The Great Tapestry of Scotland – Will it Revitalise Galashiels?

Why the Great Tapestry of Scotland is Needed

The Scottish Borders town centres lie at the heart of the local communities and economy. Small businesses provide much needed jobs and services that support the residents. But the way we shop and the way we use those high streets has irrevocably changed.  Shopping has moved from the high street to retail parks and town fringes, plus we’re shopping more online, causing footfall to disappear. Business rates for town centre shops can remain disproportionally high discouraging start-ups and independents.  To rub salt into the wound, the e-commerce retail sector pays hardly any of this tax at all. For example, in 2018, Amazon paid a measly total of £220 million direct taxes last year despite its total UK revenues amounting to a staggering £10.9 billion.

The transition from the old high street model to a new one seems like it’s being going on forever. And if you’re a resident of Galashiels you’d say there’s a long way to go. More and more shops seem to be closing their doors, slightly offset by a few new ones popping up. Encouragingly Covid-19 lock down and the resultant working from home has caused a rise in shopping from local high streets and independents. Let’s not worry too much about Pret in Edinburgh just yet. More importantly, there’s already considerable moves to invigorating Galashiels with the imminent introduction of The Great Tapestry of Scotland Museum.

Unfurling the Vision

The Great Tapestry of Scotland (TGToS) was the brainchild of one of the world renowned author, Alexander McCall Smith, together with historian Alistair Moffat, and artist Andrew Crummy – best known for his designs of numerous murals and tapestries, as well as pencil illustrations. Together, with 1,000 stitchers from all over Scotland, they formed a team to craft the world’s longest tapestry, undertaking one of the biggest Scottish community arts projects ever to take place.

You would imagine TGToS would be met with universal fanfare locally. But that’s not been the case. Many people simply love a good moan and wonder publicly why the funds are not being spent on doing things like repairing the roads. The naysayers do love a wee rant in the local press about pot holes. Fair enough but there seems to be a general blind spot when it comes to understanding that different budgets come from disparate Government departments. People also tend to evaluate things as they are now, not as they are designed to become. Imagination is batted away by the immediacy of Scottish cynicism. For example, the concerned chatter about visitors having to walk from the train station along a sorry looking Channel Street. The assumption (or lack of imagination) being there will be no positive outward effect with new businesses ready to capitalise. Another prevalent uneasiness is about the Museum becoming a white elephant and that people simply won’t bother to visit or travel to Galashiels.

I think these views are misplaced.

Reasons to be Optimistic about The Great Tapestry of Scotland Museum

Firstly, it’s a huge step forward in improving the aesthetic of the town centre. Taking a disused site, converting it, and bringing back to life a beautiful old existing building is to be welcomed. As for those expected 50,000 visitors per year, they’re not all going to be travelling from afar. People already come to the Scottish Borders for many other attractions. For example, a Borders itinerary could include The Abbeys in Melrose, Jedburgh, Dryburgh; the Mary Queen of Scots Visitor Centre; The Borders Book Festival; the Melrose Sevens; Abbotsford House; Jim Clark MotorSport Museum; Borders Textile Towerhouse; Tempest Brewery Tour; or even sports events such as Tweedlove and Scotland Rugby Under 20s matches etc.  It’s not only about people coming to Galashiels just for the Tapestry alone. The Museum is part of a suite of overall attractions. When you add together the collective of places you can visit, there’s plenty on offer. And for the people arriving by train, the opportunity exists for new businesses and services to open up revitalising the Channel Street corridor.

Looking at Success Stories Elsewhere

1. Falkirk

Falkirk provides an interesting case study. Tourism there has primarily been influenced by The Falkirk Wheel – the world’s only rotating boat lift; and the iconic award-winning Kelpies – the world’s largest equine sculptures. In 2016, the area attracted over 930,000 visitors and tourism was worth £110.2m to the local economy, employing almost 2,000 people. Between 2009 and 2016, Falkirk saw an increase in visitor numbers of 50.2% and the economic impact of tourism had risen in this period by 51.6%. It’s also not beyond the imagination that people considering visiting Stirling, now add Falkirk into the itinerary mix – the analogy with TGToS being the collective of attractions nearby.

