Recently, the Linn Park Gentlemen's Walking Club received an email from New Zealand, to which we responded positively.
In essence it reads:
I’m hoping I’ve found finally the right people to be able to help me narrow down my search for a bridge that is not far from the Cathcart Castle, which I think I’ve managed to track down to Linn Park, and might be Snuff Mill bridge.
Firstly hello, I am from New Zealand, my nana Helen Middleton nee Anderson was born in Glasgow in 1926, and grew up there until she left for New Zealand with my grandfather James Middleton and young family.
She had a drawing hanging on her wall, which had been drawn by her cousin. She told me when I was younger that my Grandad proposed to her on a bridge down the lane for this drawing, and I think of it every time I look at this picture which now hangs on my wall.
I’m planning to finally make it to Glasgow to see where all the stories my nana told me came from and I’m desperately trying to find where this drawing is from, and the bridge she told me about.
My research I think seems to draw me to the Linn Park, and the Snuff Mill bridge, which has also lead me to your gents website.
So I’m hoping you might be able to point me to the right place in the park, so that I’m able to visit and finally see part of my family history.
Well obviously this young lady found our website. Firstly we asked if we could publish the story and we were rewarded as follows:
Lovely to hear back from you, and for all the information. It was great to be able to find your website and all the history about the park. Great to know I was on the right track!
I’m more than happy for you to put it on the website. I can’t recall much more detail but I’ll ask my mum and aunty if they know anything more about the drawing, but I'm guessing it would have been drawn around the 1920’s.
We had responded as follows:
The picture is of the castle and the adjoining cottages which were still occupied in 1926.
Since then the castle has been levelled, and cottages demolished.
The roadway however still lives . . . all be it in a different form. From Google Maps street view. Click here:
And the Snuffmill Bridge [It's post code is G44 5TP - Snuff Mill Road] is here:
A more romantic place for a proposal cannot be imagined !