The Bakehouse is a double-fronted Georgian house in Gatehouse of Fleet, a conservation town in the Fleet Valley, S W Scotland. The town did not exist before 1760. The Gatehouse - the Toll House for the river crossing – was the only building but by 1793 it was a thriving Mill Town with 160 houses and 1150 inhabitants. At this time The Bakehouse was built on the High Street as a bakery, shop and home. About a hundred years later in the 1870s a big bakery and oven was built on the back. The building continued to be used as the town bakery until the 1970s. The oven front, which was installed by James Cruikshank Ltd., oven builders of Edinburgh, is still there as is the original eighteenth century fireplace in the lobby.
Chrys Salt and Richard Macfarlane bought the Bakehouse at 42/44 High Street, Gatehouse of Fleet in 2001 since when they have developed the old shop into a Studio for exhibitions, workshops, poetry readings and book launches. They are in the process of upgrading the nineteenth century Bakehouse itself into performance space for larger events including small scale theatre. The Bakehouse Studio seats 35 and the Bakehouse itself will seat 50.
The Bakehouse has become a thriving resource for the town and its environs tapping into local talent and importing talent from further afield. It offers high quality visual art and entertainment for locals and visitors on a regular basis.
Past Bakehouse Events Forthcoming Events
2005
LAUNCH OF THE BAKEHOUSE
Saturday March 5th
Tom Pow and Diana Hendry launch Sparks
with readings by Hamish Whyte
May 28th
John Harrison- former Artistic Director of the West Yorkshire Playhouse
Launch of his Autobiography Not Quite Famous
June 18th
Dr Gavin Bowd
Launch of his Translation of The Possibility of an Island
by Michel Houellebecq
July 2nd
Josie Neill reads her poetry
August 13th
Launch of 60/60 anthology Pub: Survivor’s Press
(to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki)
August 27th
Alan Franks reads his poetry and launches his CD Arms of The Enemy
October 8
John Calder Samuel Beckett’s friend and publisher reads his work and talks about his friend.
October 29th
Launch of Markings 21
The bi-annual literary magazine based at The Bakehouse
Editors John Hudson, Elspeth Brown and Chrys Salt
December 3rd
Guest poets Elspeth Brown and Bill Hogan read their poetry.
December 10th
Dropping Names a one man play by novelist and playwright David Benedictus
Base on his autobiography. Directed by Chrys Salt
2006
Saturday January 28th
Douglas Lipton reads his poetry.
Saturday February 25th
Shetland poet Donald S Murray reads his poetry.
Saturday March 25th
Guest poet Stewart Conn,
Edinburgh’s Fist Poet Laureate reads his poetry.
Saturday April 22nd
Launch of Markings 22
Guest poets Diana Hendry and Hamish Whyte read their poetry with readings from Markings contributors. Editors John Hudson, Elspeth Brown and Chrys Salt
Saturday May 20th @ 7.00pm
The Bakehouse at The Galloway Garden Festival. A gala evening of events, poetry, music and French cuisine in aid of The Galloway Garden Festival. Lochinch Castle.
Saturday June 10th @ 7.30
Guest poet Tom Pow reads his work.
Tom has won four Scottish Arts Council Book Awards (three for poetry, one for children’s writing) and twice been short-listed for Scottish Book of the Year.
Saturday July 8th @ 7.30
Poetry and drama about conflict. Exiled Palestinian poet Ghazi Hussein reads his poetry followed by ‘The Retreating World’, a short play by Naomi Wallace performed by Daud Shah. Director Chrys Salt
Saturday July 29th @ 7.30
Poet and musician Alan Franks, Winner of The Petra Kenny Prize and The Scottish National Poetry Competition returns to The Bakehouse by popular request.
Friday August 4th– 6th.
The Gatehouse Gala.
The Best of Gatehouse -An exhibition of local art and craft
Saturday August 26th @7.30
An audience with Kenneth White, the internationally renowned Scottish poet, prose writer, essayist following his appearance at The International Book Festival.
Saturday October 6th The Bakehouse @ The Whitehouse Gallery
Solway Poets John Hudson and Chrys Salt read their work at the Whitehouse Gallery, Kirkcudbright as part of Gaelforce.
Saturday October 28th @ 7.30
Internationally renowned poet and playwright Bernard Kops reads at the Bakehouse to celebrate his 80th Birthday and the Launch of Markings 23 in which he features.
