Elizabeth Weaver has shared this family photo, taken outside 104 Victoria Street in the mid 1950’s. She told me, “The car belonged to our Uncle John Scott’s – Uncle David Scott giving it a helping hand there I think! Don’t know who the weans are! Possibly 1956 when i got my first camera.”

The boarding led to the railway bridge, on the right just out of view. Identification of the car, may assist with dating the photo. (Is the car a Wolseley?) There were still coal trains using the railway at this time, but the steep sides had become so overgrown as seen in this photo, that any passer by would only catch an occasional glimpse of any locomotives as they passed on their way to High Blantyre or in the opposite direction towards Springwells.

Elizabeth continued, “There were so few cars then that we used to play across the road and bounce balls against that wood panelled fence, even though the bridge was right next to it and cars occasionally came through.”

The Scott family, headed by John Scott in this photo, had a shop at Victoria Street and some of them emigrated in the late 1950’s. Going back briefly to the children, i’ve zoomed in on the 2 little unidentified girls, who look about 7 or 8. If so, and given this is the mid 1950’s, the girls would have been born in the immediate post WW2 years. Can you identify them?

On social media:

Elizabeth Weaver Hi Paul – slight correction – not all of the Scott family emigrated. John eventually moved to Crieff where he had a shop and his wife ran a B&B – his brothers Bill and Frank emigrated to Australia with their families, and so did his sister Jessie, though she returned with her family a few years later. The others – Robert, David, Betty and our mother Jean stayed in Scotland. The shop in Victoria Street was an ironmonger’s owned by John, though Jean and Betty also had shops in High Blantyre and Stonefield Road respectively. I believe Jessie had a shop when they lived in Australia too. And I think you’re right about the car – Uncle John did have a Wolseley at one point. What do you think, Brian Weaver?

The Blantyre Project thanks Elizabeth. I have corrected the article to say some of them emigrated.

Henry Hambley Is this a Wolseley 4/44? Wonderful looking cars !

Elizabeth Weaver Correct, Henry! You and Brian Weaver obviously share a taste in cars. Here’s what he says “the car by the way is a Wolsley 4/44 which was bought at auction in Glasgow between 1954 and 1956…I do know that he changed it for a new maroon Wolseley in 1957”.

Elizabeth Weaver I think the photo was taken around 1956, which is when I got my first camera – a Brownie 127.