Flying Over the Past Book Launch

From Cate Ross

9TH SEPTEMBER, 2PM TOWN HALL KIKCUDBRIGHT

The people of Kirkcudbright are invited to come to the Town Hall on Tuesday 9th September 2-4pm to celebrate the completion of an exciting community project and collect a free publication of historic and modern aerial photographs of their town. Flying Over the Past is the title of the book and is the result of a summer project, working with the Kirkcudbright History Society to collect reminiscences, memories and insights about aspects of the town for Britain from Above – Borders. Over forty people contributed to the text through drop in workshops and local photographer Sam Kelly provided aerial images of the town as it is today. The resulting book has been beautifully put together by artist Julian Watson and contrasts the eighteen detailed pictures from the days of early aerial photography, taken in the 1930s and ‘40s with Sam’s 2104 cameracopter shots.

At the book launch enlarged pictures of the historic and current images of the town will be on display, including Harbour Square in 1947, when the fair was in town; Gibb Hill Air Sea Rescue base in 1947, and earlier views of the St. Mary Street / High Street area taken in the 1930s.

The images are all part of an extraordinary archive of aerial photographs of much of the UK taken by the Aerofilms company, which was acquired in 2006 by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland, the equivalent Royal Commission for Wales and English Heritage. www.britianfromabove.org.uk

The book is a limited edition of 1,000 and will be available after the launch from The Stewartry Museum, Kirkcudbright, one book per person.

The communities of Kirkcudbright and Annan, along with Cockermouth and Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria were especially chosen for this project. The event is free and everybody is very welcome to come along.