Coming to Penicuik : .
in the second half of November
2011
About Saving the Mill
in
-people & places in time
Powerhouse
of Practical Enlightenment
1700-1900 and beyond
with
Ticket price £5 (£3) 01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net www.kosmoid.net/penicuik/upcoming
The dispersal of practical enlightenment from this area around
Edinburgh began with the foundation of a papermill at
the start of the seventeenth century, growing with an unparalleled spread of
ideas through the medium of its paper in for example Scottish bibles, Burns’
songs, Scott’s novels, Turner’s paintings, banknotes, account books and stamps.
It led to industrial developments in
in
-75 years of the Saltire Society
Scotland’s Planning Legacy
No charge for entry
Cafe with home made cakes
and soup. 01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net http://www.kosmoid.net/planning/legacyintro
This exhibition originally prepared for the
80th anniversary of the Royal Town Planning Institute in
See below for a related talk in Penicuik on
the evening of Tuesday 22 November and an
in
-people & places in time
Liszt in
Derek Watson introduced
by Bill Fearnley at
Tickets £7 (£5)
01968 677854 or 01968 673992 roger@kosmoid.net and peniwork@fsmail.net www.kosmoid.net/penicuik/upcoming
2011 marks the bicentenary of Franz Liszt. Following in the footsteps of Mendelssohn,
Chopin and Paganini, Liszt
made a remarkable tour to
in
-people & places in time
Sunday 20 November only 2011 introduction and singing
Singing
in
Vault singers of
Penicuik at
Performance is free but
attenders require Palace entrance Adult £4.00, Child
£2.40 by Historic
singers
01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net http://www.kosmoid.net/penicuik/vaults
After the
Reformation, King James VI built this impressive new palace to the west of the
old Abbey cloister. It became the home of his queen, Anna of
At The Saltire Society, Fountain Court,
off Royal Mile .
-75 years of the Saltire Society
Arts Architecture Science Engineering
SALTIRE SOCIETY 75 YEARS
Celebrating more than 75
years of Scottish cultural life in pictures
ENTRY FREE
Saltire
Society 9 Fountain Close,
opposite Storytelling
Centre in Royal Mile 0131 556 1836 saltire@saltiresociety.org.uk http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk
In a series of images the exhibition conveys some
of the origins of the Saltire Society, and shows the a range of its
achievements and award winners against the background of 75 years of Scottish
cultural life -from poetry plays and
painting to architecture science and engineering, with an online preview at http://www.kosmoid.net/saltire/years
The full exhibition is also on show free at
in
Penicuik Town Hall Marriage Room .
-people & places in time
James Finlayson
(1772-1852) -founder
of
Talk by Roger Kelly £3
(£2)
One example
of the diaspora of practical enlightenment from this part
of
At The Saltire Society, Fountain Court,
off Royal Mile
.
-75 years of the Saltire Society
Arts Architecture Science Engineering
SALTIRE SOCIETY 75 YEARS
Celebrating more than 75
years of Scottish cultural life in pictures
ENTRY FREE
Saltire
Society 9 Fountain Close,
opposite Storytelling
Centre in Royal Mile 0131 556 1836 saltire@saltiresociety.org.uk http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk
In a series of images the exhibition conveys some
of the origins of the Saltire Society, and shows the a range of its
achievements and award winners against the background of 75 years of Scottish
cultural life -from poetry plays and
painting to architecture science and engineering, with an online preview at http://www.kosmoid.net/saltire/years
The full exhibition is also on show free at
At
-75 years of the Saltire Society
Scotland’s
Planning Legacy
Talk by Roger Kelly £5 (£3)
01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net
http://www.kosmoid.net/planning/legacyintro
The exhibition prepared for 80 years of the
Royal Town Planning Institute in
The exhibition is also being shown at
At Saltire Society, Fountain Court, off
Royal Mile
-75 years of the Saltire Society
Scotland’s
Planning Legacy
No charge for entry 01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net http://www.kosmoid.net/planning/legacyintro
The exhibition prepared for the 80th
anniversary of the Royal Town Planning Institute in
At The Saltire Society, Fountain Court,
off Royal Mile
.
