1962 Haughhead Brickworks, near Blantyreferme
On 3rd February 2015, I was contacted by Ayrshire man Alistair Hastings who shared this colourful photo. Alistair told me, “Hi Paul. I thought that you might like this photograph, which I think is Blantyre Ferme Colliery. It was taken in by my Grandfather, Joe Hastings in 1962. He lived in Uddingston. I think I can see his house in this picture. I live in Ayrshire and have no connection with Blantyre, other than the fact that my Grandparents lived in Uddingston. My Grandfather was an electrical engineer, and as a boy had worked in the mining industry, although not at this pit. I remember Sundays spent going for long walks on the road past this pit- In the days when the swings were chained up!”
Alistair’s grandfather must have been standing on top of the colliery bing at Blantyreferme 1&2 pits to take this photo, which looks to the North West. Over the railway and to the West of Blantyreferme Road is the Engineering Brickworks at Haughhead. Linking to the works is a conveyor belt extracting material from the drift mine nearby. How green the whole area is. Fields in the background are now the Golf Range.