In July 1923 the Callendar Miners’ Welfare Committee met officials from the Central Committee and was told that a grant of £2,000 was due to the local committee to build a hall to seat 350 persons, with all the appurtenances. A sliding partition would serve to isolate part of the hall for recreational purposes, and provision was also made for two or three bathrooms. By September the official architect had submitted a plan of the proposed scheme. The Fund only permitted of enough to build a hall and recreation room, but anticipating an extension of the scheme, the architect had allowed for the taking in of ground to embrace a bowling green, tennis courts, putting greens, and shrubberies.
Work on the building in Bothkennar Road, Carronshore, began in 1925 and in January 1926 a general meeting of the Carronhall Miners’ Welfare Society was held in the Carronshore Hall for the purpose of appointing a committee to work in conjunction with those nominated by the employers. The building was opened on 1 July 1926 by George Pate OBE, general manager of Carron Company. It consisted of two large rooms, one of which housed two full-sized billiard tables, while in the other there was a bowling table and provision for other games. This room was also used as a meeting hall. There was also a reading-room and a games room. Two baths were provided along with a couple of shower baths. A kitchen and lavatories completed the accommodation. The entire building was fitted with electric light and heated throughout by a low pressure hot water system. The contractors for the work were: builders – Scott & Co, Motherwell; joiners – George Downie & Son, Bo’ness; plumbers – Aitken Brothers, Grangemouth; slaters – Bells Pollite Co, Glasgow; plasterers – Drummond & Crowe, Falkirk; electrical engineers – Carron Co; heating engineers – C N Haden & Co, Glasgow; glazier – Daniel O’May, Falkirk; painters – Cooper & Co, Hamilton; architects – Cowie & Miller, Wishaw and Motherwell; and measurers – J H Allan & Sons, Glasgow.
An 18-hole putting green was added to the back of the hall in May 1928 and brought in a steady income. It, together with a three-valve wireless, cost a little over £60. Scarcely an evening went by without some kind of event in the hall.
Despite the original intention of the Central Welfare Committee not to aid the maintenance of the buildings of local institutes, the 1926 extension of the scheme made this possible. In May 1930 the Carronhall Miners’ Welfare Society received notification that its application for a supplementary grant had been successful and that it was to receive £1,000. This was used to renovate and decorate the existing property. The extensive use made of the Carronhall Institute meant that it was seen as something of a flagship and yet another grant was awarded in 1933. This enabled the billiard tables to be re-cushioned and fitted with the latest style of lights with “shadowless” shades, while a set of new balls was acquired for each table. The interior of the building was improved with the installation of modern lavatory accommodation and a drinking fountain; and the outside paintwork was renewed.
In 1937 The Carronhall Miners’ Welfare Society leased ground further down Bothkennar Road and fitted it up as a children’s playground before handing it on to the District Council. The Second World War saw a change in the Society’s fortunes. Due to difficulties with the blackout and a change in staff, the use of the hall was dramatically cut and the weekly whist drives were abandoned. The return of peace saw a steady increase in utilisation and Rev William B McLaren became the club president. In 1948 the County Education Committee rented a room for use as a public library. The Institute was redecorated in 1950 to keep it up to standard and in 1954 a new heating plant and a ladies’ cloakroom were installed.
The future of the Carronhall Miners’ Welfare hall was discussed at length at a meeting in April 1955. The mining community had diminished to such an extent that the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation were no longer interested in Carronhall Miners’ Welfare as such – only 48 miners now lived in this community. The finances were gone over in detail. The local Society claimed to be practically self-supporting. They ran a shop on the premises that was open until 10pm. There was also a room set aside for a library which brought in a rent of £15 per year from the County. The rates and taxes amounted to £20-£30 per annum. The electricity, gas and feu-duty were very small, but coal was a heavy item. The heaviest item of expenditure was the caretaker’s wages of £2 13s 1d, plus insurance – he was employed part-time. There was a small property tax of 10s, boiler insurance of £7 plus a comprehensive insurance policy. There were also periodical repairs to furniture, etc, such as the covering of billiard tables, but so far they had always managed. It was suggested that the District Council should take over the property and the Hall Committee considered that would be appropriate.
However, Letham and Bothkennar Institutes were also in a similar position and all came under Eastern No 1 District Council. The representative of the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation pushed for acceptance in principle hinting that its District Valuer would offer them a much lower price than if it was put on the open market. The District Council decided not to act\
The Carronhall Miners’ Institute was subsequently sold to a local committee for use as a social club, a function that it still fulfilled in 2023.
Falkirk Local History Society 