The Ballater Geddes Project 2004 will this week propose to put Ballater and Royal Deeside in the picture on the Internet and in the Old Royal Station, Ballater. Following the example of Patrick Geddes with the Outlook Tower/Camera Obscura in Edinburgh (which Patrick Geddes used to educate about the locality and wider world) the Geddes Group would like to create a similar facility using modern technology at Ballater.
The Group aims to site two cameras on the mast on Craig Coillich. One camera would send out views on the Internet and another would relay live video down to the Old Royal Station for projection to allow local people and visitors to view the hills and mountains. The Geddes Project is in discussion with educators as to how to make the images available to schools and Universities for educational use. In addition Ballater and the surrounding area should benefit from the images boosting tourism. Importantly the group see the facility as being useful to those who can't get into the hills and mountains because they are disabled or for other reasons.
Many organisations are to be invited to provide supporting materials to explain the views the group proposes to show.
For those interested the Outline Proposal document will be available on the Internet at www.royal-deeside.org.uk/geddescam.htm, in Ballater Library and at the BRD Office in Golf Road. 
For further information contact Mindy Grewar at Aberdeenshire Council on Tel. 0845 6067000, 
E-mail: mindy.grewar@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

The March meeting of the Grampian Chapter of the Royal Town Planning Institute was specially held in Ballater. 
The occasion was to honour the life of Sir Patrick Geddes (1854 - 1932) born in Ballater and to forge links with the Ballater Geddes 2004 Project. Patrick Geddes is known as the "Father of Town Planning".
The meeting was treated to a very fine lecture, entitled "People, Place and Planning", by past president of RTPI, Kevin Murray of EDAW Planning in Glasgow, on the relevance of the Geddes body of work to the present day.
100 and more years ago Sir Patrick believed in the importance of sustainability, of ecology as we now know it, of consultation and public involvement in planning and of relating building to human requirements, scale and happiness. Kevin Murray said that planners, and the general population, are relearning the principles of Geddes that had been "forgotten". Geddes is regularly referred to in planning textbooks.
Ballater Geddes Project members organised the venue, spoke after the Geddes lecture outlining the aims of the Project and thanked the RTPI for honouring Sir Patrick by their visit. A question and answer session on the Geddes legacy followed the lecture with those in the know about Geddes contributing interesting information and viewpoints on his life and achievement.
The Ballater Geddes Project welcomes and encourages contributions from anyone who has met, has materials about, or an interest in, Patrick Geddes - please contact Mindy Grewar at Aberdeenshire Council, Leisure and Recreation on UK 01569 768353 Int. 00 44 1569 768353 or by e-mail at mindy.grewar@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

Pictured above (L to R) are Sir Robert Smith, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, Gordon Wilson, Project Manager of Aberdeenshire Housing Partnership, Sheila Potter, Ballater Geddes Project 2004 and Ballater Community Council and Councillor Alistair Leitch, Chairman Aberdeenshire Housing Partnership plus (bottom row) local children.
A popular low cost housing scheme in Ballater promoted by Aberdeenshire Housing Partnership has been named Sir Patrick Geddes Way in honour of a famous son of the village.
The name, suggested by The Ballater Geddes 2004 Project, is part of the Project plan to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Sir Patrick's birth in Ballater in 1854. Sir Patrick is known as "The Father of Town Planning" and his concern to provide housing to suit all is reflected in the scheme that the Housing Partnership has developed.

Ballater Town Planning Lecture

As Sir Patrick Geddes is often referred to as "the Father of Town Planning" the Grampian Chapter of the Royal Town Planning Institute is keen to show its support for the Ballater Geddes 2004 Project by giving a lecture on Geddes and planning. The Lecture entitled "People, Places and Planning" will include a presentation from North East native Kevin Murray, President of the RTPI, who will explore the links between the principles of Geddes and how they play a part in planning today such as regeneration, sustainability and working with communities. An overview of the Ballater Project will be given by a member of the Geddes Project committee.
Lecture Venue: The Monaltrie Hotel, Ballater  Time: 7.30 pm  Date: Thursday 15 March 2001. All welcome.

The Ballater Geddes 2004 Project is working to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Ballater's most famous son - Sir Patrick Geddes.
The Project's next step will be to organise a Summer Exhibition based around Ballater Victoria Week 2000 (4 - 13 August).
The Project are very grateful to funders who have helped to make Geddes events possible. The Exhibition will take place 3 - 31 August in the Monaltrie Hotel, Ballater and will have a launch with keynote speakers. The exhibition will explain Geddes's life and achievements to present day Ballater residents and visitors alike and will feature displays and literature on both Geddes and the work of the Project.
The next meeting of the Steering Group will be on 30 May 2000 and anyone who would like to contribute to the Project should contact Mindy Grewar on 01569 768353, or e-mail the Geddes Project at mgrewar.lr@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
Further information about the life and work of Sir Patrick Geddes is available at Ballater Library and at the Royal Deeside Web Site at www.royal-deeside.org.uk/geddes.htm.

