redevelopment will include a contemporary addition to the existing Victorian-era building, major revamps to all four museum buildings including the Coats Observatory, and a complete internal redesign reimagining the visitor experience and doubling the number of objects on display.

The museum collections will still be available to view at Paisley: The Secret Collection on the High Street, while a temporary Paisley Central Library will open over the winter while a new learning and cultural hub is constructed on the High St, to open in 2021

Library services will still be available at Renfrewshire’s other 11 libraries and online in the meantime, while public-access PCs will be available at the Paisley.is office at 5a High Street.

The public will have access to the library’s Heritage Centre when it moves to temporary premises at Mile End Mill, Paisley, in November. The library service will also move to premises at Paisley’s Lagoon Leisure Centre, in January and the popular Bookbug sessions will also be held in The Lagoon.

Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes said: “This may seem like the end of an era for Paisley’s wonderful Museum and Central Library.

“But it’s also the beginning of something fantastic that will put Paisley at the heart of the Scotland’s culture and heritage.

“When these doors open again in four years time we’ll have a visitor attraction that will bring people flocking to Paisley and it will also be something local people can feel rightly proud about.”

Joyce McKellar added: “Paisley Museum has a treasure trove of many different kinds of collections that will be of interest to people from all over the world.

“It will be well worth the wait to have a new museum that can do justice to these collections.”

The museum project is being funded by Renfrewshire Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Government’s Regeneration Capital Grant Fund.

The work is part of an investment in Paisley town centre venues by Renfrewshire Council to support a wider push to use the town’s unique cultural and heritage assets to transform the area’s future and bring new footfall to the town centre.

That programme includes the transformation of Paisley Museum, a £22m revamp of Paisley Town Hall, a new learning and cultural hub on the High Street unit, a £2.5m revamp of Paisley Arts Centre, investment in sporting facilities and outdoor events space at St James Playing Fields, and investment to improve existing town centre outdoor spaces and transport links.

20/09/2018/by Brian McGuire

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