-75 years of the Saltire Society
Thursday 24 &
Arts Architecture Science Engineering
SALTIRE SOCIETY 75 YEARS
Celebrating more than 75
years of Scottish cultural life in pictures
ENTRY FREE Saltire Society 9 Fountain
Close,
opposite Storytelling
Centre in Royal Mile 0131 556 1836 saltire@saltiresociety.org.uk http://www.saltiresociety.org.uk
In a series of images the exhibition conveys
some of the origins of the Saltire Society, and shows the a range of its
achievements and award winners against the background of 75 years of Scottish
cultural life -from poetry plays and
painting to architecture science and engineering, with an online preview at http://www.kosmoid.net/saltire/years
The full exhibition is also on show free at
in
-people & places in time
The Man Who Caused the Boer
War
Talk by David I Harvie £3 (£2)
01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net
http://www.kosmoid.net/penicuik/upcoming
John Stewart MacArthur's contribution in two scientific areas is unique and important. A
century ago, he and his collaborators were pioneers in ensuring the survival of
the world's gold and silver extraction industry - with all the implications for
international economies. And in the first two decades of the last century, he
was closely involved with the innovators of what was then a completely unknown
and dangerous field of science: he was unwittingly involved in the birthof the nuclear industry. MacArthur’s
story occurred in a past so recent that, although out of the direct touch of
anyone still living, it is still tantalisingly close. His discovery of the
Cyanide Process of gold extraction, and its development towards commercial
viability, was done in the hothouse that was Kinning
Park in Glasgow. is exploits in gold extraction ended
with a vicious patents trial in
in
-people & places in time
The Kosmoid
Enigma
Talk by David I Harvie introduced by Roger Kelly £3 (£2)
01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net http://www.kosmoid.net/shiels
There was
extraordinary attempt to transmute elements on Clydeside
at the beginning of the 20th century by Kosmoid Ltd,
a well-funded company set up under the aegis of Dr Alexander Shiels, a charismatic medical man. The enterprise
involved a tube factory, leading figures, and massive investment. Was it
science, alchemy or an attempt to influence the markets? This strange story cannot help but touch
several people in Glasgow at the time: Glasgow metal speculator and junior Trade Minister Andrew Bonar Law,
Ernest Rutherford’s collaborator in elemental transmutation the Nobel laureate Frederick
Soddy, television pioneer A.A. Campbell Swinton, the later head of ICI Alexander Fleck,
and one of Scotland’s most notable 20th century politicians: Walter Elliot
who was the son of Dr Shiels’ dead sister and raised
in his household. Intriguingly the events were alluded to by John Buchan in his novel loosely based on the character of
Prime Minister Arthur Balfour “The Power House”.
It is only in
the last few years the extensive Babcock and Wilcox factory at Dumbarton has
been demolished and turned into a housing development, almost a century after
its construction. This factory was the unlikely focus of one of Britain’s most
bizarre company scandals. In 1906 it was alleged that the Kosmoid
Company was secretly trying to make gold from lead and copper from pig-iron on
a commercial scale. The classic alchemist’s dream was to be set in the
hard-headed and conventional cauldron of Clydeside
heavy engineering. The Kosmoid companies (three of
them) were set up by Alexander Shiels, a young doctor
who did more than dabble in engineering and related activities - he had well
over 100 British patents, as well as dozens of overseas patents and licences.
The three companies were controlled by a secretive group of 18, called the
Metallurgical Syndicate, whose stated aim was "the commercial development
of secret processes of manufacture known to Alexander Shiels
by which quicksilver (mercury) could be produced from lead and copper from
iron." Some of the West of Scotland’s princes of industry incredibly put
their names to this, and agreed that Shiels could do
what he wanted and employ who he wanted with no interference from the partners.
