FROM SUMMERLEE NEW ZEALAND TO SUMMERLEE SCOTLAND
Following a hit on the www.lanarkshire.com/summerlee webpage, a direct descendant of one of the original Summerlee Ironwork's founders, Walter Neilson, paid a visit to the site during a recent visit to Scotland. Jon Neilson, a great-great grandson of Walter Neilson, lives with his wife Carol in Wellington, New Zealand. His grandfather emigrated to NZ in the 1920s and set up the Summerlee Sheep Station on Cape Kidnappers on the North Island's east coast.
In recognition of the link between the two Summerlees Jon and Carol presented the Lord Lieutenant with a beautifully carved 'Matau' (a symbolic fish hook) that, in Maori folklore, was used to bring prosperity to fishermen and good luck to travellers across land and sea.
Jon explained: "In Maori legend, the fish hook was used by the god Maui to fish up the North Island while sitting on the top of the South Island. The significance of the carved hook is that Cape Kidnappers is referred to in legend as 'Maui's hook'. Incidentally, Cape Kidnappers was so named by Captain James Cook after his cabin-boy was kidnapped by local Maori during his voyage around New Zealand!"
On handing over his gift, Jon said: "This is our first visit to Scotland and it is wonderful to be here at the Scottish Summerlee, with which so many Neilsons world-wide have a connection. Carol and I bring the very best wishes from New Zealand to this important site and all who work to keep its history alive."
MAJOR ARTEFACTS BEGIN MOVE BACK INTO NEW HALL
Recent progress on the walls and roof of the main exhibition hall has allowed the return to the site of some of the major artefacts for the new displays. West of Scotland Heavy Haulage have recently brought back a rolling mill, formerly used for shaping steel bars at the Victoria Steelworks in nearby Whifflet.
On the same delivery was a giant steam hammer, made by Andrew Barclay & Sons of Kilmarnock, which came to Summerlee from the Aberdeen gasworks.
As part of the current £10m Heritage Lottery Fund supported redevelopment, the museum closed in the autumn of 2006 and the hall was emptied out and stripped back to its steel frame. During this time, many exhibits were taken for conservation and prepared for display in the refurbished hall.
One of the first exhibits to enter the new hall was the 0-4-0 OC tank engine. Made in 1898 by Gibb and Hogg, this was one of the last railway engines to be made in Airdrie. It spent its working life in Midlothian, then at the Cardowan colliery near Glasgow, before becoming part of the part of Summerlee's collection in 1989.
 | Meanwhile in South Wales, conservation work was being carried out on the Cardowan Colliery winding engine. This came into the Summerlee collection following the closure of the colliery in 1983. Built by Murray & Paterson in Coatbridge in 1924, the winding engine was on show in the |
former exhibition hall, but only as a selection of static parts. Now restored to working order, the drum - with a diameter of 5 metres, and a total weight of 150 tonnes - will provide a powerful example of our engineering heritage once reinstated within the new displays.
As work progresses on the rebuilding of the hall, all updates will be posted here.
For further information, contact Jim Francis, Summerlee Marketing and Sponsorship Officer, on 0141 304 1593 / 07921 685924 or email francisji@northlan.gov.uk
