An Update On The Wallace Monument, A response on behalf of the government Options

[GG]

I have recently received a response on behalf of Mike Russell, Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution, at Holyrood. I wrote to Mr Russell given that the Scottish government is currently actively involved in promoting the Homecoming Scotland campaign. While I do not expect that Mr Russell is in a position to take immediate action to reverse the policy of decline of the Wallace Monument and Wallace's Well, both of which are located in a constituency and a city controlled by Labour politicians, I was still interested in his opinion.

In the event Mr Russell passed my request for information on to Historic Scotland, the trust responsible for protecting the Wallace Monument. Of course Historic Scotland was also responsible for removing (with the support of Glasgow City Council) the protected status of Wallace's Well in 1993, because the Well was of "little historical interest". My email to Mr Russell read:

I am the owner of a newly-launched (April 9th this year) website to highlight the desperate plight of the Robroyston Wallace Monument in Glasgow, available here:

http://www.robroyston.org

In the last week over 200 Scots from around the world have written messages to complain about the state of the Robroyston Wallace Monument and nearby Wallace's Well. Would the minister be willing to make a response to these Scots, most of whom are in the target audience for Homecoming 2009?

http://www.robroyston.org/robroyston-gb.php

The reply I received from Malcolm Cooper, Chief Inspector at Historic Scotland, was (see attached also):

Thank you for your email of 16 April to Michael Russell MSP about the condition of the Wallace Monument in Robroyston. Mr Russell has asked me to reply on his behalf.

I am grateful to you for drawing your concerns about the Wallace Monument to our attention. I agree that the area around the monument is suffering from vandalism and littering and certainly could be improved.

The monument and well stand on private land, but Glasgow City Council have nevertheless undertaken to carry out maintenance for both of them. The Council are aware that the area around the monument is in poor condition and are keen to carry out improvement works. They also intend to improve the area around the well.

Bailie Catherine McMaster is taking a very active interest in promoting the Wallace Monument as a local attraction, with a memorial garden, improved signage, parking and pedestrian access. You may wish to contact Bailie McMaster for further information, or if you wish to make any suggestions about the way you would like to see the area improved. Her phone number her email address is catherine.mcmaster@councillors.glasgow.gov. uk.

I am pleased with the reply so far, in that it now unequivocally establishes that officials at the highest level in the Scottish government, as well as the national body responsible for protecting sites of national historical interest, are aware of the rapid, recent decline of the two sites. This may well prove highly significant in the future.

I am also pleased that we now have on record that Glasgow City Council is also aware of the decline and is now committed to improving – and, even better, promoting – the sites. This is also highly significant because the monument and well have existed for over 100 years without any official recognition from the city's local authorities. I think we we are on the brink of real progress here. Early this week I will email Bailie McMaster asking if she could kindly provide us with an outline plan of action.

There is now, of course, another very important factor which may play a decisive role in the future of the monument and well: that is the looming Westminster by-election for Glasgow North East, the constituency in which the sites are located. I intend to ask all candidates who present themselves for election to the post to state on record their opinion of the decline of the sites, as well as their plans to ensure that the sites will be cherished and protected in the future. In the meantime I will also email the outgoing MP for the constituency, Commons' Speaker Michael Martin, for his opinion on the matter.

GG.

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[championi26]

Very well done in your determination to get something done.
Do you know who owns the private land it stands on?

[Gallusbisom]

Thank you Martin for all you have done to help preserve this sight to a main Scottish hero. I used to live in Riccarton and on Flemming St. there was a house with a Brass Plaque commemerating that The Wallace had stayed there, family connnections I believe, after his assault on the English in Ayr. (A bit of trivia here, the family who owned the property--a lumberyard as I remember. Had a Dalmation named Flint--from that day forward all of our Dally's have been named Flint) There was and probably still is a lot of fokelore about William Wallace in that area. His mother's family being of the De Louden's. A name very well respected when I went to school in the area. Sad to say when I could finally go back and visit the area, it had all been "knocked down" and there was nothing left of that part of our heritage. I

[TB40]

Great progress on this Martin, keep up the good work for as we all know this is an important issue for all scots, those at home and those elsewhere in the world. When you e-mail the pollies that are standing you might remind them that this is an ongoing issue in their seat and try and get assurances of ongoing action. Thank You
Tommy

[weelew]

Thats the stuff Martin keep at them and keep the pressure up ,Just like Wallace did .

[Waverley]

Great effort Martin like many ex-pats we are never to far overseas not to care and we applaud your efforts own our behalf
regards

[glasgow lass]

Hi Martin, this is really great and not an easy project to have kept after all this time.
Well done.

[Rob Rattray]

Thank you Martin, and congratulations from Queensland! This shows true determination and belief in what one believes to be, and IS, right. Damn the pollies,- they are only in it for what they can get anyway.
Now the real test starts: according to the mail you received from the hierarchy, they allegedly have 'promised ' to tidy up/maintain the area to make it more acceptable for all concerned, albeit on 'private property'. What, therefore, is stopping them from resuming and upkeeping the land in question and making it a public place where honor can be bestowed upon the National hero in the proper manner by not only the 'local townsfolk', but by all who pass/visit the Great City of Glasgow?
'weelew' adds the final punch, so keep it up laddie!

[Isobel]

Thank you Martin for the update. Good job.

[lindamac]

Martin you are the best iam so proud of you for being our advocate for our beloved Glasgow & our Wallace tributes too,You have some of the proof of their own comittments thats just great lets hope this other person Baillie Catherine McMaster will also be more committed to our project to tidy up our Historical William Wallace sites of memorial .Mind you Martin,I was shocked to hear on our Queensland News the other day That the said Michael Martin Has since resigned from his position of Mr Speaker,will he still be able to assist us all in getting our memorials cared for? I was wondering if his resignation would affect his power to do anything since he was pressured to resign etc Just intrigued here thats all.I think It's a Good Job Well Done Martin Thankyou! for speaking on all our behalves.

[*Robert Macgregor*]

Glad to hear it well done for all your effort!

Regards Robert.

[stratson]

Thank you Martin for the update on the Wallace Monument's.
Your e-mail was to the point and the response is sounding positive.
It really is to everyone's advantage retaining and maintaining this site.

Well Done!

[Bonny]

The annual event at the monument that marks the location of Wallace’s capture, will take place on Saturday 1st August 2009 at 2PM. The monument stands in Wallacewell Road, behind the Asda Supermarket adjacent to the M80 Glasgow-Stirling motorway.

[Bonny]

I got this email from The Society of William Wallace.

David Ross has also been in touch with the council on behalf of the Society of William Wallace and it's all been pretty positive and it's coming from the council who have told us they want to get this started, we've offered to help in any way we can.

[tassiedevil]

Thanks for the update GG, but like championi26, I would also like to know who owns the land that it's situated on, as I thought it was in a Government park

Cheers, Tassie