South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture

 

Matt McGinn wasn’t actually born in Rutherglen. He was born just ‘down the road’ in the Calton and was one of a family of nine. However, him, his wife Jeanette and their four children, Anna, Matt, Eleanor and Shonagh lived in Rutherglen.

Jimmie MacGregor described him as ‘the archetypal Glaswegian of his class and generation: short, stocky, robust with a ruddy complexion and rough-hewn features surmounted by a tartan bunnet.”    

He was a genius sometimes writing several songs in one day. Also, his subjects varied from Wee Kirkcudbright Centipedes to Red Yo-Yo’, from Miners Lullabies to Rolling Hills of the Border, from Horse Manure to Bananas. If he got a subject in his mind he had to write a song about it.

Initially he worked in the shipyards and eventually became a shop-steward. He was very political which often caused problems for him. At the age of 31 he won a Trade Union Scholarship to Ruskin College in Oxford. He gained a diploma in Economics and Political Science and then on to Huddersfield Teacher Training College.

When there he entered a newspaper song writing competition and won. His song was about a factory worker who drowned his foreman by holding his head down a toilet. One of the judges was Peggy Seeger and this is where the McGinn/Seeger relationship began. Cutting it short, Peggy’s brother Pete was so taken by Matts work that he got him a concert in New York’s Carnegie Hall with Bob Dylan as one of the support acts.

Having returned to Glasgow after College as a teacher but soon became known as ‘this new songwriting phenomenon’, and he was.

This show in Rutherglen will be presented by several singers singing at least 24 of Matts songs and you will probably recognise them all!

Available to book online or by calling Rutherglen Town Hall on 0141 613 5700.

Cost: £15 / £12 (subject to £1.50 transaction fee)

 

Our hugely popular, long running Tea Dances return on Thursdays on the following dates;

• 15 January
• 19 February
• 19 March
• 16 April
• 21 May
• 25 June

Time: 1.30pm to 3.30pm

Tickets: £2.50

John Findlay provides the live music for our series of Tea Dances with a mixture of sequence and ballroom to suit all tastes.

Tea and biscuits provided.

Book early to avoid disappointment! Call Rutherglen Town Hall on 0141 613 5700.

Cost: £2.50

 

Join us for a night of laughter as part of the Rutherglen 900 celebrations!

After five weeks of laughter, learning and storytelling, it’s time for the grand finale!

Join us for a hilarious evening as local Rugolonian take to the stage to share their funniest stories, memories, and myths about life in the Royal Burgh—celebrating 900 years of Rutherglen with wit and warmth.

Hosted by the brilliant Scott Agnew—former Scottish Comedian of the Year and two-time Sir Billy Connolly Award nominee—this showcase is the culmination of a comedy storytelling course that’s helped everyday folk find their funny and polish their punchlines.

Expect tales of growing up, working, partying, and family legends passed down through generations—all told with heart and humour in a relaxed, supportive setting.

Ages 16+ 

Available to book online or by calling Rutherglen Town Hall on 0141 613 5700.

Cost: £10.00 (subject to £1.50 transaction fee)

 

Scott Agnew presents Tales of The Rutherglen Reformer.

Nearly thirty years ago, rosy cheeked teenager Scott Agnew crossed the threshold at 89 Main Street, Rutherglen into the esteemed offices of the revered and feared Rutherglen Reformer.

What he saw there, what he lived through, made him a man, made him a journalist; made him have a breakdown and made him embark on a career in comedy.

A Mighty Mouse of a local newspaper serving the people of Rutherglen since 1875 it tackled the big, the small and the petty issues the Royal Burgh faced down the decades. Scott was fiercely proud of the paper and it and his journalism and has regaled stories of his time there in comedy clubs around the world, from Kilmarnock to Kuala Lumpur.

Join multi award winning comedian Scott Agnew as he reveals the shenanigans and shaggy dog stories behind the headlines at The Rutherglen Reformer as a special one off celebrating 900 years of Rutherglen, the Royal Burgh.

Scott has written and performed his own BBC Radio 4 series 'Dead Man Talking' as well as being a regular on BBC Radio Scotland's Breaking The News. He's a former Scottish Comedian of the Year, winner of Best Show in Scottish Comedy Awards and a two-time nominee for the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow award.

Available to book online or by calling Rutherglen Town Hall on 0141 613 5700.

Cost: £20.00 / £18.00 concession (subject to £1.50 transaction fee)

 

Feel the raw power, the intensity and the energy, all the ingredients you'd expect from a Springsteen concert, this is what you get when The Springsteen Sessions roll up their sleeves and stand before you on stage, a show that even the Jersey Devil himself would be proud of. 

One thing to bear in mind when coming to one of our shows is... to bring your best singing voice with ya... 

Available to book online or by calling Rutherglen Town Hall on 0141 613 5700.

Cost: £20.00 (subject to £1.50 transaction fee)