The Forres Gazette looks back at times past ahead of Forres House Community Centre celebrating its 50th year in December
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IT is nearly half a century since one of the town’s most important buildings was officially opened.
The Gazette of December 26, 1973 featured the story of Forres House Community Centre being opened by the Scottish Secretary and local dignitaries ahead of five decades of sport and activities on the former site of Forres Primary School.
It read: ‘Christmas starts off great new era for Forres - Magnificent community centre and swimming pool opened
A wonderful new Forres came into being on Friday. The town has a youth and community centre, one of the finest in Scotland, together with a magnificent swimming pool.
When Mr Gordon Campbell, Secretary of State for Scotland and MP for the constituency, formally opened both at a ceremony held in Forres House, a new era began, for these two projects provide facilities in abundance for recreation, for people of all ages meeting socially, and for the development of aquatic prowess.
The large number of invited guests first visited the swimming pool which adjoins Forres Academy, being tremendously impressed by the magnificence of the pool and the excellence of the ancillary facilities. Forres Academy pupils gave demonstrations of swimming and there were some skilfull maneuvers of a canoe.
The guests then went to Forres House. After they had seen round the many rooms they gathered in the upper games hall.
Brig J. A. Grant Peterkin, chairman of Moray and Nairn Joint Council, presided and called on Mr Campbell to perform the opening ceremony.
Both projects were described by Mr Campbell.
He continued: “The measure of the welcome to the opening of Forres House is in the large membership which has already been formed.”
He also praised the range of activities which the community centre could accommodate, and the fact that the registrar’s office and library have been included in the complex.
Added Mr Campbell: “The size and scale of the facilities were made possible by the generous contributions from the town council’s common good fund.Rarely can money from such a fund have been better employed, or the named purpose of the fund more appropriately observed. For Forres House can offer something to all age groups and to all sections of the community.
“I am sure that the swimming pool will prove popular. For it, too, is open to all sections of the community - to pupils during school hours and to the general public at other times.”
He concluded by paying homage to all those concerned in the planning and constitution of both Forres House and the swimming pool.
“In particular great appreciation is due to the architects - Messrs Allan ... and Partners for the swimming pool and Messrs G. R. M.Kennedy and Partners for this centre - and to the contractors who were Messrs Alexander Hall and Son of Aberdeen in both cases.”
The dedication of the buildings was by Rev J. C. Porter, minister of St Leonard’s Church, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Provost A. H. Forbes, who recalled that a swimming pool for Forres was first mooted in 1908. He paid tribute to all concerned in the successful outcome of negotiations between the county council and town council, which had brought about two such splendid buildings for use and enjoyment by the present and future generations in Forres.
Before leaving, the guests were entertained to a buffet supper in two of the rooms.’
Former Forres House Comunity Centre employees Lorna Creswell and David Miller are planning a week of events to celebrate the building's 50th year from December 4-9.
If you can contribute memories, photographs, ideas or volunteer any time to help, please email FH50TH@GMAIL.COM
Forres, Elgin and Nairn Gazette, December 26, 1973
Christmas starts off great new era for Forres
Magnificent community centre and swimming pool opened
A wonderful new Forres came into being on Friday. The town has a youth and community centre which is one of the finest in Scotland, together with a swimming pool which is magnificent.
When Mr Gordon Campbell, Secretary of State for Scotland and MP for the constituency, formally opened both at a ceremony held in Forres House, a new era began, for these two projects provide facilities in abundance for recreation, for people of all ages meeting socially, and for the development of aquatic prowess. A red-letter day indeed.
The large number of invited guests, representatives of the county and local authorities and of many organisations in the town and Moray and Nairn, first visited the swimming pool which adjoins Forres Academy, and as they entered they gave unmistakable evidence of being tremendously impressed by the magnificence of the pool and the excellence of the ancillary facilities. "This is marvellous"; What a wonderful place"; "Isn't this really splendid?" were typical exclamations as groups of visitors entered.
Forres Academy pupils gave demonstrations of swimming and there were some skilfull maneuvers of a canoe, all of which gave the necessary "life" to the pool on its opening night.
The guests then went to Forres House, where the official opening ceremony of both buildings took place.
After they had seen round the many rooms - large and small - they gathered in the upper games hall.
Brig J. A. Grant Peterkin, chairman of Moray and Nairn Joint Council, presided and called on Mr Campbell to perform the opening ceremony.
Both projects were described by Mr Campbell as ones which "will bring benefits to this area".
It was, he said, a happy fact of timing that the youth and community centre, and the swimming pool, had both been finished at about the same time.
He continued: "The town council of Forres and the county council of Moray and Nairn are to be congratulated upon their foresight and their achievement. The measure of the welcome to the opening of Forres House is in the large membership which has already been formed for this community centre.
"The county council, in its role as education authority for both Moray and Nairn, have every reason to be proud of what they have done, and what they have been planning in recent years. I do not know of any county of similar size that has done so much.
"Besides this centre in Forres, the council has cooperated in other parts of the county with similar projects. At the same time they have helped village halls in rural areas."
He also praised the range of activities which the community centre could accommodate, and the fact that the registrar's office and library have been included in the complex.
Added Mr Campbell: "The size and scale of the facilities were made possible by the generous contributions from the town council's common good fund.
"Rarely can money from such a fund have been better employed, or the named purpose of the fund more appropriately observed. For Forres House can offer something to all age groups and to all sections of the community.
"I am sure that the swimming pool will prove popular. For it, too, is open to all sections of the community - to pupils during school hours and to the general public at other times."
He concluded by paying homage to all those concerned in the planning and constitution of both Forres House and the swimming pool.
"In particular great appreciation is due to the architects - Messrs Allan ... and Partners for the swimming pool and Messrs G. R. M.Kennedy and Partners for this centre - and to the contractors who were Messrs Alexander Hall and Son of Aberdeen in both cases."
The dedication of the buildings was by Rev J. C. Porter, minister of St Leonard's Church, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Provost A. H. Forbes, who recalled that a swimming pool for Forres was first mooted in 1908. He paid tribute to all concerned in the successful outcome of negotiations between the county council and town council, which had brought about two such splendind buildings for use and enjoyment by the present and future generations in Forres.
Before leaving, the guests were entertained to a buffet supper in two of the rooms.
Picture caption
Scottish Secretary, Mr Gordon Camp[bell (right) admires the plaque which he unveiled on Friday evening at the official opening of Forres House. Others in the group are Mr Andrew Thomson, county clerk of Moray and Nairn; Captain Iain Tennant, Lord Lieutenant of Moray; Mr W. F. Lindsay, director of education for Moray and Nairn; Mrs Campbell; and Brigadier J. A. Grant Peterkin, chairman of Moray and Nairn Joint County Council.
