Renowned painter presents a special Christmas gift to his home town

A Scottish town hall has been given a cracker of a Christmas present courtesy of one of its most talented sons.

Renowned artist and Kirkintilloch native Dick Stevenson has kindly donated a stunning painting of Kirkintilloch Town Hall circa 1960.

Council leader Gordon Low, Dick Stevenson, EDLC Cultural Development
Manager Frances MacArthur, Colette and her dad Eddy McGaughrin

The painting features people of all ages streaming into the iconic building, warm light spilling out from within, and the sun setting over the town.

The oil-on-canvas painting was commissioned by the late Pam McGaughrin – a local stalwart who campaigned for years to have the building reopened and was a leading light in the Kirkintilloch Town Hall Preservation Trust.

Dick came up with sketch ideas and set to work around five years ago, but professional and personal commitments meant it was not completed until recently. For the local artist it was always unfinished business.

He explained: ‘Pam approached me and asked – when they get the town hall up and running again – could I do a painting to go into it when it opened?

‘In doing the painting I thought I would like to add in the people who used the town hall – old, young and middle-aged. I tried to paint a mixture of people going into the town hall as a depiction of how it was used.’

Kirkintilloch’s Dick Stevenson’s painting of the area’s town hall, circa 1960

Pam’s husband Eddy McGaughrin, former elected member of East Dunbartonshire Council and Kirkintilloch Town Council, said: ‘It’s beautiful. It really is a work of art. Pam would have loved it.’

Kirkintilloch Town Hall will be officially re-opened in 2018. The £5.5m town hall project was funded by East Dunbartonshire Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government.

Councillor Gordan Low, leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, said: ‘This is a very generous gesture from one of Kirkintilloch’s best-known artists. It is much appreciated and will be an attraction in its own right when the town hall officially opens.’