In the early 1930s the Eastern District Council No 2 searched the area around the south side of Polmont to find a suitable location for a park for the rapidly expanding settlement but none of the fields were available at an affordable price. So, in 1933 Mr Forrester, its chairman, turned his attention to the derelict quarry at Brightons. Negotiations with the Mathieson family who owned the upper part of the abandoned workings were fruitful and it was bought for a reasonable sum. Attention then turned to the lower part whose owner was Mrs Thomson, the daughter of Mr Laurie the original owner of the quarry. She was very generous and the land was soon transferred. The land was roughly landscaped to provide interconnecting paths and new entrances were formed. Assistance in fitting out the children’s playground came from the Miners’ Welfare Committee, led by Mr Prince.
The park was officially opened on the evening of 14 August 1934 and the name was changed from Brightons Quarry to the Laurie Public Park. It was arranged for bands to perform in the park during the summers and dancing was engaged in. People were able to spend longer in the park after April 1937 thanks to the donation of a drinking fountain, gifted by Thomas Matheson, plumber from Whiteside Loan.
During the Second World War the park was often the setting for exercises by the ARP authorities – its uneven surface making it easy to simulate the aftermath of bombing raids. On one occasion a virtual mustard bomb was discovered there – war games. It was during the war that a football pitch was laid out and goalposts provided. The local units of the Boys’ Brigade made good use of it. Extra land had been acquired to enable to pitch to be full size. Further landscaping was carried out after the war.
National Grid Reference
NS 930 776
Falkirk Local History Society 