An Edinburgh support worker has launched a local history campaign chronicling West Lothian’s local history in a short video format.
The campaign called ‘Our History, Your Story’ was set up by Alan Kerr to engage West Lothian residents with their local history by creating short videos telling the history of local towns.
So far the amateur historian has made videos on the history of Bangour Village Hospital, Torphichen, Livingston, Broxburn, Bathgate, the knights of St John, and even the history of The Wallace Stone.
Alan explained why he feels compelled to make videos educating people about their local history, he said:
“While I grew up in Edinburgh, my family is originally from Newbridge, and my wife’s family is from Ratho - so I’ve had family in West Lothian for as long as I can remember.
“After my Grandad passed away, I was worried about all the stories he used to tell me growing up - all those tales he had accumulated throughout his life - what would happen to them if I didn’t tell them?
“It’s important for me to preserve those stories, and to tell people that they’re important, and their story matters.”
The next town Alan hopes to tackle in his local history series is Linlithgow, a town steeped in a rich history as old as Scotland itself.
Alan knows this could be his biggest video yet, and that Linlithgow locals hold their town history dearly - so he’s taking his time with it.
Speaking about the reception his campaign has had, he said: “People’s history is a delicate thing, and you don’t want to do them or the town a disservice.
“I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from people in towns I’ve covered telling me they had no idea about certain parts of their history - or even telling me even more stuff I didn’t even know!
“I’ve had messages from people in Australia who lived in Bathgate years ago, thanking me for taking them on a trip down memory lane - and that’s what it’s all about for me really.
“There’s a lot of working class pride in West Lothian - it’s a place that has a lot of pride in its community.”
West Lothian is a county rich with history, ranging from the medieval times of the knights of St John, to rural agricultural history, and even more recently with the massive industrial machine that was shale, transforming the very face of our towns and villages.
Alan spoke about his favourite historical moments around West Lothian, he said:
“There’s so much to talk about - no matter where you’re from if you dig deep enough you’ll find gold.
“Robert Burns’ eldest daughter is buried in a cast iron grave in Whitburn, and supposedly herself and her husband ran the local inn in Whitburn for a time.
“Robert the Bruce’s daughter, Marjory, also lived in Bathgate - which is why there’s so many places in Bathgate called Marjory Way, or Marjory Place.
“My favourite piece of local history however has to be the monument to William Wallace in Almondvale park.
“It’s just a wee stone the size of a gravestone by the Broxburn entrance, but it’s the earliest monument to William Wallace in the country, and I suppose by proxy the world.
“I think that shows that no matter where you’re from, you have all these historical connections you may have never known about.”
In Alan’s videos he enthusiastically bounces from location to location, telling the local history of the area, and showing off historical features in the architecture and landscape.
Alan then went on to speak about the importance of learning local history, he said: “I’m not an academic guy trawling through these big historical tomes - I’m dyslexic, so it’s important to me to make local history as accessible to as many people as possible.
“I want to show people that pride in your community is a good thing, that where you come from has substance, and that you’re only forgotten if you feel forgotten.
“Where we come from is who we are, your town’s history is you, and it connects everyone that lives there.
“Our history and our stories reflect our values - it doesn’t matter where you’re from, through history and through telling stories we can connect through a shared history and civic pride.”
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