East Kilbride - The Making of a Town

Produced to mark the wind up of the East Kilbride Development Corporation this is the fourth of four films restored from the South Lanarkshire Council Archive and charting the development of the New Town.
The film is largely composed of new footage and includes film from the visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, on 12 July 1990 and the ice pagent that marked the event

[@davemccausland5039]

Been in East Kilbride (EK) since I was born in '72. The original blueprint for the town with the fruition of the East Kilbride Development Corporation (EKDC) was a complete success as there was money to build, invest and develop the town and attract inward investment which it did for many years. The towns downfall came with the demise of EKDC to then fall under the remit of South Lanarkshire Council. This change seen a shift in spending priority which favoured other higher unemployment areas and still does to this day. The increased spend in leisure facilities and business investment is clearly seen in areas such as Hamilton, much to the detriment of EK which has indeed suffered greatly. Due to the original planning of the town with it's large number of green areas, EK is a financial thorn in the side of SLC owing to the upkeep of these grounds, many of which are sadly now built on. Used to be a great place for raising families, but all things considered such as the higher population of junkies, lack of modern leisure facilities and downturn of investment in the town, there are now many better places to be.

[@duncanfromek4081]

I remember when the Queen came to E.K. I was working for E.K.D.C in those days.

[@Sydopath]

When was that. 73/74?

[@carolhenderson5181]

I love East Kilbride but sadly it has changed for the worse.

[@pauls9594]

I'm from Yorkshire and I moved to EK. How I miss Yorkshire. Hopefully you will like it.

[@jobbymongoo4571]

0:32 - you fell ova!

[@transferdatathreewally24]

it's easy to criticise. things perhaps could be better. I do not think this town compares in any significantly worse way new towns like Cumbernauld or Milton Keynes. new towns always suffer discrimination via cultural snobbery. love from Sheffield x

[@terminatorrc1]

East Kilbride use to nice now it's a dump I liked it in the late 90s and early 2000s

[@emmaclark2441]

East kilbride sucks now! It's dirty, the town centre is rundown, and there is no entertainment for kids anymore!! :(