This photo dates from 1960. Pictured on the left is Nicholson’s shop which was located in the old McLaughlin’s Building on Station Road, Low Blantyre. Maybe you’re young enough to remember this building?
Nicholson’s shop was a grocers which stood on the corner of Woodburn Avenue, close to the Station gates. The Nicolson’s also had a piggery, which was thankfully located away from the general population down at Clyde Braes. Access to the piggery was via John Street and turning right at the end, then under the railway.
By the 1970’s the shop was owned by Jim Barbour and his wife and co-run with assistance from a Mrs Fraser. Out on the pavement was a metal plate, indicating the house, (being at the corner) may have once been a pub? However I can find no evidence of this on any map and the plate was likely a cellar deliver system for stocking goods in the shop’s store. The building first appeared on the 1910 map but is not on the 1898 map, giving it a confirmed construction date between 1899 and 1910.
2014 Station Road
Today, the scene looks like this, the shop no longer there, replaced by large, detached, modern homes.
The shop was still there in October 1982. We’d love to hear from anybody who remembers this family, and maybe you know when the shop closed?
On social media:
Liane Prentice I lived in the the building from Oct 75- July 76 when we moved to Calder st.
Mia Friend I certainly remember going in there for my sweeties in the 50’s sticks in my mind it was always a dark dreary wee shop.
Alan Baird i remember belivering packs of milk into barbours shop when i helped the local milkman
Frances McDonald Went to that shop often as a young girl we stayed along the road in the prefab don’t remember when it closed sorry.
Susan Brownlie I lived directly opposite the shop and didn’t recognise the building at first! In fact I can just see the corner of our wall on the right here in the old photo. Lived there from 1953 till I got married in 1974 and then moved into one of the flats in this building. Had a happy 3 years here before buying our house in Stonehouse and moving away. I can’t for the life of me remember when they pulled down the building but it was sad to see it go. Mum and dad were there for a long time after that – they sold up probably mid eighties and bought one of the refurbished flats in Glasgow Road opposite the top of Station Road. (They were actually above the undertakers – nice quiet neighbours!). My mum occasionally helped out in the wee shop when it was Nicholsons. One of our neighbours Margaret Macdonald and her husband are now back in Station Road with her dad. Maybe she or her dad might remember when the building went? She also lived in this building when she was first married! Thanks for this photo. Brings back memories, like a lot of your posts do!
Patricia Hutcheson Docherty My brother John and His wife Jean lived there
Andy Callaghan And when the wind blew in the wrong direction you certainly knew there was a piggery.
Jeanette Allardyce Ward Used to go down there for Sunday papers for parents. Wen in the BIG park there was a hole in the fence at back of building, went through there to go for sweets
Elizabeth Wallace Mrs Fraser was my gran .
Sadie Dolan Remember my sister in law Elspeth Curry who is sadly not with us worked in this shop.
Gord Fotheringham The lady in this shop used to take my travellers checks and cash them to save to save me going all the way up to glasgow Rd bank……bought a lot of candies for the kids in the village there…..
Bernadette Mcparland I worked in that shop in 1975/76 was owned by Barbours then. I remember having to decorate shop window when the Royals were visiting David Livingstone’s…..
Alan Crichton My mum and her 4 sisters (muirs) stayed in the building she stayed in it until she moved to farm road in 1970 I think the building came down about 82
Teresa MacLeod Muir I remember this shop when I lived in Woodburn Ave. I bought 4 chimneys from the workmen when they were demolishing the buildings for 10 shillings. Used them as planters and left them with friends when we emigrated to Australia. This shop was the hub of the area and sold everything expensively and open all hours. My friend lived, rented one of the lower flats in the buildings overcrowded and dirty. Thank goodness they were demolished.
Ab Mullings I livid in Rosebank Avenue and remember going in there for my sweets! Lovely photo, brings back memories.
Margaret Quinn Remember this shop and old Mrs Nicholson well she lived at the back of the shop behind dark curtains that was the days when the weans were sent with money wrapped in a message line could have been about eight or nine maybe even younger when I was sent there happy memories
Michael Mcginley Remember the shop well was sent there from the village for messages if Tommy mogan. Or Gean Craig’s did not have what you were sent for you went to Nicholson’s
Everyone in the village had a bin for the piggery that was filled with. Anything that would rot Nicholsons lorry would come on a certain day to collect ah memories
Carol Crombie Scary old dear worked there as I remember in mid-seventies (era not age I think lol) – handy wee shop to nip in for sweets then thru the back fence into the park.
Bernadette Mcparland That was Mrs Fraser carol…I worked with her & I was scared of her. Lol
Margaret Mcculloch Oh that’s my old garden to the left Xx
Margaret Faulds Remember the shop .We lived at 3 Farm Rd .smile emoticon smile emoticon smile emoticon
Frances KellyCsn I lived in Park Lane and remember going into this shop as a young child, closed around 75? Demolished soon after, I think??
Caroline McDougall I remember going into this shop as a wee lassie. I’d be on my way home from my nana’s and Auntie Cathies. I’d cut round the back and through the hole in the fence and into the public park.
Body Morph Fitness Ltd Incredible !!
Elizabeth Wallace Mrs Fraser had her own shop in springwell which she closed after her husband Dougie died in 71 The Barbours
Asked her to run the shop for them I think she retired in 77 and the shop closed shortly after that
My mother was May Nicholson, daughter of Mary Nicholson. As a young boy I would spend hours every Saturday in the shop with Mama, my grandmother. Don’t ever remember hearing my mother say she had been previously engaged in her 20’s Tom McGrory, lol. She married Joseph Martin from Wishaw in 1959. The Nicholson’s not only owned the piggery, at that time in the 60’s run by son Billy, they also at one time a number of farms in and around Blantyre and Hamilton from when my great grandfather was alive. The communal garden to the rear of the building backed on to the public park and there was a handy missing pailing rail that allowed my cousins and I easy access. I also remember getting ginger bottles from Mama to take to the cinema at the top of Station Road to use as our currency for tickets to the Saturday matinees.
Eldest son of the Nicholson’s was Alex, who was a rear gunner in the RAF during the second world was, killed in action. Both Billy and the third son Jimmy served in the anti-aircraft batteries around London I believe.
My brother Andrew McGrory was engaged to May Nicholson (daughter) around 1950/52. There was a brother Billy Nicholson who ran the piggery. The shop and building was still erect in October !982.
thanks Tom my late mother (Maye) fondly talked about your brother and when they went to the pictures they always got the best seats and a box of chocolates never sure if the chocolates were out of the shop or not Sadly Billy also has passed away a number of years ago
my mothers family (May Nicholson) owned the shop and land and talks quite a lot about the business and the customers she saw when she worked in the shop The business might have been sold early 70s as Grandmother died 1975
Mr John Leaper ex Co-op insurance agent run this shop for a short time in the late 70s. the building was demolished approx 1980s.