MILNGAVIE’S much-loved Copeland & Lye clock has been reinstalled to its familiar spot in the town centre following an extensive repair and restoration project.
Specialist restoration works have been undertaken to address corrosion and general wear associated with wet weather and age. Improvements have also been carried out to sensitively restore the sandstone plinth and to ensure the clock is lit up at night.
The three-faced timekeeper was carefully removed and safely transported to a specialist workshop which restores iconic UK clocks. The clock was first installed in Milngavie precinct in 1981 to commemorate the completion of the pedestrianisation scheme.
The clock was originally housed within an elevated fourth-floor turret of Caledonian House – part of the Copland & Lye department store in Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow. When the building closed in 1971 and was scheduled for demolition, local Raymond Gillies rescued four clocks – including one which he donated to his home town.
Councillor Gordan Low, leader of East Dunbartonshire Council, said, “I am very pleased to welcome the iconic clock back to Milngavie town centre, where it has kept time and acted as a meeting spot for more than four decades. After a regular maintenance visit uncovered water damage and corrosion, we were able to allocate external funding to ensure it was repaired and can remain a fixture in the precinct for many years to come.”
The Gillies family was represented at a reception to welcome the clock’s return by local resident and family friend Scott Robertson. A plaque detailing Mr Gillies’ philanthropy has also been restored.
Mr Gillies’ daughter, Yvette, now lives in Australia, but has fond memories of her old home in Loch Road and Milngavie. She said, “I know that my father would be happy and proud that the clock has been restored and returned to its rightful place. It is very close to my heart, as it was to his. My father chose to gift the clock to Milngavie as he wanted to support the local community and businesses by creating a meeting place and focal point within the town that he loved being part of.
“The spirit of my father’s original intentions lives on – putting Milngavie on the map with its instantly recognisable and iconic clock in the heart of the town. That is very special to me and much appreciated.”
