D       Be notified of updates to The Capital Scot		About Capital Scot Search this Site Site Map FAQ Notices Subscribers (Links) ICRA Checked

Kirriemuir - Barrie Pavilion

See © notice.

Barrie Pavilion - October 1997

This is the Barrie Pavilion in Kirriemuir.  It was named after the Scottish author and playwrite, whose birthplace was Kirriemuir, Sir James M. Barrie.  In 1930, J. M. Barrie was given the freedom of Kirriemuir.  He subsequently presented the town with the cricket pavilion on Kirrie Hill, and the Camera Obscura within it.  The Camera Obscura is one of only three in the country and the views from the top are stunning.

The pavillion was for many years in the early 20th Century the site of an annual cricket match sponsored by the Kirriemuir team in honor of Sir J. M. Barrie.  He was the guest of honor; not surprising because his favorite was cricket which he played as a boy with a home-made bat and a flat boulder set on end for a wicket.  The winning team received a cup and a cricket bat autographed by Barrie.  The winning team was often Kirriemuir whose captain, David McGregor corresponded with Barrie to make arrangements for his attendance and the prize.  The Capital Scot has a letter from Sir James to David McGregor forwarding to him an autographed prize bat.

Sir J. M. Barrie's Visit to Kirrie for a Cricket Match in His Honor - June 7, 1930

Barrie had a lifelong love of cricket and in 1930 when he presented the camera obscura and the Kirriemuir cricket pavillion.  On that occasion he brought with him his own invitation side, known as the Allahakbarries, consisting of literary figures such as Rudyard Kipling, Jerome K Jerome, Arthur Conan Doyle, and PG Wodehouse.  The The Kirriemuir cricket team defeated West of Scotland in a challenge match - albeit with -the help of two Australian Test cricketers.  Five thousand turned out to see Barrie become the first man to receive the freedom of Kirriemuir on that day - a triumphant homecoming.  Thse photos show Barrie tossing the coin to start the match while David McGregor (Kirriemuir) (center) and K. I. G. Matheson (West of Scotland) (right) look on.

The Kirriemuir Cricket Team

This is a photo of the Kirriemuir Cricket Team taken during Sir J. M. Barrie's visit to Kirrie in 1930.  The members, from left to right, are:  Back Row - W. Smith (Umpire),  Charlie Macartney (Australia C. C.),  G. Mills,  J. Smart,  T. Bissett,  A. Dick,  G. Straehan,  A. A. Mailay (Australia C. C.),  Stewart (Scorer);  Front row - G. Kettles,  D. Stevenson,  A. Lawson,  D. Mcgregor (Captain),  W. Mearns,  J. R. McGregor.

Barrie Leter - December 1931

This is the 1931 letter (with envelope) from Sir James to David McGregor forwarding to him an autographed prize bat for the next year's matches.

The envelope has a one penny stamp and is postmarked "London  December 12  2:45 PM 1031.Z".  It is addressed to D McGregor Esq.,  Roselea,  Gordon Park,  Kirriemuir,  Angus,  Scotland"

The letter bears the return address "Adelphi Terrace House  Strand, W.C.2" and reads:
"11 Dec 1931
Dear Mr McGregor
  I am returning you with this your prize bat duly signed.
  I wish I could accept your pleasant invitation to be present at the Kirrie C.C social in January.  As a matter of fact I had been wondering whether I could get up there and walk in on you unannounced before I had your letter.  However I have now got involved in so many things that I see it will be impossible.  I shall be there in the spirit.  Yours and all the clubs with best Christmas greetings
J M Barrie"

---

David McGregor - 1930s

David McGregor was born in Kirriemuir (April 21, 1900).  He attended the Reform Street School, Kirriemuir; Glascow High School, Glascow; Allen Glen's School, Glascow; and Glascow University M.A., B.S.c 1st class honors.  His specialty was mathematics which he taught in Brechin.  He was an Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chemists Society (AFRICS).  Military Service - Sergeant, Royal Scots Fusiliers, WW1.  Profession - Principal Teacher of Mathematics.

Another Kirriemarian, Susan Irvine, wife of Charles "Chay" Melvin often did the catering for the Cricket Club turning out innumerable scones and pancakes.

Barrie Pavilion - June 1957

This is a 1957 'photo of The [future] Capital Scot playing cricket at the Barrie Pavilion on Kirrie Hill, overlooking Kirriemuir and the valley of Strathmore.  (David McGregor was bowling.)

There is a Camera Obscura at the Barrie Pavilion (background).  Both the camera and the cricket pavilion were donated in 1930 by Sir J. M. Barrie.  Step into the darkened interior of the Camera Obscura on Kirrie Hill and you'll be amazed by the striking views of the surrounding countryside. How does it work? ...

The Magic Mirror of Life answers the question What is a camera obscura?  Also, read how the artist Johannes Vermeer (1632-75) might have used some sort of optical device to help him create his paintings, possibly a device called a Camera obscura, the forerunner of the modern camera clues that Vermeer has left us in the actual paintings suggest that the paintings can be thought of as photographs as much as paintings.

The Magic mirror of Life, Links and a Bibliography about the camera obscura tells us:  Type 'camera obscura' in the subject box of a search engine like Goggle and you will get more than 200,000 web pages.  We are happy to note that our site is very high or first in the list on many search engines.  A number of these are music related (a band, a record company), some will be related to a film criticism journal, others to several photography galleries and dealers, a number to sites with access for the blind, and a few that include the phrase for no particular reason we understand.  Even after adding qualifiers to remove these sites there are still hundreds that relate to the optical instrument.  Other camera obscura locations in Scotland are:

• Edinburgh:  See also a scene of Edinburgh as viewed from the camera obscura there.
• Dumfries:  Dumfries Museum was built partly in a windmill later converted to a camera obscura.
• Isle of North Uist :  The Sea/Sky Chamber is well worth a visit.   ... it is a modern tribute to the makers of prehistoric constructions and sits near the end of the rocks like a miniature ancient monument. ... Open the wooden gate which protects the building's interior from the island's many sheep and crouch down to make your way through the narrow, low entrance passage. ... Sit on one of the seats and look at the light falling onto the internal (flat) wall of the building. When your eyes are accustomed to the dark, you will see a picture emerging on the wall - a perfect projection of landscape outside.

© Copyright James B. MacGregor 2007

Kirriemuir - Barrie Pavilion - photographs of the Barrie Pavilion and persons thereon are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Kirriemuir - Barrie Pavilion by photographs of the Barrie Pavilion and persons thereon are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 UK: Scotland License.

---

Memberships
Member of                      of the FOSI

Awards
                    

Accessibility