History of Armadale Association

Armadale in Minutes

The History of Armadale Association has donated £200 to the Parkinson's Disease Society in memory of Robert Kerr who died in April 2009. Below is a record of the process by which the HAA was able to share Robert Kerr's research with others.

ARMADALE IN MINUTES LAUNCH: History of the application for funding and outcome

The History of Armadale Association is delighted to announce that it is one of 16 West Lothian community groups, which have received money from the National Lottery's Awards for All Scheme.

The Association's £6,300 award will cover printing, publicity and distribution costs of

Armadale in Minutes, A Chronological History by Robert Kerr, 2008, HAA

at £5 (+ postage and packing for those outside Armadale)

contact Chairman: Ron Dingwall HAAchairmanarmadale.org.uk to order your copy!

For Robert Kerr's research and publications see the Publications page

See also Robert Kerr's Digest of Bathgate History

The book launch took place on the 12 March 2008 in a fitting historical venue, namely The Goth in Armadale. Many guests attended on that evening to celebrate the achievements of Robert Kerr, on whose research the book is based, and of the History of Armadale Association whose efforts ensured that the book was prepared, completed, edited, published and launched in a manner befitting its importance as a historical record of Armadale's past.

Sybil Cavanagh (guest speaker), Ron Dingwall (HAA chairman), Fiona Hyslop MSP (Cabinet Secretary for Education), Mrs Jessie Kerr, Councillor Stuart Borrowman, Jim McGregor (book editor) and Mary Mulligan MSP are shown at the launch of Robert Kerr's Armadale in Minutes.

Armadale Concert Ensemble provided the evening's musical entertainment after the speeches and presentations.

This video snippet shows the venue later that evening.

Left: Ron Dingwall held two roles that evening, as Master of Ceremonies and as HAA Chairman whose successful National Lottery Awards for All bid funded the preparation, publication and launch of the book.
In his Foreward to Armadale in Minutes, Ron commented:

Being asked to write the foreward to this book is an honour as I have known Robert Kerr for over 30 years and shared his interest in local and Scottish history. Many a time he would be able to come out with some detailed information on a topic which would make you think '"Where did he source that kind of information?"

This book is a reflection on the detailed research which Robert did in all things and it gives an insight into the many mundane, funny, historical and hilarious events that took place in Armadale's past......

The History of Armadale Association felt that Robert's work should be preserved for posterity and be the 21st century version of Armadale Past and Present

Right: Sybil Cavanagh, Local History Librarian, gave the launch address with warm words of praise and appreciation. Here is an extract:

And still his work went on - new villages to study, existing studies to revise and expand; sketch maps of estates and farms and country parks, pencil drawings of local castles and public buildings. By 1990, he had produced an astonishing 70 studies of local communities. For a local history librarian, it has been a piece of great good fortune to have Mr Kerr's work to draw on. When somebody comes in to the Library, I know that however small the village or hamlet they're enquiring about, I'm certain to have something in stock about it.

Now, with the publication of Armadale in Minutes, Mr Kerr's work on Armadale will be widely available and will get the readership it deserves. The treasures of information which he unearthed will be brought into public view and much of Armadale's forgotten history will be restored to it.

After the speeches, Mrs Cavanagh and Mrs Kerr were presented with flowers.

Left: Davie Kerr (Robert Kerr's brother), Betty Hunter, Jemima Redpath, Sybil Cavanagh and Mary Flynn.
Special thanks must go to the principal organiser of the event, Betty Hunter, Secretary of the HAA, who co-ordinated the fitting tribute to many years of painstaking research.

Below: Caterers A.C. Sherlock of Blackridge provided a wonderful spread that was quickly tasted and enjoyed!