Royal Bank of Scotland / Hewden Stewart Plant Hire Glasshouse

Garden Festival 'zone'

Health and Wellbeing

Sponsor, if appropriate

Royal Bank of Scotland / Hewden Stewart Plant Hire

Type of object

Pavilion, building or other structure

Current situation

Unknown

Notes

Dismantled after the Festival and rebuilt as part of the 1990 Gateshead Garden Festival. Location after that unknown (correspondence ex. John Banks, May 2023).

BT Roadphone

At Milton Keynes 2022 Credit: Milton Keynes Museum
Credit: Milton Keynes Museum
At Milton Keynes 2022 Credit: Milton Keynes Museum
Credit: Milton Keynes Museum
Sponsor, if appropriate

British Telecom

Type of object

Vehicle, boat or ship

Current situation

Known

Current location, if known

Milton Keynes Museum

Notes

The BT Roadphone was a promotional device constructed on a Ford Transit chassis which allowed telephone calls to be made my members of the public. It is currently (2023) held by Milton Keynes Museum as part of their Communications collection. (Our thanks to Ian Green and the staff of Milton Keynes Museum for this information.)

Teddy Bears’ Picnic

Credit: Tommy Quinn
Garden Festival 'zone'

Health and Wellbeing

Sponsor, if appropriate

Moray District Council

Type of object

Pavilion, building or other structure

Current situation

Unknown

Peacock display

Credit: George McSorley
Garden Festival 'zone'

The Rendezvous

Sponsor, if appropriate

Moray District Council

Type of object

Pavilion, building or other structure

Current situation

Unknown

Reaper (FR 958)

Credit: Donald Whannell
Garden Festival 'zone'

Water and Maritime

Type of object

Vehicle, boat or ship

Current situation

Known

Current location, if known

Scottish Fisheries Museum, Anstruther

Notes

The full history of the 'Reaper' can be read at the Scottish Fisheries Museum website.

VIC 27/Auld Reekie/Vital Spark

Credit: Evelyn R
Credit: Evelyn R
Vital Spark
Credit: Jean Reid/New Glasgow Society
Sponsor, if appropriate

Bathgate Brothers (Marine) Ltd, Edinburgh

Type of object

Vehicle, boat or ship

Current situation

Known

Current location, if known

Crinan Boatyard

Notes

Built as VIC 27 by Isaac Pimblott & Sons, Northwich, Cheshire in 1943. Working for the Ministry of War Transport, she spent some time in Liverpool, then Greenock. Following the war, taken on by the Admiralty, then - after passing through the hands of a couple of subsequent owners - purchased in 1968 by Sir James Miller and converted into a youth training vessel based at Oban. After the conversion, she was renamed 'Auld Reekie'. In 1979, sold to Bathgate Brothers (Marine) Ltd, Edinburgh, for charter. Nine years later, she appeared at the Garden Festival with banners carrying the words 'Vital Spark' covering her formal name. Apart from a brief employment as this fictional vessel in the 1994 BBC series 'The Tales of Para Handy', she spent the intervening years resting at Crinan Basin. In 2007 she was transferred to Archie McArthur and Inveraray Pier for a year, after which she was returned to the ownership of Crinan Boatyard, where she is still being restored (as of 2022). This information - and much more - at vic27.co.uk.

Human Sundial (‘Sunclock’)

Garden Festival 'zone'

Water and Maritime

Type of object

Sculpture or other artwork

Current situation

Known

Current location, if known

Carnfunnock Country Park, Northern Ireland

Notes

'The entire exhibition was within the 'British Summer Time' period, and so only one ring of Hour-markers was needed. When the Garden Festival finally ended, all of the "Sunclock" parts were permanently relocated in Carnfunnock Country Park, with another ring of Hour-markers also being added' (from Facebook post). Description of the 'sunclock' here.