They also agreed not to enter the factory or ask what was being done there.
Following the scandal, confusion and doubt perhaps rather suited Glasgow's
business establishment, given the embarrassment suffered by some of their most
influential merchants and financiers. The equivalent of £10 million was lost,
reputations were in tatters, and there were allegations of attempted murder
against the central character.
in
-75 years of the Saltire Society
Arts Architecture Science Engineering
SALTIRE SOCIETY 75 YEARS
Celebrating more than 75
years of Scottish cultural life in pictures
ENTRY FREE
In a series of images the exhibition conveys
some of the origins of the Saltire Society, and shows the a range of its
achievements and award winners against the background of 75 years of Scottish
cultural life -from
poetry plays and painting to architecture science and engineering, with an
online preview at http://www.kosmoid.net/saltire/years Cafe with home
baking and soup
The full exhibition is also on show free at
in
-people & places in time
Diamonds in the Deli
Talk by David I Harvie £3 (£2)
01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net
http://www.kosmoid.net/penicuik/upcoming
David I Harvie tells the story of the
brilliantly inventive James Ballantyne Hannay. The son of a baker who became a property developer
and theatre-owner, he had an early interest at school in chemistry, philosophy
and astronomy. He studied solids, liquids and gases in Glasgow and Manchester
and opened a chemical works in Glasgow’s east end. He established a patents
company and registered a bewildering range of patents in a variety of fields.
While still a young man, he bought Cove Castle, a fine Scots Baronial
tower-house. He opened a further laboratory in what later became a well-loved
Glasgow delicatessen. Here, in 1880, he produced microscopic sample of
artificial diamond – one of the holy grails of technology. They were
authenticated by the top European diamond expert, Prof. Story-Maskelene of the British Museum. Hannay himself, a
classic experimenter, was
intent on setting out on yet more original work. The diamond
issue remained oddly quiet for some time, perhaps through disbelief and the
nervousness of stock exchanges. While Hannay devoted
himself to technological innovations he became increasingly involved in
exploring and writing about metaphysics.
He theorised on the origins and function of the universe, and aspects of
religion and sexual iconography, from a staunchly atheist viewpoint. Over many decades – until well after Hannay’s death in 1931 – his microscopic diamond samples
were subjected to further testing, as new methods became available.
Tantalisingly, it seemed that each result seemed to contradict the previous
finding . . . until, in 1975 the ‘final’ series of tests, at King’s College,
London, considered conclusively that they were definitely natural, and could
not possibly have been man-made. It seems hard to believe that the last word
has been heard on the Hannay Diamonds - but for the fact
that the tiny samples could no longer sustain further testing. Today artificial
diamond technology is very advanced; yet, even here, the latest idea is to
produce diamond film using Tequila!
in
-people & places in time
Polish Forces in
Illustrated
talk by Roger Kelly £3 (£2)
01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net http://www.makers.org.uk/penicuik/maczek
The story of
the Polish forces in
In Crichton near
Pathhead .
-people & places in time
Singing
in Crichton Collegiate Church
Vault singers of
Penicuik at
Performance is free
but donations may be made to the Crichton Collegiate
Church Trust
01968 677854 roger@kosmoid.net http://www.kosmoid.net/penicuik/vaults
Crichton Church was founded on 26
December 1449 by William Crichton, 1st Lord Crichton, Lord Chancellor of Scotland "Out of thankfullness and gratitude to Almighty God, our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Kentigern and
All Saints", Like many other Scottish collegiate churches, Crichton was built for the use of the local lord, and a
provost, eight prebendaries, two choir boys and a sacrist were appointed to pray for the souls of the Crichton family. The building is no longer used as a parish
church and is in the care of the Crichton Collegiate
Church Trust. Vault Singers sing simple harmonic chants here every four weeks
throughout the year, and also sing regularly in the nearby Collegiate Chapels
of Rosslyn (in the crypt) and Seton. Built for
voices, each of these ancient spaces has a very special acoustic. Chants have a religious basis.
in
Penicuik Town Hall Marriage Room .
