Notre Dame College/St Andrews College, Bearsden

[Strike Team]

Did it have a swimming pool?

I think I went to a dancing competition there (maybe around 1996?), and remember a swimming pool.

Taggart have filmed up there, my friend was part of a crew when they were but not sure that they use it as the police station. They used to use an old police station for the interior shots though, Partick? I dunno.

There's also a physical education block, an ugly rectangular building that I didn't bother photographing. I expect that's where the pool is.

[AlanM]

Did it have a swimming pool?

I think I went to a dancing competition there (maybe around 1996?), and remember a swimming pool.

Taggart have filmed up there, my friend was part of a crew when they were but not sure that they use it as the police station. They used to use an old police station for the interior shots though, Partick? I dunno.

The more recent series of Taggart used it as the police station, my wife recognised it. It was also used for various Chewin' The Fat sketches and also doubled as the college in High Road, while it was still open

[scaryman2u]

A wee update for anyone interested; The Teaching blocks & PE block are to be demolished to make way for the new Bearsden Academy.
Simba, there is indeed a swimming pool in the PE building along with a gym hall, i will post some pics next week.
There is some talk of restoring the accomodation units, but nothing more to tell other than that the Fire-Brigade are there most days.
Behind the PE building there is a cobbled area with a plaque in the middle (removed) that apparently had a famous Duke ? buried there I`m told he was exhumed and buried again in St Andrews Cathedral, then again it may be a wind-up, but here`s the spot

[Strike Team]

I missed that cobbled bit on my wanderings round the college.

It's all fenced off now, with security guards on site, so sadly there's a lot less scope for taking piccys .

[golfpolly_wolly]

I worked at the College for almost 13 years leaving in 1998, just before it closed.

The cobbled area is in fact the grave of Bishop Eyre. One of the Halls of Residence was actually named after him.

I always felt it was a scandal this campus being closed. During the communications made when the plans were being made they spoke about the College being re-housed in "a purpose build education facility" Erm, what was this thing sitting in the middle of Bearsden???

This really was a poor decision that was made. Apparently, and not widely known, St Andrew's University made an approach to join with the College. The result would have left the College as is, including no name change. Mind you, that would not have been so lucrative for the then Higher Academic Staff at the College!

Anyway, it was great to see the pictures of the place again, I just hope it gets used soon as it was a wonderful building to work in.

[charliesgirl]

Hi there,I loved the photographs of the old Notre Dame College as I was a student there from1974 till 1977.Travelling daily was out of the question and so I lived in the halls of residence.It´s shocking that this place which was so full of energy,fun,laughter and young people has become so derelict.I moved abroad in 1981,to teach and I never tire of telling my students of my student days,which were extremely happy.I pointed out to my husband which room was mine.It was in the hostal at the back and it was called Julie Billiart Hall or Julie B.Any news on what will happen to N.D.Anyway thanks for the memories and photographs.

[charliesgirl]

In summer thousands of English language students are looking for places to spend some time having English classes and then do sport,go sightseeing and in general soak up guid Scottish atmosphere.The majority aren´t interested in staying with a family,they want halls of residence.This could have been an option in the past.

[Dexter St. Clair]

That's waht it was used for but six week occupancy in a year does not pay for its upkeep. it will end up like St. Peter's.

[Delmont St Xavier]

I knew many people who attended the college and lived in the halls of residence. Most of them tell me that the halls were in a poor condition before it finally closed, dampness, condensation and different fabric problems made many of them feel it had become a 'dumping' ground. Yet, when I speak to others who attended a couple of decades ago, they tell me they were fantastic buildings to live in. Anybody else have a view on the living conditions?

[charliesgirl]

I attended Notre Dame over 30 years ago and it was still relatively new.There was plenty of money around and we students had grants which we didn´t have to pay back and most of us bought our books second hand from other students therefore still having money to enjoy ourselves.The halls of residence were lovely with full central heating in winter so you were always as warm as toast.Most of us ate half board down in the communal dining hall and either before or after studying would congregate with friends to watch tv in the common room.I suppose with changes in student finance and government funding its no surprise that the place eventually fell to rack and ruin.I was at ND for 3 years and not once did I ever consider moving out of the halls of residence to a flat in Glasgow simply because I really enjoyed it .There was not a student bar but a new pub called The Abbotsford opened just up the road and a lot of the students drank there.When I graduated there were nearly 250 of us and a lot of people had already dropped out.Student numbers were greater then and students were better off than today.Where is the motivation to study today,knowing that it only gets you into debt?Any way what has finally happened to St.Andrew´s?

[Quality Mince]

I attended Notre Dame in its last year before it became St Andrew’s College. I stayed in Consuela Hall and enjoyed every minute of it. The accommodation was just excellent and easily far superior to any other student accommodation I had experienced in Glasgow.
The ratio of girls to boys was I reckon about 4:1. This was great if you were a guy, which I was and still am. The hall had a TV area above the main entrance, and there was a kitchen at either end.
The grounds of the college were just fantastic and the views across the Campsies are wonderful. I had many a pleasant evening in the Abbotsford and some weekends would venture to Milngavie. I remember that the college was on the flight path of Glasgow airport. Planes would normally start landing about 6am every morning. Not great for light sleepers.
It’s really sad to see the student accommodation all boarded up. An imaginative architect and far-sighted developer I’m sure could convert the accommodation into unique and expensive flats. And hey, it is Bearsden, they would sell.

[Dexter St. Clair]

You missed out the Communal showers and toilets. No en suite then. Tiny kitchens one cooker and fish fingers on a roll for breakfast as my sister would recall. Tiny rooms too. Single beds on casters that had to have a rug under them to stop skiting about the room and a ban on visitors to your room.

Or so I'm told. The dances were good though.

[Quality Mince]

The dances were good though.

Indeed they were. See earlier estimate ratio of girls to boys!!

[charliesgirl]

There was a ban on visitors but we still had them.There was a house warden at the top of each residence but I certainly never saw her prowling around.Her name was Miss Gilbert and she hardly ever made her presence felt.The only time that we made our way up to her flat was for a late night key if we were having a night in Glasgow.The front door was closed about midnight.God help the poor students who lived on the bottom floor.Many a night did we knock on someone´s window so that we could climb in at 3 or 4 in the morning because we didn´t have a late night key.As for the communal showers,they were fine as they were always spotless.We were really well looked after because our rooms were cleaned and vacuumed every day .Each staircase had its own cleaner.The college was reasonably equipped and also had a mini t.v. studio.I remember in my final year attending a workshop on making t.v. programmes.The lecturer who took the workshop was a commentator who actually worked on t.v. at the time.He was a huge flirt but we just looooved it.The only downside was that there were hardly any blokes there and the ratio in my time was probably about 10 to 1.By the way has anyone ever heard the rumours about the grounds being haunted'?

[Dexter St. Clair]

That was Dowanhill and he was Brian Marjoribanks.