Lenzie

Toponymy

Lenzie is now generally pronounced with a /z/, but used to be pronounced /lɛnjɪ/. This is due to the original Scots spelling, Lenȝie, containing the letter yogh, was later erroneously confused with the tailed z.

The origin of the name is not known but may possibly derive from the Gaelic Lèanaidh (pronounced [ˈʎianɪ]), a locative form of lèana, meaning a "wet meadow". Other close locations and features may also share a similar derivation.

History

Lenzie, as a town, was built in the 19th century as a commuter town for those travelling to Glasgow and Edinburgh, as Lenzie railway station is a stop between the two cities. The train station was originally named 'Kirkintilloch Junction' and later 'Campsie Junction', as it was a junction between the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway and its Campsie branch line through Kirkintilloch (the latter line no longer exists).

Lenzie, the 'wet plain' had been used for farming. Lenzie Moss, a boggy, marshy area of Lenzie that has not been built on, has peat bogs, which were extensively exploited and now feature the characteristics of peat cutting, and several acres of deciduous woodland mainly made up of silver birch. The area is a sanctuary for wildlife, including rabbits, deer and foxes. On older maps Lenzie Moss was referred to as "mountain moss".

Woodilee Hospital opened in 1874 and was gradually closed down from the mid-1990s. Lenzie Hospital for the elderly also closed around this time.

Until World War II, housing was chiefly north of the railway station and south of the railway on the west side of Auchinloch Road. This consisted of Victorian and Edwardian villas, a few terraces, and some 1920s and 1930s bungalows at Middlemuir and Kirkintilloch Road in north Lenzie. From the 1950s some Council housing was built at Gallowhill Avenue and High Gallowhill as well as private housing. In the south, housing was built at Millersneuk and Claddens, changing the image and the face of the village into a town. Now it has several shops, schools, churches, parks and various sport clubs like any other suburb.

Schools

The main secondary school for the town is Lenzie Academy,which was founded in 1886 and was originally both a primary and secondary school situated on Kirkintilloch Road, Lenzie - later Lenzie Primary School. In 1960, the school moved to its present building on Myrtle Avenue, and became purely a secondary school.

Between the 1970s and the 2010s there were four primary schools in Lenzie: Lenzie Moss, Lenzie Primary, Millersneuk and Holy Family. Lenzie Primary was the oldest of the primary schools, and was the former Lenzie Academy building. It became a school for primary education only when the Lenzie Academy building was built in 1960. The second oldest, Lenzie Moss Primary was opened in 1968 and was located next to "The Moss". Millersneuk Primary School was built in 1979, and celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a school concert in Summer 2004. Holy Family Primary is a Catholic school situated on the border of Lenzie and Kirkintilloch.

Schools in the area operated below capacity for some time and in 2010 a review of East Dunbartonshire Council's non-secondary school estate recommended that Lenzie Primary be closed and pupils rezoned to Millersneuk and Lenzie Moss. It was decided that Lenzie moss and Lenzie primary would merge and be located in a new building on the Lenzie moss site. The new primary school was named Lenzie Meadow after a vote.

Life

There are four churches in Lenzie: Lenzie Union Parish Church and Lenzie Old Parish Church (both Church of Scotland), St Cyprian's (Scottish Episcopal Church), and Lenzie Christian Fellowship (a non-denominational congregation). St Cyprian's, a category B listed building, is the oldest of the churches - established in 1873 and celebrated its 125th anniversary in the year 1998. Lenzie Old Parish Church designed by architects Clark & Bell, and was built in 1874. Lenzie Old is a category C listed building.

Every year Lenzie holds a Gala on the first Saturday in June in the grounds of the local Lenzie Rugby Club. Each year, a 'Queen' in Primary Seven is chosen from one of the local primary schools, and three attendants from the other schools.

There is one Scout Group the 1st Lenzie, 12th Glasgow. The group was set up in 1908 by Robert Warnock and is now one of the largest in the Clyde area. It was among the first to establish cubs and beaver sections. It has a successfully running beaver cub and scout sections and also includes the Pegasus explorer unit. In addition there are two Boys' Brigade companies: 1st Lenzie (attached to Lenzie Union Parish Church (LUPC)) and 2nd Lenzie (attached to Lenzie Old Parish Church), however the latter is in effect absorbed into the former, under the auspices of LUPC which also nurtures Lenzie Crusaders.

Shops

They are many shops in Lenzie there are two Co-Operative, one Rasoi(Indian), Cornucopia Beauty, Da Carlos(Fish and chips), Carriages(Pub), U-save(shop), Billingtons (Deli), Greggs (Bakers), Opticians, Boots, Town and country(Estate agents) and some more.

Sport

Lenzie Youth Club has catered for youth football and other activities within the village since its foundation in 1980. LYC football teams have won three Scottish Youth FA Cup competitions - in 1987, 1997 and 2007. Former players include Scotland and Aston Villa midfielder Barry Bannan and Scotland and Blackpool defender Stephen Crainey.

Lenzie Rugby Club plays in the Scottish Regional West League Division One. The club is thought to have formed in 1897.

Established in 1889, Lenzie Golf Club is situated at the east end of the Gadloch and is often flooded by the loch.

Lenzie F.C.(formed in 1875) were a senior Scottish football club that participated in the early years of the Scottish Cup, with minor success until its last outing in the 1886-87 season, where they lost 13-0 at home to Vale of Leven. More notably, in 1879 the club took part in a demonstration game at the Ulster Cricket Ground against a scratch team of local players in one of the earliest competitive football matches held in Northern Ireland.

The nearest hockey club is Stepps H.C. The club competes in the second tier or the Scottish national leagues (2009/10 season) and has had a successful history.

People

In popular culture

Lenzie is the setting for the BBC Radio 4 comedy programme Fags, Mags and Bags, which is set in and around a corner shop. The characters use the term "Lenzidens" to describe the inhabitants of Lenzie.