My Urban Environment…
Firstly, I do not stay near an urban environment. I stay in a very rural environment with a population of 121 (Census, 2001) but I am sure that will have increased as we have had a few new houses built since then. However, we are still very rural. The only thing community based in out little town is a bus stop with a shelter and a newly fitted post box. This is why for the purposes of the task, I will talk about the nearest and biggest Urban area to me which is Kilmarnock.
(Kilmarnock town centre, Google Images)
Kilmarnock has an estimated population of 46,350, making it the 15th most populated town in Scotland and the second largest town in Ayrshire. As I am not that overly familiar with Kilmarnock, I may struggle with aspects of what happens in the town. However, I do pass through the town a lot for shopping and commuting due to the excellent bus services the town provides.
Physical Characteristics
Kilmarnock has a real difference in the types of housing it has around the town. As with every place, the town keeps expanding as the town’s population keeps increasing. However, if I focus on the centre of Kilmarnock, the majority of houses are fairly old and are very unique. As you drive along the centre of Kilmarnock it would be very difficult to find two houses that looked exactly the same. Some are made from the same sandstone brick and have the same materials used. However, they all are very unique and were build a long time ago. The interesting fact about Kilmarnock is that in the centre of the town which is the oldest part; it has a one-way system. Now if you are not from Kilmarnock and are not familiar with this set-up it can be very challenging to commute around the town. In fact since the one-way system was designed in the 60’s it has constantly been under scrutiny. One of the big factors is there are no vehicles allowed up the street where the shops are, this meaning that when all the shops are shut, it is a very airy, dark place to walk up after 5:30pm. As the town expands and grows, I do not think this one-way system that can be quite a headache will ever change now. Although Kilmarnock is forever growing it still has several little parks and grass areas around the town. The biggest park/grass area near the town centre is called the Kay Park. It has a lovely big play area for the children and a great size walk for dog walkers or people who just want to take in the scenery. It also has a lovely pond area where it is lovely and peaceful with a few swans and ducks.
(Kay Park, Kilmarnock, Google Images)
Transport
As someone who uses public transport very regularly, I can give a lot of information on the benefits and downside to the transport Kilmarnock offers. When coming from home the buses operate on a 15 minute basis which is very handy for me commuting around. However, under recent financial strain they have had to cut one of the buses and now you have to wait half an hour for one bus; which is usually very overcrowded. The Transport to Ayr UWS is very regular now. I used to have to wait for a bus once every hour but they have updated this so there are now two every hour. There are also very regular buses to Irvine with them having one every seven minutes at peak times. They also provide good transport links to Glasgow and East Kilbride. All of which I can commend as I have travalled on them at one point. The only issue I have with the bus network is the consistent increasing of bus fares. The fairs are forever increasing as it is getting more and more expensive. This may start to put people off and they may decide to start driving to commute as it will eventually become to expensive to use public buses. There is also a train station which is highly recommended by people of Kilmarnock as a good link for connecting Kilmarnock and Glasgow and also Kilmarnock and Edinburgh. However, when I started uni I tried to get a train from Kilmarnock to Ayr but was vert surprised to find that this was not possible! It is a shame as they could provide a link here to ensure that all the Ayrshire’s stay connected and help one another.
(Kilmarnock bus station, Google Images)
(Kilmarnock Train Station, Google Images)
Community Spaces
In Kilmarnock there are non-denominational schools and also Catholic schools. There are four academies in the area of Kilmanrock and a good handful of primary schools. There are allotments in Kilmarnock although not as many as you would expect to see for such a big place. Something that could be added to, to make Kilamarnock a bit more of a greener town. We have the Dick Institute in Kilmarnock which is our library. However, over recent years the library gets used less and less which is strange because the population continues to grow. Many people now read online and do not use the facilities of library in Kilamarnock as much now.
(Dick Institute, Library, Kilmarnock, Google Images)
Industry and Work
Kilmarnock used to be a very labour intensive town. All the town’s in the surrounding of Kilmarnock also used to have factories in them. In the Kilmarnock area there used to be a mining industry. However, with all the mines now closed and the majority of factories closed, Kilamarnock has moved towards the service industry as like many other towns and cities. We even used to produce our own alcohol under the name of Johnnie Walker. However, the factory for it closed a few years ago and now stands the new Ayrshire College campus which just opened recently. We also have an Ayrshire Maternity unit and a university hospital in associated with UWS called Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock.
Recreation Spaces
As with all the towns and cities the number of leisure centres is declining. However, Kilmanrock still has one and it quite a big leisure centre. It offers a range of activities and is well-known for having blow-up bouncy castles on the water. The Galleon is well utlisied and is a popular place in Kilamnock. We also have the palace theatre where a lot of singing, acting and drama classes take place. The Palace theatre is very popular at Christmas time. The majority of the surrounding schools will go and watch the pantomime. The palace theatre is also good for renting out the grand hall for events or encouraging children to participate in Scottish Highland Dancing. An excellent asset for Kilmarnock to have!
(Galleon Leisure Centre, Kilmarnock, Google Images)
(Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock, Google Images)
Air Quality
I was very surprised to see Kilmarnock has a score of low for the air quality!
Primary 5 class idea
“I can interpret historical evidence from a range of periods to help to build a picture of Scotland’s heritage and my sense of chronology.” SOC 2-02a (CFE outcomes, Scottish Government)
“Having explored my local area, I can present information on different places to live, work and relax and interesting places to visit.” SOC 2-10a (CFE outcomes, Scottish Government)
These two outcomes would best describe and collaborate well with my activity. The best idea would be to have a day-out, nice and simple. If they are out and about and moving, they have more of a chance of learning about their local area and taking it in as opposed to being stuck in a classroom. The teacher could even put a letter out to parents to come and talk about certain places as they walk around to see and learn about Kilmarnock’s area. They could then come back and creatively show their understanding of the most memorable part of learning about their heritage in Kilmarnock!
I have learned loads myself about Kilmarock, I hope you have too!
Christopher.
