Former public hall, Alexandria

Image: © Lairich Rig Taken: 29 Nov 2010

This category B listed building stands at the junction of Bridge Street and Bank Street (visible on the right), and was built in 1862 as a public hall. It was later put to use as the Hall Cinema, and then, as the remaining lettering shows, the Vale Bingo Club. At the time when this photograph was taken, it was being used as a furniture showroom. For another view, see Image Its listed building report provides further details: http://portal.historic-scotland.gov.uk/designation/LB43193 (at Historic Environment Scotland). An old photograph of Bonhill Bridge from c.1893 shows a small structure in front of this building: a drinking fountain, which was "a gift to the community by the Smolletts, and was erected in 1879 to commemorate the opening of the 'Tank' or Overton Reservoir (Image). The fountain was removed in the 1930s presumably because cars were more reluctant to go round it than horses had been" ["The Old Vale and the New", Jones/Hopner, 1981]. (The reservoir mentioned above is shown in Image)

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