All of our Heroes

World famous Helensburgh resident, Jimmy Logan OBE was born James Short in Dennistoun, Glasgow, on the 4th April 1928. Raised almost in the proverbial backstage trunk, the boy Jimmy was one of five children. Logan was part of a family of entertainers beginning with his parents who were the music hall act Short and Dalziel, whilst his Aunt ,from whom he took his stage surname, was Ella Logan, star of Broadway musicals.

Ronald Watterston Duncan Low, was born on the 21st April 1927 in Dundee Scotland.

He lived in Dundee with his parents going to Dundee High School, graduating from school in 1943 and then going to St Andrews University to study medicine. He would eventually grew up to become an Air Force Squadron Leader and hospital surgeon, but it was as a fresh faced 8 year old that he was to make his name and take his place in Scotland’s literary history.

David was born in Helensburgh on the 9th May 1904. In his twenties he managed a rubber plantation in Malaya, but went to America in 1929, and became interested in film-making. Cecil B. DeMille hired him as a production assistant, but it would seem from MacDonald's subsequent career that he never developed the master's taste for films of epic stature. MacDonald went with DeMille on his return to Paramount in 1932, then came to Britain in 1936, making quota films for Paramount British.

Helen Clark MacInnes was born on October 7th, 1907 in Glasgow. Helen attended Hermitage School, Helensburgh and then Glasgow High School for Girls.

Helen MacInnes earned an M.A. degree at Glasgow University in 1928. In 1929-1930, Helen was selector of county library book acquisitions, Dunbartonshire Education Authority and received her diploma in librarianship from University College, London, in 1931.

Whilst it is recognised and acknowledged that Charles Rennie Mackintosh was neither born nor resident in Helensburgh, he’ll be forever associated with the area thanks to his legacy of the Hill House.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in Glasgow on 7 June 1868. He was the son of William McIntosh and Margaret Rennie. After leaving Allan Glen's School, he was apprenticed to an architect named John Hutchison, where he worked from 1884 until 1889. He later joined Honeyman and Keppie, a new architectural practice, eventually becoming a partner in 1903.