This small video was taken in and around Paisley for us by Paisley Buddie Drone Flights (no drones were used this time).
It shows a lot of local landmarks and is created in a way which is called motion capture, sit back and enjoy. This is the first video they have created so lessons learned and they will only get better…
You can see the drone videos created by Paisley Buddie Drone Flights by clicking here.
Intrepid members of the public are being given the chance to experience a piece of medieval archaeology up close in celebration of Renfrewshire’s history and heritage.
To mark Doors Open Days 2019, experts from Guard Archaeology will lead guided tours of the historic Abbey Drain on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September.
The expedition down the drain follows on from the success of the tours as part of Doors Open Days 2018 – and as places on the tours will be in high demand, spaces will be allocated via a ballot.
The 100m long underground passageway, thought to be more than 700 years old, was unearthed in the 19th century and rediscovered in the 1990s.
This summer, an eight-week excavation – the Big Dig – unearthed a well-preserved 14th century archway marking where and how the drain met the River Cart, around three metres from the banks of the present-day river.
Archaeologists can now pinpoint the end of the drain and the boundary wall of the monastery, which informs what we already know about the infrastructure and layout of medieval Paisley.
The dig was managed by Renfrewshire Council, run by Guard Archaeology with help from Renfrewshire Local History Forum volunteers, and supported by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic Environment Scotland.
Renfrewshire’s Provost Lorraine Cameron said: “The Abbey Drain tour is a very exciting opportunity for anyone interested in Paisley’s architecture, archaeology and heritage to experience a medieval structure first-hand.
“I’ve been into the inner workings of the drain myself and it was a fascinating experience.
“There will be plenty going on all over Renfrewshire as part of Doors Open Days. I would encourage people of all ages to get out and about across the weekend and support local businesses while learning more about our heritage and culture.”
To be in with a chance of going down the drain, visit https://paisley.is/listing/win-a-tour-of-the-great-medieval-drain-in-paisleys-abbey-close/ and fill out the ballot form. The ballot will close on Friday 23 August.
Tours will run between 10am and 4.30pm on both Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September.
Participants must be aged 12 or above.
Paisley First Press Release: Following a successful campaign by Paisley First and local businesses, a Free for Three pilot project will get underway next week.
Many thanks to all those businesses who encouraged customers to sign our petition and then returned these petition forms to the Paisley First team.
As a result of our campaign, from Monday 29th July, visitors to Paisley will be able to take advantage of three hours free parking in the town centre as part of the pilot scheme to test the impact on local businesses and encourage people to spend their money locally.
Motorists will be able to park in six of the town centre’s car parks without being charged for the first three hours of their stay – the six car parks involved in the pilot are Orchard Street, Weighhouse Close, Hunter Street (upper and lower), Oakshaw and School Wynd, a total of 186 spaces and approximately 20% of the council’s off-street parking spaces.
New parking meters are being installed in each of the six car parks which will now accept both coin and contactless payment.
Every vehicle will still need to display a ticket, but free parking will be available for their first three hours after 10am, Monday to Saturday – after which charges will apply.
Whilst not part of our Free for Three Campaign, Renfrewshire Council has decided that charges are being reintroduced on a Saturday in all council-owned car parks, with the six pilot car parks having the first three hours free, as analysis has shown a lack of availability of spaces in the town centre with people using it as a park and ride facility.
Parking will remain free all day on a Sunday in all council-owned spaces.
There is no change to on-street parking charges, with evening and weekend parking remaining free, and the car park at Renfrewshire House will remain available for free on evenings and weekends.
The pilot scheme is scheduled to run for six months and feedback from businesses will be crucial to our campaign to have Free for Three rolled out across the town centre on a permanent basis.
If you would like to be part of our business feedback group, helping us to collect data on the effectiveness of Free for Three for your business, then please get in touch with the Paisley First team as soon as possible.
In the meantime if you have any other queries please don’t hesitate to contact us on 0141 237 8120, email ask@paisleyfirst.com or pop into the Paisley First office at 1 County Place.
Renfrewshire Council Press Release:
Visitors to Paisley will soon be able to take advantage of three hours free parking in the town centre as part of a pilot to test the impact on local businesses and encourage people to spend their money locally.
From Monday 29 July, motorists will be able to park in six of the town centre’s car parks without being charged for the first three hours of their stay as part of a pilot to assess the impact on local trade.
Brought forward by the Paisley Town Centre Car Parking Working Group, the six-month pilot will identify if a period of free parking will increase footfall in the town centre and entice people to stay local.