Editors John Hudson, Elspeth Brown and Chrys Salt
Monday October 30th/31st
Bernard Kops runs playwrighting workshops for writers.
Saturday December 2nd @ 7.30
Poet and Musician Don Paterson – recipient of the T S Eliot and Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prizes reads his poetry and plays jazz guitar.
2007
January 27th
Gerry Cambridge plays the harmonica reads his work.
Diane Stafford plays the harp.
February 24th
Exchange of Words.
A bi-annual all day event when writers’ groups from across the region meet to share their work.
March 3rd
It’s My Party...
A one woman show written by Chris Ballance (former Green MSP for Southern Scotland)
March 24th
Dilys Rose reads her work.
March 28th
Launch of Markings 24
Alan Franks reads his work and sings (featured poet in Markings 24)
May 26th
An evening with Prunella Scales. Sponsored by BDS.
June 2nd
Launch of Tom Pow’s dramatic poem ‘Transfusions’
Hugh McMillan reads his poetry
June 9th
The Bakehouse ‘out and about’ at Bladnoch Distillery.
June 17th
London Launch of Markings 24
The Tristan Bates Theatre., London
Editors John Hudson, Elspeth Brown and Chrys Salt
June 30th
Shetland poet Christine DeLuca reads her work.
August 24th- 27th
THEWORD07: PEACE
With Adrian Mitchell, Michael Horovitz, Bernard Kops, Pete Brown, Cheryl Campbell, Mujdeh Youssef, Ghazi Hussein and The Solway poets
September 30th
Buffet ‘n’ Banter
Poets and artists from Ireland and France.
From Ireland Terry MacDonough and Ger Reidy
From France Patrick le Tuault and Yan Samson
October 27th
Launch of Markings 25
Featuring Rab Wilson
Editors John Hudson, Elspeth Brown and Chrys Salt
November 24th
The poetry of Leo Aylen
2008
January 26th
Burns Night Event
Scots poet and singer Tony Bonning
March 1st
The poetry of Kenneth C Steven
March 23rd
Launch of the Pumpkin Lantern
Selected poets by John Hudson
March 29th
Exchange of Words
A bi-annual all day event when writers’ groups from across the region meet to share their work.
May 10th
Launch of Markings 26
Featuring J B Pick and Elspeth Brown, retiring Editor of Markings
Editors John Hudson and Chrys Salt
May 24th.
Laughing in the Dark written and performed by Graeme Messer. Director Chrys Salt
A play about a ventriloquist in the holocaust.
June 11th and 12th
The Bakehouse brings Shakespeare’s Globe to Galloway (Crichton Campus) Three performances of Romeo and Juliet.
June 28th
Tom Leonard reads his poetry.
July 1st/2nd/3rd
An exhibition of Hugh Bryden’s artwork in the Bakehouse Gallery.
July 2nd
The poetry of Libby Houston and Hugh Bryden
August 23rd
Launch of Greedy for Mulberries
Selected poets by Chrys Salt
September 27th
Katrina Porteous reads her poetry.
November 8th
Launch of Markings 27
Featuring the poetry of Hugh McMillan and celebration the 70th Birthday of Tessa Ransford, founder of the Scottish Poetry Library
Editors John Hudson and Chrys Salt
December 6th:
Gerry Cambridge – poetry and music
Poet, photographer, musician, editor and critic
Tickets £8.00 (£7.00 concs) includes a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie
January 24th:
Alan Riach
Celebrate Burns Night with one of Scotland’s liveliest poets and scholars.
February 21st
WN Herbert
From enfant terrible to literary statesman? Find out where former Dumfries and Galloway Writer in Residence is today.
April 25th
Vicki Feever
Established as a leading voice on Scotland’s literary scene, Vicki Fever returns to Galloway
May 23rd:
Launch of Markings 28
The next outing for one of Scotland’s foremost literary mags. An evening featuring a host of talent. Editors John Hudson and Chrys Salt
Performances start 7.30pm
Tickets normally £7.50 (£6.00 concs) 01557 814175 bookings@thebakehouse.info
The Bakehouse also recommends:
The exciting programme of theatre and music at the Swallow Theatre near Whithorn.
Sam Smith: Original Plus Books and The Journal
Website by Alistair Pope IT.
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