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It was another somewhat chilly day, with a cold easterly wind blowing. The forecast is for much colder weather later this week and snow by the weekend. As it is winter, what else do you expect? Listening to some of the moans about the weather, one would be forgiven if it appears that cold weather is extreme. It is interesting that the older generation does not seem to be complaining as much as the younger generation. My response is simply to put on some decent winter clothing and not what many young people consider to be fashionable instead. I must be getting old, but at least I can go out in the cold and not freeze, unlike some younger people I know!

Mondays are often just full of routine, especially after the weekend as it is time to get the new week going. So there is not that much to say, so for a change, a very short post!

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The tower of Renfrew Town Hall with fireworks above.

© John G. Fender 2012

Late this afternoon, just as it was getting dark, the peace was shattered by the sound of fireworks. What had been billed as a "spectacular" display started at 4.30 pm as planned and marked the official opening of the refurbished Renfrew Town Hall.

The current Renfrew Town Hall was designed by James Lamb of Paisley and has a mixture of Gothic and French styles, with a tower that is 105 feet high, complete with corbelled turrets at each corner, which is a feature found in a few other town hall towers around the country. Renfrew Town Hall was originally opened in 1872, the opening being marked by a procession and grand opening ceremony.

However, in 1877, much of Renfrew Town Hall was destroyed by fire, necessitating rebuilding. This was undertaken by the lCerk of Works of the nearby Blyswood Estate, Loudon McQueen. He restored the Gothic style hall and offices, created a balustraded flat roof and increased the height of the tower so that it dominated the town. As a finishing touch a new clock was added.

The Town Hall has been undergoing refurbishment at a cost of around £5 million or £3.2 million, depending on which newspaper you read, with contributions from Renfrewshire Council, Renfrew Common Good Fund, Historic Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Whatever it cost, the refurbished Town Hall now houses the new Renfrew Community Museum and this afternoon saw a range of events in the town to mark the opening. There was a parade, perfomances by the Renfrew Burgh Band, the Clyde 1 Roadshow was also present. The official opening was to take place at 4.30pm and would be marked by the firework display.

The best place to see that was from a distance, so I watched it from one of my windows as I can see the Town Hall spire from where I stay on the other side of the river. Another advantage was that it was a darn sight warmer being indoors than outside! And was it spectacular...well not really. Five minutes of assorted rockets going up one after another and that was about it.

First it began raining. Then the rain turned to sleet. By the time I was driving home, it was a full blizzard, with snow swirling everywhere and building up on the road at an impressive rate. This was due more to the fact that traffic was virtually stationary, giving the snow a chance to build up. By the time I got home it had eased off and the accumulated snow was already starting to melt away, leaving everything covered in a layer of congealed water. However, as the temperatures dropped this started freezing and no doubt tomorrow morning will be a bit slippery underfoot.