Welcome to the news, blog and contact pages for the Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust.

Above is a slideshow with a few local historic images

Members and Friends Meeting February 7th 2023

The next meeting of the Members and Friends of the Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust SC043189 will be held on Tuesday 7^th February 2023 at 7pm in the upstairs area of The Drumclog Inn, 22 Todshill Street, Strathaven ML10 6DD. We would be delighted to see as many people as possible to discuss our new home and our plans for the future. Please come along to show your support and share your ideas!

Strathaven John Hastie Museum Quiz Night 2023

The Strathaven John Hastie Museum Quiz Night will take place on April 21st at Strathaven Golf Club. Tickets cost £12 with a maximum of 5 people per table.

Special exhibition at 10 Todshill Street, Strathaven

Our Story

Almost exactly a century ago, local merchant John Hastie acquired a piece of land adjacent to the town centre of Strathaven, our historic Lanarkshire market town, and established a public park, which was gifted to our community. It’s still known as The John Hastie Park and rubs shoulders with a second park gifted to the townspeople, The George Allan Park, given by a Strathaven clergyman in memory of his son, who died in a tragic accident. Together, these parks have recently been voted best in Scotland.

But that’s another story! From his estate, John Hastie provided funds for the building of a Hall, to be a museum for the people of Strathaven. It became a prominent feature of The John Hastie Park, which it overlooked, and it operated until 2011, when South Lanarkshire Council closed the building, in an effort to save money. By this time, the John Hastie and Strathaven Collections had amassed thousands of items: perhaps they would be hidden away for good.

From the public outcry at the closure of Strathaven’s own museum there emerged a group of volunteers, who shared the vision and determination that a new museum must be established – a genuine community museum, fit for the 21st Century. Not only would this museum tell the ongoing story of Strathaven and its beautiful valley, Avondale (named after the River Avon which runs through it), but its volunteer team vowed to bring the artefacts in the John Hastie and Strathaven Collections out of the shadows (not all at once – there are too many!) so that the people of Strathaven and Avondale had the opportunity to see them, some of them shown for the first time.

And that’s what we do. The Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust is a registered Scottish not-for-profit company. It is also registered as a Scottish Charity, number SC 043189. The website you are visiting is just one part of the work of our volunteer group.

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Latest Newsletter November 2022

The latest newsletter has now been released. Click below to download.

sjhmt-newsletter-nov-22 Download

Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust Annual General Meeting

The Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust Annual General Meeting will take place online on Wednesday December 15th at 7.30pm.

To join the meeting go to

https://tinyurl.com/yxs2t5s4

Meeting ID: 840 6558 2967

Passcode: 124996

The John Hastie Museum Trust calendar for 2022 is now available to buy.

Each calendar costs £6 with all proceeds going to support the activities of the Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust. Calendars are available from Craig’s Newsagents in the Common Green and also the Common Greenery on Townhead Street.

You can also order a calendar online. Just go to https://strathavenmuseum.org/2021/11/18/strathaven-john-hastie-museum-trust-calendar-2022/ and follow the instructions.

Andrew Park

Andrew, along with Bill Beveridge, was instrumental in pushing the local council to build a swimming pool in Strathaven having raised donations of £300k with the help of various organisations in the town. He was the Chairman of the organising committee that resurrected Strathaven Gala Day which is still enjoyed by all in Strathaven today.

Andrew Park passed away peacefully on Thursday, 29th of July at Avonhaugh nursing home at the age of 91. Andrew was a well known local businessman who was extremely active within the community of Strathaven.

Our condolences from all at Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust go out to Lesley, Abigail and Victor at this time.

The family has asked that if you wish to make a donation in Andrew’s memory that it goes to Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust. Please use the details below if you are able to make a donation.

The Strathaven John Hastie Museum Trust

Account Number: 00602984

Sort Code: 83-27-34

Impact of COVID-19 Revises Trust’s Plans

THE STRATHAVEN John Hastie Museum Trust (SJHMT) has been pursuing a Community Asset Transfer (CAT) of the Ballgreen Hall in its drive to set up a museum and community facilities for Strathaven. It is therefore disappointed to report that, despite vigorous efforts by its funding team and its consultants since July 2020, and as a result of many funds being closed or diverted to respond to the Covid 19 Emergency, to date the Trust is unable to identify sufficient available funding streams.

Its aim was to purchase, make safe, renovate and adapt the Ballgreen Hall and ex-Library Facility so being unable to engage with potential funding bodies to secure confirmation of when suitable funds will be available or the likely magnitude of Grant Funding means the plans for a community asset transfer cannot proceed at this time.

Continual constructive dialogue with South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) has taken place throughout the CAT Process with the process being mutually paused to allow the Trust further time, in the expectation of the re-opening of Grant Funding which would allow Funding for the full proposal to be identified.

Regrettably, this has not occurred. Consequently, the SJHMT Board of Trustees met using “Zoom” on Monday 8 February and after much deliberation unanimously decided to withdraw their CAT Application for the Ballgreen Hall and ex-Library Facility.

The Trust’s Chairperson, Gordon McAllan, commented. “Whilst our Trustees are very disappointed to have felt it necessary to make this decision, this action enables the Trust to revisit its plan to secure a permanent Modern Volunteer-Run Community Museum and ensure that the facilities offered within both the Museum element and those for use by the Communities of Strathaven and Avondale, fully align with the needs of the Community as we emerge from the Covid-19 Emergency and enter the much-cited “New Norm”, whatever that may be. Our search and determination to find and secure a permanent home with Community Facilities continues undiminished. I wish to take this opportunity to extend my and the Board of Trustees. Thanks also to all those who have assisted in our mission to date and particularly to SLC for their help and support”.