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A brief history of Lochgelly

4 Dec 2008
  • Tell us your stories of the history of Lochgelly
Lochgelly is a former mining town, surrounded by farmland and woodland areas close to Cowdenbeath in West Fife. Today the town has a population of around 6,600, and is undergoing regeneration with thriving, and major new investments in housing and industry. Lochgelly also boasts three primary schools, which feed into Lochgelly High School.

Lochgelly is well served by its transport links including a railway station and proximity to main roads to Edinburgh and Dundee, and has real natural beauty at Lochore Country Meadows Park and Lochgelly Loch.

The town is famous for its theatre, the Lochgelly Tawse, belt of choice for generations of schoolteachers, and is proud of its own Junior football club, Lochgelly Albert.

Here are just a few key dates in the history of the town.

1854 - First recorded appearance of Lochgelly Brass Band

1876 - Lochgelly created as a burgh

1926 - Lochgelly Albert founded as an amateur club

1976 - Lochgelly Centre opened by Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh

1987 - Opening of Lochgelly High School

Now it's your turn!

That's the briefest of brief summaries, and hardly covers the most important dates. But this is where you come in. There's lots of interest in local history and lots of local knowledge out there - so why not share it here? To add to the time-line, all you have to do is click on the edit button.

Or perhaps you'd like to start your own article about another aspect of Lochgelly history? You can do that, too.There must also be a wealth of wonderful photographs of old Lochgelly - maybe even some video of more recent events - and those are more than welcome here.

Post it all here, and let's see if we can really chronicle the history of Lochgelly in a way we can all share!

10 Dec 2008 | 12:04:19

Concepts says

Since the decline of the mining industry, Lochgelly has suffered (like many other coalfields areas) from mass unemployment and deprivation which has led to Lochgelly being reclassed as a SIP area (Social Inclusion Partnership), which means that Lochgelly is in need of mass regeneration.

The positive aspect from this is that many voluntary groups, Charities and Social Enterprises are operating within the locality to improve the area through regeneration of the environment, skill base, and more.

Current groups working within Lochgelly include:

BRAG Enterprises Ltd (www.brag.co.uk)

Concepts (www.concepts.org.uk)

FATE (Fife Artistst Together Enterprises)(www.fifeart.org.uk)

Living Solutions

Furniture Plus

Cairn Centre

Lochgelly Community Regeneration Forum

Lochgelly Community Council

TIBAL

Please note that this is not a definitive list, and if there is any organisation missing from the list please add the organisation.

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