I was born in East Kilbride in November 1927, a member of St Bride’s parish. I was baptised in St Joseph’s church, Clarkston, as we had no resident priest in East Kilbride. We had Mass in our small church, which was located behind Wright’s the butcher’ s. \When my First Cormmunion came along, it took place in Clarkston, as did my Confirmation. St .Ioseph’s was the main church and it supplied St Bride’s, East Kilbride, St Bride’s, Eaglesham, and St . Cadoc’s, Newton Mearns. We were what was known in those days as a Mission Church. I attended the Village school and we stood outside the classroom each morning when the Protestant children had their bible reading, which seems a very odd idea today.

One of the highlights of living in the Village at that time was the shock news that greeted us coming out of Mass one Sunday morning in September 1939: war had been declared. We attended a Sunday school and were taught RE by my grandfather and by Mr McShane, until members of the Legion of Mary took over.

In 1949 or 1950, a priest, Canon Battel, was appointed to St Bride’s on a permanent basis. The parish house was Home Cottage in Graham Avenue. The small chapel became overcrowded; a new wooden structure was built in Glebe Street and subsequently replaced by the prize-winning church at Whitemoss, which delighted me immensely.

Having declared my appreciation of the building, may I state equally categorically that I detest the nickname of Fort Apache!

James McCabe