Paisley’s very identity is so caught up with the pattern that shares its name that many would assume it is the birthplace of the iconic design.
The news might come as a shock to some Buddies but local historian Stephen Clancy, who is also known as the Urban Historian, says the fact has been well known for some time. The dedicated team of experienced journalists, responsible for the publication of the award-winning Express, will focus on breaking news, day and night, across Renfrewshire’s towns and villages.
A spokesperson for OneRen, the operators of Paisley Museum, added: “It is well known that Paisley was by no means the first to produce shawls with the pattern in Britain. It was, however, able to do it on a scale and with skill not matched anywhere else, which is why the shawls became synonymous with the town.
Titled ‘A Passion For Paisley’, the exhibition will reveal that Edinburgh weavers were the first in Britain to create replicas of the Kashmir shawls brought back from India, the first recorded being in 1767. It wasn’t until 1808 that Paisley’s weaving industry started making the shawls – and later gave the garment its name.