Carronshore has festive sparkle after 40 years

The well-attended ceremony saw dozens of residents turn out to take in proceedings as the tree, provided by Carronshore Heritage Forum (CHF), was illuminated with the help of Carronshore Primary School pupils and Falkirk FC captain Gregor Buchanan.

Last Friday’s switch-on event, which included an appearance from Santa Claus himself, coincided with another dose of good news for the village as groundwork started on its first-ever war memorial earlier in the week.

At the beginning of the year, CHF revealed its plans to create a lasting legacy at Carronshore Cross to commemorate the brave sons of Carronshore who died fighting for their country in the First and Second World Wars.

CHF committee members are hopeful the memorial, which they say is long overdue, will be in place within a month. The plan is for it to act as a focal point for the community in what was once a renowned spot for Carronshore residents to enjoy a seat and a blether.

Expressing gratitude for the show of support from the community last week, John McLuckie, CHF chairman, said: “What a turnout.

“We want to thank Laura Jarvie, Carronshore Primary headteacher, Gregor Buchanan and of course Santa for making the switch-on just that wee bit more special.

“Thank you to the children, parents and grandparents for coming along and supporting our special night.

“The support we have had this year has definitely cemented our belief that this will be a yearly event in the Carronshore diary.”

CHF has teamed up with the art department at Larbert High School to produce a £7000 memorial worthy of its place in Carronshore.

A long and thorough research process, aided by the local church and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, saw CHF’s original estimation of the number of Carronshore’s war dead more than double.

Craig Martin, CHF secretary, explained: “We started off with 15 names and it went up.

“There are 30-odd from the First World War and only one name from the Second World War which is a bit surprising.”

Members have had fundraising help throughout the year from many local businesses and residents.

Mr Martin continued: “At the moment there are far too many businesses and individuals to thank for their support throughout, however, we will ensure that they will be recognised, including Larbert High School and the staff at Falkirk Council’s many departments that we have worked with.

“Everyone has been eager to assist our committee.”

Returning a sense of “community spirit” was central to CHF’s plans right from the off.

That’s why its members have been so pleased with the feedback the project has received.

Mr McLuckie said: “We set out in 2017 to bring a community spirit back to Carronshore and we have been delighted with the local support for our war memorial venture, from local businesses to individuals.

“We have seen a tremendous amount of support and I thank everyone who has contributed to our cause.

“It has been a long journey but we want to ensure that our venture is completed to the highest standard.

“The committee members have not stopped working on this project throughout the two years and I thank them and the community for the fabulous support.”