The family of a man who changed the landscape of Springburn has given priceless heirlooms back to Glasgow.

Joan Reid, the granddaughter of Sir Hugh Reid, chairman of the North British Locomotive Company, handed over a treasure trove that had been sealed in a safety deposit box in a Glasgow lawyer’s office since the 1930s.

As well as priceless silver and gold items, it included correspondence from King George V in 1915 on the death of Reid’s son during the First World War.

Ms Reid, 90, travelled from Galway to Glasgow to see the work of the Springburn Winter Gardens Trust.

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While in the city she was welcomed to the City Chambers for a civic reception with Leader Frank McAveety where the perfectly preserved artefacts were formally handed over to the safekeeping of the Trust.

They included priceless silver and gold caskets gifted by the Glasgow Corporation to Sir Hugh containing his 1917 Freedom of the City scroll.

Other items include a series of medals, his baronetcy and correspondence from King George V in 1915 on the death of his eldest son at the Battle of Loos.

Mr McAveety said: “Springburn Winter Gardens have great historical significance and are held in deep affection by the local community.

“I have many, many fond memories of the gardens from growing up in the area and it was a pleasure to meet with Joan Reid as she handed those incredibly poignant family artefacts back to the city.

“I’m delighted the trust is working to restore the gardens to their former glory and to find a long term, sustainable use for them.

“I wish the trust every success in their efforts. I look forward to working with them as the project develops.”

Sir Hugh Reid was chairman of the North British Locomotive Company, the largest builder of steam locomotives in the world and the dominant employer in Springburn throughout the early 20th century. From its grand headquarters in Springburn, latterly the campus of North Glasgow College, more than 18,000 of its locomotives were shipped to the far-flung corners of the British Empire.

Many of the locomotives, with their distinctive diamond-shaped work plates, are still in use in South Africa and India.

At the height of its success, the company employed 8000 workers and in 1922, in honour of his services to the city, Hugh Reid was created the first Baronet Reid of Springburn and Kilmaurs.

The Reid family lived at Belmont House in Springburn, where Joan was born in 1926.

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They funded the construction of Springburn Park in 1892, the Springburn Winter Gardens in 1900 and the Springburn Public Halls in 1902.

A statue of Sir Hugh’s father, James Reid, was erected by public subscription in 1903 and still stands in Springburn Park.

Ms Reid contacted the Trust earlier in the year to express her desire to return the items to Glasgow and the Springburn Winter Gardens Trust have agreed to collaborate with Glasgow Life to ensure that they will be conserved for future generations.

Springburn Winter Gardens in Springburn Park served as a space for leisure and recreation for the people of Springburn and surrounding areas for 83 years.

It is the largest single span glasshouse in Scotland and was closed to the public in September 1983 due to the costs of repairing structural problems.

The building received Category A Listed status in 1985 and has since become derelict.

The Springburn Winter Gardens Trust was formed in 2014 to lead efforts to restore the structure for the community of Springburn and Glasgow.