Renfrewshire Council Leader Iain Nicolson, Chair of the Working Group, said: “Paisley town centre has so much to offer and we want to make it as easy as possible for people to visit and spend their money locally.
“We’ve been working closely with local businesses and partners to identify how the council can best provide its support and they’ve identified that a period of three hours parking could boost footfall in the town and increase trade within their businesses.
“It’s hoped that it will encourage people to stay local and while this obviously comes with a significant financial implication for the council in terms of loss of income and inputting new parking meters, we’re happy to explore ideas brought forward by our partners and the local community.
“The pilot will be evaluated after six months and we’ll assess the impact it has had and identify the next steps.
“We’re aiming to make it as smooth a transition as possible for everyone so please check our website for all the details, including a list of helpful FAQs.”
The Paisley Town Centre Car Parking Working Group is made up of elected members and officers from Renfrewshire Council, Paisley First, local public transport operators and local private car parking operators – and the pilot is the product of regular meetings to discuss positive plans for Paisley town centre.
Colette Cardosi, Chair of Paisley First, said: “Free for Three is a crucial campaign for the future of the business community we represent in Paisley town centre and those who visit or would like to visit the town on a more frequent basis.
“With visitor attractions such as Paisley Museum and Paisley Town Hall now closed for refurbishment, it is crucial that the impacts felt by local businesses as a result are mitigated against.
“The public response to our Free for Three campaign has been fantastic and showed that many more people would visit Paisley to shop and socialise if there was an element of free parking on offer.
“We are looking forward to working with the council and our local businesses on maximising the opportunities that the parking pilot can bring to Paisley town centre.”
The six car parks involved in the pilot are Orchard Street, Weighhouse Close, Hunter Street (upper and lower), Oakshaw and School Wynd, a total of 186 spaces and approximately 20% of the council’s off-street parking spaces.
New parking meters are being installed in each of the six car parks which will accept both coin and contactless payment.
Every vehicle will still need to display a ticket, but free parking will be available for their first three hours after 10am, Monday to Saturday – after which charges will apply.
Charges are being reintroduced on a Saturday in all council-owned car parks, with the six pilot car parks having the first three hours free, as analysis has shown a lack of availability of spaces in the town centre with people using it as a park and ride facility.
Parking will remain free all day on a Sunday in all council-owned spaces.
There is no change to on-street parking charges, with evening and weekend parking remaining free, and the car park at Renfrewshire House will remain available for free on evenings and weekends.
For more information and a full list of FAQs, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/parking.
| Renfrewshire community groups are being invited to take centre stage at Paisley’s Halloween Festival…by joining the spooktacular parade.
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| The award-winning festival – the biggest of its kind in Scotland and one of the UK’s must-see Halloween events – will take over Paisley town centre on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 October.
The event – run by Renfrewshire Council – is being supported by EventScotland as part of their National Programme funding, which will allow an extended programme of outdoor performances. Last year’s festival was the biggest yet – with 34,000 visitors to Paisley and worth more than £1.9m to the local economy.
This year’s event will have a theme of ‘dark circus’ – with the parade co-ordinated by internationally-acclaimed performance specialists Cirque Bijou, who want school and community groups to work with them in the run-up to the event and take part in the parade on the day. They are looking for people to take part in carnival workshops and street theatre, dance and musical performances. Any interested groups should contact events@renfrewshire.gov.uk Julian Bracey, artistic director of Cirque Bijou, said: “We are really excited to be part of this year’s celebrations. We have some amazing workshop leaders and are looking for local schools, groups and individuals to work with to make this years festival the spookiest yet.” Louisa Mahon, Renfrewshire Council’s head of marketing, communications and events, said: “We are proud of how our Halloween Festival has grown to become the biggest of its kind in Scotland and an event with UK-wide profile. “But we are also proud of the way it allows the many talented community and youth groups in Renfrewshire to work with and be inspired by artists of national standing. Our local groups will love working with the talented team at Cirque Bijou and help make this year’s parade as colourful and lively a spectacle as ever.” The full programme for this year’s festival is currently being finalised and will be announced in August – along with changes to the event site for this year. The Halloween Festival is one of the top dates within Renfrewshire’s major events programme, which brought 160,000 attendees and a £4.7m economic impact into the area in 2018 alone. For more information on Halloween and all local events, see www.paisley.is |
This year will be no different – everyone is invited to join the annual party this Saturday 6 July from 12 noon to 5pm. And with almost 50 events taking place across 20 different venues, this year’s celebration promises to be the best yet!
