Month: June 2026

Glengarnock Gleanings (May – various 1920) | Colvilles Staff Magazine

Below is a transcription of the material visible in the above scans regarding Glengarnock.

Publication Details Visible

  • Publication: Colville’s Magazine
  • Date: May 1920
  • Page numbers visible: 80–81
  • Contributors shown:

Page numbers visible: 80–81 Contributors shown:

  • P. Milligan (Glengarnock Works)
  • H. A. Graham (Glengarnock Works)
  • “An’ra MacDougal” (Glengarnock)

COMPETITIONS (APRIL)

Prize Winners

Best Original Short Poem

  • Awarded to: P. Milligan
  • Location: Glengarnock Works
  • Poem: A Toiler’s Thoughts

Best Original Sketch

  • Awarded to: Mr. H. A. Graham
  • Location: Glengarnock Works
  • Sketch: Cawdor Castle

PRIZE POEM

A TOILER’S THOUGHTS

By P. Milligan (Glengarnock)

I wander daily miles along,
In search of work to earn my food;
And passing thro’ the city’s throng
In pensive mood,
I muse on myriad lives that flow,
Whose depths of trouble none can know.

Daily the poor, the rich and great
Meet and pass by at hurrying pace,
Oft heedless of each other’s fate
In life’s hard race.
I sigh to see the pomp and pride,
With ruin, want, and woe beside.

I make no claim for share of wealth,
Nor envy those more rich than me.
My earnest hope is peace and health,
With strength to be
A toiler for my daily fare,
Contented with my humble share.

And so while health glows in my breast,
I would, each day, make this my claim—
That I have done my very best
To bear my name
As truth and honour gave command
Unto my voice, or pen, or hand.

PRIZE SKETCH

Cawdor Castle, near Nairn

Artist: H. A. Graham
Location: Glengarnock

Illustration as shown above. Caption beneath illustration:

Drawn by H. A. Graham, Glengarnock

AN’RA’S PORTRAIT

By “An’ra MacDougal” (Glengarnock)

(Scottish dialect story)

The text visible in your photographs begins:

I had the verra gravest doots aboot gettin’ my likeness taken. The “carnal” man said that a gentleman o’ ma poseetion an’ capacity ocht not to slip awa’ to that land that awaits the righteous without leavin’ ahint him a memorial for posterity; but the “new” man whispert that I wasna’ to be vain. I was in a fix.

The fotygrafer telt me in confidence that he had rarely seen a face an’ heid like mine, an’ that I wad come oot like a Paul—or an Apollo—I canna exactly say which. This rather garred me cock up ma neb—to use a metaphor; but I thocht it ma duty to gang up to the Manse an’ tell Maister MacWeeliam my difficulties.

He was studyin’, wi’ smoked-glass spectacles on his een.

“Come awa’, An’ra,” says he. “I’m gled to see ye. I’ve been raxin’ ma brains the maist o’ the day to demonstrate that predestination an’ free will are convertible terms; an’ I think I’ve succeeded. It’s a verra interestin’ subject.”

“Yes, sir,” says I. “I’m shair it is. But if ye’d len’ me yer ear, as the poet says, for a wee, I’d like to tell ye o’ a difficulty o’ ma ain.”

…

The story continues onto the next page and concludes:

“Man,” says I, “dae ye think I was sneezin’ for the love o’ the thing?”

“Maybe no’,” says he, “but ye’ve spiled the negative wi’ yer confoundit sneezin’!”

“Never min’ the negative,” says I, “It’s the poseetive I’m parteec’lar aboot.”

…

“Noo,” says I, atween ma teeth, “negative or no negative, fire awa’!”

Wi’ that he snapped a wee trigger, an’ said that wad dae.

An’, atween oorsels, I’m thinkin’ he was mair than prood o’ the result, for he has it framed and exheebited in his studio!

These pages are quite valuable as local industrial and literary history from the Glengarnock/Colville steelworks community in 1920. The contributors appear to be employees submitting poetry, sketches, stories, and humour to the company magazine.