2. The V&A Dundee

Then there’s the huge success of the V&A in Dundee attracting 500,000 visitors in the first six months, double the original estimate. This demonstrates how well the strategy of introducing appealing cultural attractions to town centres works.

3. The Borders Railway

Within the Borders let’s not forget the smashed predictions for The Borders Railway. Passenger numbers were 22% higher than forecast in its first six months – and it’s got busier ever since. The Borders Railway has affected peoples’ residential and workplace choices with: 1) over 50% of users who had moved house and 2) over 80% of those who moved employment since the line reopened – stating that the railway was a factor in their decision. Similarly, more than 65% of tourist users stated that the re-opening of the railway was a factor in their decision to make their trip and 23% stated that they wouldn’t have made their trip were it not for the rail line.

Basically, predictions can tend to fall on the cautious side. No superforecasters to be found when you need them. There’s plenty to be optimistic about in the short term but plenty more to be done. The GToS Museum will be a key cog in the regeneration of Galashiels town centre. No one is saying the experience is going to be akin to the Bayeux Tapestry. But it will also enable smaller exhibitions to come to the Heart of the Borders. Only a few years ago, you could admire an Andy Warhol painting as part of an exhibition at Old Gala House. It’s more than possible that V&A exhibition ‘samples’ can also be seconded to the new museum.

So how can this be built upon further from both the private and public sector? What would success look like for the mid to long term for town centres?  Drawing on some of the recommendations on the ‘future of the high street’ by commercial finance experts, ABC Finance, here are some ideas for further thought:

Recommendations:

1. Better Food and Drink Choices

ABC Finance recommends that high streets should have a diverse range of restaurants, food markets and upmarket bars to give people a place to relax in the evening. Galashiels isn’t short of a value takeaway or two. But what has sorely been missing is a decent standard of eateries and cafe culture, especially since Turnbulls sadly shut its doors a few years ago.

The lack of riverside facing establishments is perplexing. It’s incredible that the Gala Water is virtually obscured from sight as it pours its way right through the middle of the town. So how about creating a vibrant venue where people can enjoy a seat or vista by the riverside?

2. Experience-focus 

Customers like to focus on experiences rather than things. Wouldn’t it be great to see some of the quality textile brands of the Scottish Borders ‘showrooming’ some of their products? This could be done as part of a collective where the attraction of multiple brands featuring would remove the risk from going it alone.

While we’re on theme of experience, did you know there was a Museum of International Rugby due to open in Edinburgh in Raeburn Place? Also, a Museum specifically for Scottish Rugby, originally intended for Murrayfield, has been kicked into the long grass.  With that in mind I’d like to propose this gets diverted to the Borders, the heartland of Scottish Rugby. The SRU could use this to rekindle the flames and renew a grassroots approach to developing talent in the area. If that wasn’t palatable enough it could even be broadened out to being The Southern Scotland Sport Museum. Perhaps I’m getting greedy but this could be an incredible attraction with a wealth of stories to be told.

3. Pop-up Social Spaces

Let’s showcase the next generation of creative talent from the School of Textiles and Design. How about providing a vital, up-beat space for Pop Up Shops for the University students to display and sell their wares?

4. More Activities

As mentioned, customers are interested in experiences as well as things. Indoor activities for the kids to do would be a welcome addition to Channel Street. Escape rooms are increasingly popular and could easily be housed in some of the disused shops such as the old Home Bargains.

Conclusion

I mentioned earlier it would be a combination of the public and private sector. Arguably the greatest stimulus to town centre regeneration could be kick started by the Government initially paying for new small businesses to fill the disused spaces. This could cause a snowball effect creating a vibrancy and cultural centre of which any resident would be proud. While that might be a forlorn wish, it’s not beyond the imagination that the Great Tapestry of Scotland is a significant step. But the regeneration drive must not lose momentum and ambition. And to keep everyone happy can someone please sort the roads?

See previous blog post: Making Progress to Finding your Mojo at Work