Festivities will get underway at noon as the colourful parade leaves Brodie Park, heading for Paisley Arts Centre led by the tuck of the Charleston Drum. The parade this year will feature local groups, performers, spectacular floats and giant puppets, all co-ordinated by parade specialists Bridgeman Arts.
2019 will also see Sma’ Shot Day return to its roots, quite literally, by moving to the streets around the historic Sma’ Shot Cottages in Paisley’s town centre; with Shuttle Street, New Street, Witherspoon Street and Brown’s Lane all set to come alive with music, theatre, poetry, crafts and lots of family-friendly activities.
Amongst these activities there will of course be the Burning of the Cork (1.20pm within the grounds of Paisley Arts Centre) which sees the ‘Corks’ – the middlemen between the owners and the weavers – meet their fate at the hands of the working weavers in spectacular fashion. Right2Dance will deliver a short pre-Burning of the Cork performance with live music in front of Paisley Arts Centre at 1.15pm.
Plus, there will be lots of opportunities to learn a new craft at a series of artists workshops taking place all over Paisley. Follow the Creative Craft Trail for mural painting, jewellery making, embroidery and loads more.
The Sma’ Shot Cottages will also be open 12 noon til 5pm for your chance to see what life was really like for the weavers in the 19th century. Catch a guided tour and watch live weaving demonstrations with Paisley Museum’s textiles expert, Dan Coughlan. We also recommend a trip to Paisley Thread Mill Museum to complete your weaving experience on the industry’s most celebrated day of the year.
Download the Paisley.is handy event map and start planning your day!
One of Scotland’s best-known Gaelic singers has signed up to help promote the town’s hosting of the world’s largest celebration of Gaelic culture – the Royal National Mòd – in 2022.
Award-winning singer, dancer, journalist and TV presenter Joy Dunlop has joined the Mòd Phàislig Local Organising Committee, which is planning the nine-day festival, due to return to Paisley three years from now in October.
And Joy is already helping develop Renfrewshire’s next generation of traditional music talent – by tutoring some of the young people involved with Gaelic music group Fèis Phàislig
Fèis runs a year-round programme of activity giving young people a chance to get involved in the Gaelic arts – and will be showcasing their talents with an interactive performance called Stramash as part of the programme for Sma’ Shot Day, this coming Saturday.
Joy took a break from rehearsals with Fèis to look ahead to the Mòd 2022. The event – run by An Comunn Gàidhealach – will be in Paisley for the second time, having debuted here in 2013.
The previous event was the second-largest in Mòd history, with 8,000 people over nine days, a £1.4m economic impact for the area, and a tremendous festival atmosphere around the town.
Joy said: “I’m really looking forward to Mòd Phàislig in 2022. We had a great Mòd in Paisley last time and I’m sure we will have excellent events again.
“Paisley is a central location which will help take the event to new audiences and there is already some really great Gaelic cultural talent in the town, as I know from working with Fèis Phàislig.”
And any residents looking for a free taster of what is to come should go to The Bungalow in Shuttle Street between 2 and 5pm on Saturday to for Fèis’s first-ever Stramash event.
Some of Scotland’s top traditional musicians will join young up-and-coming talent for a bumper afternoon of music and interactive performances for all ages, with space for dancing.
The Ceilidh Trail group will perform new material ahead of their summer tour and will invite audience members to learn a Gaelic song or two and become part of the band for the afternoon.
Stramash will also return to Paisley later in the year with a free show as part of the Spree festival
Fèis Co-ordinator Grant McFarlane said: “We’re delighted to be part of this year’s Sma’ Shot Day and to bring some traditional music and Gaelic to the event.
“We’ve got a full afternoon of music planned and can’t wait to welcome everyone in for a song, dance or just to enjoy the tunes!”
Sma’ Shot Day is one of the world’s oldest workers festivals and will take place on Saturday between 12pm and 5pm, with around 50 events across 20 different venues in an all-new event site in the area around Shuttle Street, New Street and Brown’s Lane
The parade leaves Brodie Park at noon, led by the tuck of the Charleston drum and throughout the day, the streets around the historic Sma’ Shot Cottages will come alive with music, theatre, poetry, crafts and lots of family friendly activities.
All events are free to attend. More information and full bill – including parade route, road closures, and a detailed FAQ for the event, is at www.paisley.is
Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work Derek Mackay was given a behind-the-scenes tour of the ongoing work to transform Paisley Museum into a world-class destination driving new visitors to the town.
