During the 1930’s, situated three quarters of the way down Church Street on the west side was a small wooded area, which ran from Church Street through to the next street westwards Logan Street. The wood ran alongside the drill hall, what we know now as “Terminal One” Youth building. The name “St John’s Wood” was common to the 1930’s and 1940’s era and was less used post WW2, and unknown why St John was chosen as a name.
In the corner of the woodland was a small hut with some seats and a stove that various clubs from around Blantyre used as a meeting hall. There was a Racing Pigeon hall at Priory Place, which was upstairs above a part of the Priory Bar. i.e. beyond large green doors where the beer was delivered. Next to the small hall was the local Doocot. Owners would spend a lot of time looking at the sky to see the birds coming home and then try to get them to land to get the ring off their leg, putting it into the time clock. There are still people with pigeon lofts in their back gardens in Logan Street.
