Thanks to Betty McLean in Canada who sent me these photos of a small ruler her family kept. Marked on it is “Blantyre Engineering Works”.

Betty told me, “This belonged to my father-in-law, Tom McLean who worked at the Blantyre Engineering Co. He worked there from age 14 until he retired. He also kept in touch with men who had gone to war by sending parcels and letters to them.”

Blantyre Engineering Works would have been heavily involved in producing technical drawings for the large items of plant and machinery for collieries. These small rulers would have been important for draughtsmen and likely an everyday utensil on their desktops.

A small piece of Blantyre memorabilia and one that the McLean family felt nostalgic enough to keep.

On social media:

Andrew Little Started my working life as a draughtsman at Blantyre Engineering/ many good memories of the company and the people/ Hugh Wylie put your 2 bob in here

Mary Sitters My grandpa John Lyden worked at Blantyre Engineering.

Dawn Stokes My dad worked here, my mum did too for a short time

Unkle Cyril I worked in the office 1962/1964 before leaving for Australia. The Engineering Works was a big family where everyone knew each other. I was young and owe a great debt to Tom Malcolmson and Jimmy Moore, fellow workers who were great to be around and took me under their wing. These days we would call it ‘mentoring’.