Penicuik Town Hall Open House ..Exhibition and workshop

19th March 2022

The Penicuik Community Development trust (PCDT) in partnership with the Penicuik Heritage Regeneration Project (PHRP) held an open house event in the Penicuik Town Hall on Saturday 19th March 2022.

The PCDT provided refreshments and put on an exhibition about James Niven who was Penicuik’s extraordinary gardener and plant hunter who went off to Southern Africa in search of plants. He and his brother John also helped to finance much of the redevelopment of Penicuik town centre . John started a trading business in Penicuik while his younger brother James trained at Edinburgh Botanical gardens . By 1796 they owned 9 buildings in central Penicuik.The morning event also included a workshop run by the PHRP’s artist in residence , Fiona Maher . Visitors were invited to draw self portraits on glass. These were then transferred to paper and Fiona will be putting them together in an art work that will illustrate some of the people in trades in the paper making industry. The event attracted about 45 visitors during the course of the morning.