-people & places in time
Scots engineers and architects and their families in 19th
century Japan
-with a postscript on their descendant SOE’s Colin Gubbins
Illustrated talk by Roger Kelly £3 (£2)
http://www.kosmoid.net/lives/mcvean images of talk at www.kosmoid.net/penicuik/preja
As a result of the practical
enlightenment, there was a highly productive interchange between
Previously…and each Saturday
Find out more about Penicuik
Trust projects at the weekly Open House
On-the-spot exhibitions, on-the-spot hands-on crafts sessions for
kids and adults, site visits and more…
Penicuik Community Development Trust
(responsible for the Bankmill Project, Penicuik Food
Project, Penicuik Open House and Penicuik Cinema)
is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland with
company number 380626 and OSCR charity number SC O37990 –Directors Roger Kelly (chair), Roger Hipkin (secretary 20A John St. Penicuik EH26 8A ), Jane MacKintosh (treasurer) forming part of a
Managing committee with Anna Graham, Bill Fearnley, Caroline Maciver, Chantal Geoghegan, Chris Langdale, Dave Stokes, Doreen Gillon, Jane Kelly, Marianne Cortes, Mose Hutchinson, Penny Wooding, Simon
Fraser, Ulla Hipkin, elected annually at the Trust's AGM. Patrons Ian Macdougall, Gerda Stevenson, Colonel Edward
Cowan. Trust official Website www.penicuikcdt.org.uk Bank
Mill website: www.bankmill.co.uk The Trust is a Member of Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) and works with Penicuik
Community Council, Midlothian Council, Midlothian Voluntary Action, the Midlothian Growing Ideas
Partnership (including Midlothian Garden Services, Mayfield & Easthouses Development Trust, and other garden and food projects
in Midlothian associated with the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens), and the Mapa Scotland restoration of the Great Polish Map
of Scotland at Eddleston, , and supported the papemaking tercentenary led by Penicuik Historical Society. . There are personal and mutually
supportive links with Penicuik Community, Sport & Leisure Foundation, Penicuik Community Arts
Association, the Penicuik House Project and the Saltire Society,
with community groups and trusts in Aberfeldy, Broughty Ferry, Gorebridge and Moffat,
with Penicuik’s twin town at L’Isle-sur-la Sorgue , Vaucluse, Provence, with Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec and with the Papeterie St-Armand
in Montreal.
PREVIOUS
PENICUIK EXHIBITIONS
From
THE COWAN PAPER ADVERTISEMENTS OF
1944
DEMOLITION OF
VALLEYFIELD MILL IN 1980
75 YEARS OF THE SALTIRE SOCIETY IN SCOTLAND
DAME
MURIEL SPARK: Scottish by formation
Galashiels
Co-operators & the
ideas of William King
AGNES CAMPBELL LADY ROSEBURN
(1637-1716)
A
CHILDHOOD ALBUM OF SOE’s COLIN GUBBINS
IMAGES
OF ESKBRIDGE from Jim Neil’s collection
CORNBANK:
Penicuik’s Radburn estate from the 1960s
PENICUIK RAILWAY and
its designer THOMAS BOUCH
Penicuik’s Concorde Designer JAMES ARNOT
HAMILTON
Penicuik’s International
Photographer ALBERT WATSON
Carlops’
International City
Planner THOMAS
ADAMS
GENERAL MACZEK & THE POLISH ROAD
TO BREDA 1944
General MACZEK & the GREAT POLISH
MAP of SCOTLAND
A few more
Penicuik exhibitions
Unsuccessful 2010
campaign to save Jackson St school Bank Mill Project 2011
most
visited KOSMOID & MAKERS webpages