The new Gourock Municipal Buildings multi-occupancy centre which boasts Weir & McClafferty Dental Care and the well appointed Heritage Centre is a great asset to the newly developed town centre and will, no doubt, see heavy use in the coming summer. Looking through the Telegraph picture archive, another building stands out at the heart of the Gourock community and is one that will be known to many. The Gamble Halls centre is a great all-round facility in Inverclyde and has been a popular wedding venue and centre of countless activities and celebrations over the years. The Telegraph has featured a great many pictures taken at Gamble Halls and what follows are five of my favourite shots.

Pic1:

Venues like Gourock's Gamble Halls were invaluable to parents looking for something to keep their kids busy and creative over the holidays. This picture, taken in the summer of 1996, shows kids taking part in a Summer Dance School which proved popular with children of varying ages.

Pic2:

Visiting shows, theatre groups and workshops were always a source of fun and entertainment for youngsters, as this shot from 1995 shows. A hands-on workshop put on by Perfect Chaos Puppet Co provided fun and creativity for these kids who posed up for the camera with some of the giant puppets used in the show.

Pic3:

The Gamble Halls provided the perfect venue for the many musical events which took place in Gourock. Inverclyde schools have a rich musical heritage which is as vibrant today as it was years ago. Out of school, during summer holidays, young people got the opportunity to work with musicians who helped take them to another level in their chosen instrument. This image from 1997 shows young people gathered on the Gamble Halls stairway during a Summer Jazz School session.

Pic4:

If music wasn't your thing, then theatre provided creative possibilities to stimulate young minds. This picture shows a group of kids taking part in a Summer Children's Theatre activity, where they put their new-found talents to setting up a show based on an environmental theme.

Pic5:

Another music school, this time providing summer tuition to budding pipers who attended the event at The Gamble Halls. The Summer Piping School proved very popular, so much so that it was difficult to pull kids away for this picture set up outside the building.

The Gamble Halls still plays a major part in Gourock life and the building continues to thrive as a multi-use facility. As Gourock builds on its continuing success as a 'go-to' town, the centre fits in well with the plan and is complemented by the soon to open George Wyllie garden and newly developed Kempock Street area. I am sure it won't be long until the next time the Telegraph visits the halls, as the Inverclyde summer with it's all too unpredictable weather, approaches.