Religious Brutality

When I was growing up we used to visit some family we had in East Kilbride. Even when I was young it seemed like a kind of odd place. It felt weirdly spread out, there was nothing around but houses and it all looked the same. But my cousins that lived there had a big house, and cool toys, and there was a shopping centre with a big cinema and an ice rink in town so that was pretty cool. (I mean, it was no Time Capsule, but still) Since then I’ve learned a bit about the history of the place and why it is the way it is. I could explain my version of what I think is the history of East Kilbride is, but it’s vague, pieced together from stuff people have told me over the years (often in pubs) and as such is almost certainly filled with significant errors and omissions. (probably best you do your own research)

Like most of the rest of the general area there’s a lot of Catholics around, which means a lot of churches. So. Many. Fucking. Churches! I should say, they’re not all Catholic, I’d guess there’s just as many Protestant ones, and then a few other smaller sects, but seriously, you can hardly walk ten feet in Strathclyde without tripping over another house of worship. Between the ‘30s and ‘70s, it would seem there were a bunch of people around who has some pretty maverick ideas about church design. I don’t know as much about Gillespie, Kidd and Coia as I would like to, (I also wouldn’t like to know more so much that I’m going to bother to learn) but I got a chance to have a tour around one place they built in East Kilbride, St. Bride’s Church. They all sorts of shit you should check out, especially St Peter’s Seminary in Cradross

It’s a fascinating building. Also there was a squirrel that climbed the wall.

Not a great photo but the church is built of hand made bricks and that’s somebody’s finger print!

The roof!

It’s possible the chairs are not Gillespie, Kidd and Coia originals. Then again, they might be. I have no idea.