Joy Parker

Map of Gala

       Braw, braw lads of Galla Water;
           O braw lads of Galla Water:
      I'll kilt my coats aboon my knee,
           And follow my love thro' the water.

This is a mosaic map and because it is a mosaic map, made up of lines of tesserae, I was inspired to show the lines of the river, the roads and the railway line amongst the swirling contours of the hills around.  I want the viewers to feel the wind in their faces as a tawny owl hoot by and to simultaneously wrap themselves up in the comfort of their heritage. The main product that was once made on these premises, the former Langhaugh Mill, was the Royal Stewart Tartan Scarf. And on that scarf, are the words "and follow my love thro' the water"; which comes from Gala's bestloved ballad.

A place is always connected to other places. The train now comes into Galashiels
from Edinburgh. The A7 leads you south to Hawick and beyond. The deer makes a
leap over the road leading to Lauder. But at the heart of a town are its buildings. Depicted in this map are the spooky 16th century remains of Buckholm Tower, the new star-shaped building that houses the Tapestry of Scotland, and the beautiful and moving war memorial which remembers those fallen in the two world wars. On the other side of the river there is Abbotsford Mill chimney, the last remaining mill chimney in Galashiels. Next to this is a burst of colour inspired by the work of textile artist Bernat Klein, to represent Heriot Watt School of Textiles and Design, formerly the mill that Klein worked from. In the farright lower corner of the mosaic is the A status Netherdale Sports Complex designed by the prestigious modernist architect Peter Wormersley about 60 years ago. The map remembers the past and looks to the future too.

And of course, this map would not be complete without Soor Plums, Gala’s Coat of
Arms.