Dedridge

Settlement in Midlothian

Scotland

Dedridge

Sculpture in Livingston - 'The Community' Although most famous for its weird roundabout art, Livingston also has a number of more accessible publicly commissioned sculptures dotted about.
This is one of the better ones, although aspects of it are slightly baffling after reading the artist&#039;s summary of his work. It is said to depict a family of four holding hands, and they are balancing in the main on a branched tree stump by the looks of it. It is meant to give the impression of a &quot;celebratory dance&quot;. Nobody could actually move anywhere in this dance though, as both children are standing on their mother&#039;s leg, which actually looks as if it could be quite sore considering the size of the children. The dad seems to have got it easy - maybe there&#039;s some hidden symbolism going on there! If it is the dad that is; both males seem to be about the same size.
It&#039;s pretty well done, nonetheless, and was made by Charles Anderson in 1996. It must have been a tricky one to do as he states he returned to painting after making this. — Sculpture in Livingston - 'The Community' Credit: Ian Dodds

Dedridge is a small residential area located in the county of Midlothian, Scotland. Situated just outside of the town of Livingston, Dedridge is primarily a housing estate that is home to a diverse community.

The area was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of the expansion plans for Livingston. Dedridge features a mix of housing types, including detached and semi-detached houses, as well as apartment complexes. The neighborhood is known for its well-maintained properties and green spaces, creating a pleasant living environment for its residents.

Dedridge benefits from its close proximity to Livingston, which offers a wide range of amenities and services. Within a short distance, residents can access shopping centers, supermarkets, restaurants, and leisure facilities. The area also has several schools, making it an attractive place for families with children.

Transportation links in Dedridge are well-developed, with regular bus services connecting the area to Livingston town center and surrounding areas. The area is conveniently located near major road networks, such as the M8 motorway, providing easy access to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

In terms of recreational activities, Dedridge offers various options for outdoor enthusiasts. There are several parks and green spaces nearby, providing opportunities for walking, jogging, and leisure activities. The area is also close to the scenic countryside of Midlothian, offering beautiful landscapes and hiking trails.

Overall, Dedridge is a quiet and pleasant residential area that provides a range of amenities and convenient transportation links, making it an attractive place to live in Midlothian.

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Dedridge Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 55.879334/-3.510006 or Grid Reference NT0566. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

Sculpture in Livingston - 'The Community'

Although most famous for its weird roundabout art, Livingston also has a number of more accessible publicly commissioned sculptures dotted about. This is one of the better ones, although aspects of it are slightly baffling after reading the artist's summary of his work. It is said to depict a family of four holding hands, and they are balancing in the main on a branched tree stump by the looks of it. It is meant to give the impression of a "celebratory dance". Nobody could actually move anywhere in this dance though, as both children are standing on their mother's leg, which actually looks as if it could be quite sore considering the size of the children. The dad seems to have got it easy - maybe there's some hidden symbolism going on there! If it is the dad that is; both males seem to be about the same size. It's pretty well done, nonetheless, and was made by Charles Anderson in 1996. It must have been a tricky one to do as he states he returned to painting after making this.

Ian Dodds

An Old Bit of Howden Park Centre

Howden Park Centre is Livingston's only proper arts centre. This provides food for thought. Livingston is a newtown and therefore a micromanaged inorganic council affair. It has a population of about 60,000, higher than both Perth and Inverness. Organic settlements have only been micromanaged after things have sprung up naturally, and their ruling councils are probably used to there being lots of things there anyway. In Livingston's defence, at least it has local shops situated at sensible regular distances from people's houses. But it was designed 50 years ago and things have deteriorated since. New suburbia generally arrives with no amenities other than a playground. If sufficiently big - ie huge - they are bestowed with a sterile square, generally located close to the school and surgery, containing a small supermarket chain store, a couple of takeaways, and a hairdressers. Whilst I do see the arguments against people setting up shops in their front rooms, which is how things used to develop, I think the house builders these days are missing a trick. Instead of bunging all their legally required 'affordable homes' in a far-flung corner of the development, just spread them throughout the new scheme, located next to premises earmarked for shops and pubs which would have naturally sprung up before things got so regulated. The centre is essentially an art gallery and a 300 seat auditorium. I had a quick flick through their website and upcoming events include lots of music tribute acts, a Moulin Rouge tribute, some folk music, a couple of plays, and a magician. The site is built around the former stables and coach house of the nearby recently renovated Howden House. On a sombre note, this is the site of the first mainland Scottish deaths in World War Two. In 1940 a bomb hit the coach house, which I'm pretty sure is the central bit of this block, in between the arches, killing a woman and her granddaughter. These were the only deaths in the whole of the war in West Lothian.

Ian Dodds

Howden House and Steadings

Very few people are aware this hidden gem, tucked away at the top of Howden Park, actually exists. It was completed at some unspecified date in the late 1700s - though it was important enough to be marked on Roy's Military Map, surveyed in the 1750s - and was occupied by a succession of wealthy people until the Ministry of Agriculture took it over, along with the grounds, immediately after the Second World War to test farm machinery. It passed to the council (or Livingston Development Corporation as they were then officially called) in the 1960s. It isn't clear how long it was used for but eventually it sat idle and fell into a very sorry state - it is fairly easy to find pictures of this online. A private developer bought it about 10 years ago, and as can be seen, did a very good job. The house is now split into four separate properties. The steadings fooled me, being so in keeping with the house. They were, though, only built at the same time the house was getting refurbished.

Ian Dodds

Factory, Oakbank

JThomas

Car park, industrial estate, Oakbank

JThomas

Platform, Livingston South Railway Station

On the line from Glasgow Central to Edinburgh Waverley via Shotts.

JThomas

Murieston Medical Practice

JThomas

Bus stop on the B7015

JThomas

Bungalows, Maukeshill Court, Livingston

JThomas

Maukeshill Court, Livingston

JThomas

Main Street (National Cycle Route 75), Livingston Village

JThomas

New housing, Livingston

JThomas

Phone mast on Kirkton North Road (B7015), Livingston

JThomas

Business unit off Kirkton North Road (B7015), Livingston

JThomas

Business unit on Fairbairn Road, Livingston

JThomas

An Accidental Path?

While the tramlines shown to the right of here on the large scale map don't any longer seem to represent anything on the ground, bushes and small trees - some of which are showing at the top right of the picture - occupy the land in the middle of the lines for their entire length. The ground they occupy was part of a road a very long time ago, appearing on late 1700s and early 1800s maps, but no longer in use by the time of the first OS map from the 1850s - by then it is just shown as grass in the middle of two walls or fences. The short grass path is presumably completely unrelated to the old road. It may just be a random coincidence, but may also have been formed by sheep and cattle on their way to get round to the other side of the bushes. The land here is part of a very large untended field in the centre of a circular hard path route. There is a sign when entering the field from the North, warning of the dangers of livestock. I usually find these kinds of signs both bossy and unnecessary (unless warning of the presence of a bull of course). But in this case it is justified. There are often cattle in the field; combine this with the large number of people from nearby Murieston, an area of Livingston, that regularly walk their dogs round the path that circles the field - a lot of whom will not have had that much experience of walking in the country - and you have a potential problem. It must be at least a two minute jog from the centre of the field to the nearest section of path.

Ian Dodds