The museum is currently undergoing a £42m revamp as the flagship project within wider work to transform Paisley’s future through its internationally-significant cultural and heritage story.
When it reopens in 2022, the museum is expected to almost quadruple previous visitor numbers to 125,000 a year, bringing new footfall into the town centre.
And Mr Mackay and Scottish Government officials were joined by Renfrewshire Council leader Iain Nicolson and chief executive Sandra Black to see the work taking place for himself, on a tour led by members of the museum project team.
The museum transformation will create the following:
– a leading European museum telling the stories of how Paisley’s people and pattern helped change the world, drawing audiences from Scotland, the UK and abroad;
– an extension plus complete internal redesign and restoration of all museum buildings – including the Coats Observatory. The design team is headed by international architects AL_A, led by Stirling-Prize-winner Amanda Levete, who have worked on landmark projects across the world;
– doubled capacity for Paisley’s internationally-significant collections to go on show – with local communities helping shape how the collections are reinterpreted and displayed;
– a community resource and major educational institution at the heart of life in Paisley;
– an interactive weaving studio keeping alive Paisley’s traditional textile skills, a heritage centre to study local history, and attractive outdoor museum garden;
Advance works started on the site earlier this year, including the demolition of the 1970s block to the rear of the museum, and work to prepare outdoor spaces and the interior of the existing buildings for main construction starting next year.
Other projects within the current £100m investment in Paisley town centre include a transformation of Paisley Town Hall to turn it into a landmark entertainment venue and keep it at the heart of life in the town for future generations; a new learning and cultural hub housing library services at the heart of the High Street; and a transformation of the town’s key outdoor spaces.
Paisley’s museum collections are still available to view at Paisley: The Secret Collection – the only publicly-accessible museum store on a UK high street.
The museum project is being led by Renfrewshire Council, and the reopened museum will be operated by Renfrewshire Leisure Ltd.
Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work, Derek Mackay, said: “I enjoyed seeing the ongoing transformation of the museum and all the hard work taking place to develop it for Paisley and the wider area.
“The museum will help tell the story of Paisley and ensure its heritage is preserved.”
Council leader Iain Nicolson said: “I was delighted to welcome the cabinet secretary to the town to show him the life-changing impact this project will have for Paisley, Renfrewshire and Scotland.
“As the one-time centre of the global textile industry, the museum will help reconnect Paisley to the stories – and pattern – which once took its name around the world, and help bring visitors to Scotland from outwith these shores to hear those unique tales for themselves
“It will also be the centrepiece of a transformed town centre, building on the work already done to make the town one of Scotland’s key destinations, and create a thriving community resource for the people of Paisley, driving footfall up our High Street.”
For more information on what’s happening in Paisley, see www.paisley.is
Thousands of people soaked up the sound and spectacle of the world’s best pipe bands – as the British Pipe Band Championships takes place in Paisley today.
The event – one of world piping’s biggest events – has attracted a huge crowd to the town’s St James Playing Fields to see pipers from as far afield as the USA, Belgium and Denmark.
Visitors also enjoyed a day of free family entertainment laid on by organisers Renfrewshire Council.
SCORES of secondary pupils have shown they are real good sports after graduating from the Renfrewshire School of Sport Education.
Paisley Abbey was packed with families and friends for the graduation ceremony and the presentation of certificates to 70 students by Renfrewshire Provost Lorraine Cameron.
The School of Sport Education Initiative run by Renfrewshire Leisure and gives students over the age of 16 training for leisure and sports coaching awards and qualifications that could help them find work when they leave school, college or university.
Each pupil taking part has completed 20 weekly after-school sessions, child protection training and a placement to gain volunteering experience by coaching and delivering 60 hours of sports activities to younger children.
Chairperson of Renfrewshire Leisure, Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes said: “We’re very proud of what the young people in this year’s intake have achieved.
“It’s not just how they have developed their own skills and expertise, but what they have done for younger pupils by inspiring them and showing them the benefits of sport in maintaining an active lifestyle.
“The students have become role models and heroes to the children they have coached.
“What the students have learned and experience by taking part in the initiative will stand them in good stead as they make their way into adult life.”
Students from Renfrewshire’s Young Ambassadors programme helped organise the awards event. There were 22 students from local secondary schools who planned and hosted the graduation awards at Paisley Abbey on the night.
The Young Ambassadors – chosen from all 11 secondary schools in Renfrewshire – promote sport in their schools and are involved in various events throughout the year.
