Only 6 years after the Second World War, Blantyre like most of the country was still recovering but at least had the prospect of offering new employment and hope for the future at the brand new High Blantyre Industrial Estate.

However, on Wednesday 16th May 1951, fate had other ideas for those motivated new Blantyre workers.

More than score workers were suddenly cut-off in their rest-room by fire, smoke and fumes. They frantically smashed windows and clambered through the Jagged openings when fire swept the polishing shop at the furniture-manufacturing factory of Messrs F. H. Marshall and Co. in the new Industrial estate at High Blantyre. When the alarm was raised the workers were crowding the rest-room. They smashed the glass of the steel-framed windows with chairs and with wood-filler Terry M‘Grory (24) taking charge. The workers were pushed through and helped to the ground lowered from an elevated position, at the front of the factory by Eddie Trainer (25) also a polishing-shop employee. Nobody was hurt to any extent but it was a troublesome start for the new business location.