The Ballater Geddes 2004 Project, to commemorate the birth of Ballater born Sir Patrick Geddes, has found that interest in the Project was not confined to growing attention within Scotland. Information had been received from descendants and Geddes enthusiasts as far afield as New Zealand and the U.S.  Using the Internet from the Geddes web pages at www.royal-deeside.org.uk/geddes.htm and others at Edinburgh University those overseas had easily made contact and sent documents relating to Sir Patrick. 
A proposal to have a street of new housing named after Sir Patrick Geddes, has been successful. The housing, to be built in the eastern area of Ballater, will include the name but will also, hopefully, be enhanced by appropriate signs or descriptive works about Geddes. At time of writing site clearance work has started.
The Project has also discussed progress towards an exhibition (hopefully during Victoria Week) and other Geddes Project activities for adults and children. Subsequently, members of the steering group, have been variously:

• Seeking contributors to/speakers for Geddes events.
• Seeking sources of funding for future activities.
• Trying to identify Sir Patrick's exact birthplace in or around Ballater.
• Tracing the family relationship to modern day residents of Ballater.
• Making arrangements to compile a list of Geddes related events including Ballater's proposed commemoration. 
• Identifying educational and artistic inputs and materials.

The January meeting of the Ballater Geddes 2004 Project, to commemorate the birth of Ballater born Sir Patrick Geddes, heard that interest in the Project was not confined to growing attention within Scotland. Information had been received from descendants and Geddes enthusiasts as far afield as New Zealand and the U.S.  Using the Internet from the Geddes web pages at www.royal-deeside.org.uk/geddes.htm and others at Edinburgh University those overseas had easily made contact and sent documents relating to Sir Patrick.
The meeting also discussed progress towards an exhibition and other Geddes Project activities for adults and children.
The next meeting of the Steering Group will be on Mon 20th March 2000 and anyone who would like to contribute to the Project should contact Mindy Grewar on 01569 768353, or e-mail the Geddes Project at mgrewar.lr@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.

Hands up who has heard of Sir Patrick Geddes? The Ballater Geddes Project seeks to commemorate the life and work of Ballater's most famous son on the 150th anniversary of his birth in 2004. Patrick (baptised Peter) Geddes was born on 2nd Oct 1854 in Ballater, Scotland.
He went on to become "Biologist, Town Planner, Re-educator, Peace-warrior" * and to achieve influence and fame throughout the world for his multidisciplinary, internationalist and holistic approach to People and Place. What he advocated more than 100 years ago as an environmentalist is now increasingly being appreciated and put into practice.
In his time Geddes met and communicated with Ghandi, Charles Rennie MacKintosh and travelled extensively working and planning in India, Jerusalem, Mexico and the USA and of course Scotland.
The commemoration in 2004 will be preceded by a number of exhibitions and awareness raising events.
It is hoped that permanent outcomes will be achieved in the form of educational resources for both children and adults, artistic representation and permanent memorials, exhibitions and increased awareness of Geddes' work, influence and ideas.

Draft Programme
Although it is early days on a Project with this timescale the Steering Group are already in discussion on organising explanatory literature and an exhibition in Ballater for Spring/Summer 2000 loaned from the Outlook Tower in Edinburgh and from artists who appreciate Geddes' work. These activities are to help raise awareness locally and further afield about Geddes' work, and events, still to be planned, leading up to the Commemoration in 2004.
Possible additional events include a Scottish Natural Heritage Activity Day at Burn 'O Vat including Geddes material and investigation of the possibility of naming a street in new housing approved for Ballater in honour of Sir Patrick Geddes.

The Ballater Geddes Project welcomes and encourages contributions from anyone who has met, has knowledge and materials about, or an interest in, Patrick Geddes - please contact us.

Reading available from Ballater Library

* "The Worlds of Patrick Geddes, Biologist, Town Planner, Re-educator, Peace-warrior" by Philip Boardman, 1978.

"A Most Unsettling Person" Paddy Kitchen, 1975

Further Reading and Contact Information

Further information and a longer reading list is available at the Royal Deeside Web Site at:
www.royal-deeside.org.uk/geddes.htm, e-mail the Geddes Project at: info@royal-deeside.org.uk.

A Project Steering Group has been formed from representatives of: Geddes relations, Ballater School, Ballater Environmental Education Centre, Aberdeenshire Council, Scottish Natural Heritage, The Arts - in the local area and from Edinburgh, Ballater Business Association, Ballater Royal Deeside, Royal Deeside Internet.