Hawick Heritage Hub & International Flags

**cessna152towser** · 21st June 07, 10:26 AM

Hawick Heritage Hub is now open.

There are regional archives and local and family history archives on three floors. All the Scottish Borders archives are held here and there are also many records from Dumfries & Galloway, Northumberland, and the debatable lands so if you have ancestry in the north of England or south of Scotland here is the place to do your research.

An interior view of the research facilities.

The Heritage Hub is situated opposite the medieval Drumlanrig's Tower, one time home of the Black Douglas, and the oldest building in town.

The campus also includes the restored Tower Mill, which bridges the Slitrig Water. This has been converted into an arts centre, cinema/theatre and cafe/bar, including a glass floor for viewing the old water wheel.

I have been asked before about the flags which often appear in my photothreads. Buccleuch Street, High Street, Bourtree Place and Oliver Place are garlanded with small flags throughout the tourist season, with larger flags hung on the buildings.

Traditionally the town's blue and yellow flags were hung. In the Scottish weather, flags don't last long and the flags were changed for a fresh set around mid June, after the Common Riding.

For the past few years, instead of hanging a replacement set of blue and yellow flags, international flags have been hung from mid June until late September to make the town's many visitors from throughout the world feel at home.

**cessna152towser** · 21st June 07, 10:32 AM

Here is a Welsh dragon

and, for Derek & Trefor, another

An Irish tricolour for Niblox

even an English St. George Cross for Hamish

and a Canadian flag for the Wizard of BC, Big Mikey, McMurdo et al...

even a flag on Hamish Smith the jeweller's muckle clock.

More flags along Bourtree Place

and lastly a few in North Bridge Street, with the baptist church just making it into the shot.

**Bob C.** · 21st June 07, 10:32 AM

Nice pics, Alex. My father's line is an old borders family. Maybe, someday, I'll visit the heritage center.

**McMurdo** · 21st June 07, 10:43 AM

Wonderful pictures Alex, thanks for the Canadian Flag shot.

**McClef** · 21st June 07, 11:09 AM

More great pics Alex, clearly I will have to explore Hawick in more detail on my next visit and thanks for the Welsh flag one!

**haukehaien** · 21st June 07, 11:18 AM

I'll need to plan to stop by Hawick now ... my father's family came from Northumberland originally.

**Alan H** · 21st June 07, 01:45 PM

I love the pictures of the town. Contrast the mish-mash of architecture...stone building, the youngest of which is probably 100 years old with a picture of the downtown where I live, In Menlo Park California, where the OLDEST building in the City dates to about 1911. Most of the Cities buildings went up in the 1940's - 1960's, with a few newer ones on the last remaining parcels of land along the main thoroughfare going up in the 1990's. Recently a couple of auto dealerships have gone out of business and I assume that at some point those buildings and lots will be torn down/rebuilt with new stuff.

I grew up in Carmel, California and the oldest building for miles was the Spanish Mission basilica....a wonderful, and beautiful mission. Restored in the 1920's, the structure dates back to about 1771.

You can see it, here: http://www.carmelmission.org/

The other Spanish Era buildings in Monterey date from about 10-20 years later than the mission.

another big historical area where I grew up is Cannery Row, made famous by the John Steinbeck novel. However, the Canneries were active during the 1910's and 20's and 30's. Now it's a tourist area.

But that's it....IT...period. Nowhere around here is there anything like the streets you've pictured, where unique building after unique building stretch on for blocks. There are places in California where Gold Rush (1840-1850's) Buildings exist in significant numbers, and of course there are individual buildings or compounds here and there from the early 1800's, but nothing whatsoever like what you've pictured here.

I have to get over and walk those streets, sometime. Thank You.