Bill Lobban recently sent me this map. This is the portion of Craig Street which was demolished to make way for a supermarket. Bill told me, “My wife Mary lived at number 33 with her father and mother Archibald Baillie and Mary Baillie nee Lamond.”
I was quite excited about it, for whilst it was known that the council took over the land by compulsory purchase order to make way for asda, the record dating of 3rd May 1977 gives a good indication of what was still there and what wasn’t at that time. I was able to firm up several records knowing for example that Harpers Garage was still there at that time and the infant school being used as an annexe for Calder Street, with Stonefield Primary School at the corner of Glasgow Road and Victoria Street already gone.
The area was certainly large, and at the time of this acquisition, it may not have been known that Asda or a supermarket was going there, but more likely the council thought they could put that large piece of land to better use. The map also “ringfences” the post office not to be touched, which is why that vacant piece of land near the end of Logan Street sits outwith Asda’s boundaries today. It’s also interesting to see that the houses at the bottom of Logan Street had their back gardens halved with the proposal.
It would still be good to know what the thinking was in those council offices that year, for the planned demolition of most of Glasgow Road to make way for a central shopping area, governed mostly by one external business.