1940s Wheatlandhead Farm fields, Shared by Elaine Russell
Former Wheatland Farm owner, Elaine Russell gave me written permission in 2012 to share some of her family photos with Blantyre Project. Writing up the history of this old farm has been complicated and proved to be one of the oldest farms in Blantyre. In April 2015, Hamish McBain, a relation of the Russells contacted me with more information about Russells Farm and sent me several photos, (which I will share here in the coming weeks).
The photo attached belongs to Elaine Russell. The photo is undated so I hoped to provide more of an insight into possible dating evidence. Pictured are the lower fields of Wheatlandhead, looking on to Glasgow Road, to where the Stonefield Tram Terminus used to be. However, there are no tram overheads, so I’m absolutely positive the photo is dated after 1938.
The photo I think dates from around WW2, perhaps in the early 1940s. Glasgow Road is electrically lit and there is no sign of tram activity or equipment. I’ve recently bought a new computer with four times the resolution of my previous, so I was able to zoom in on photos with remarkable clarity, and attempted to repair sections of it. This produced several other interesting photos, seeing the boy, for example in more detail, or the buildings on Glasgow Road itself, or the St Joseph’s School Chapel in the background. To the right of the photo you can see the fenced off vacant land, that was later to become the community centre and Richardson’s garage. To the left of the photo the prominent thing is David Livingstone Memorial Church and the tenements to the side of it.
On social media:
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Stephen Kelly I’m wondering if you have any pictures of the buildings across from the chapel which are now Valerio Court. My Nana lived there and I can remember them when I was younger. Thanks
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James Graham Great photos. i remember watching old Jimmy Rochead ploughing the field in Broompark Road with his two horses – Dick & Harry.
Sandy Maxwell at onetime farmed Wheatland Head farm before the Russel family. Your photograph shows John Richardson,s garage &dividing corrugated fence originally constructed in the late1920s.
The young boy behind the plough is my dad’s cousin.
I realize this is an old post, but I just read it now. So interesting to learn exactly where this farm was/is. My great-great grandfather David Hamilton was working at Wheatlandhead Farm at the time of the 1851 census. (And he also worked at Blantyre Farm, in 1841).