1961 Garage at Main Street

Blantyre Business, Blantyre News
1 Comment

1961-main-street-near-kirkton-wmMargaret Sanderson kindly shared a couple of photos with me back in November. I’ll get to them shortly, but meantime was interested in this,……

Pictured in 1961, is High Blantyre Main Street Garage. This was once where Kirk Care now is on that same side. The photo was taken from the opposite side of Main Street not far from where the pit disaster monument now is. The little low wall in the foreground still there today, although the ornamental wooden trellises are long gone.

The garage has 4 petrol pumps, looks to be clean and well kept, wooden fences between brick pillars form the forecourt. Tenements are out the photo to the right, adjacent to the church halls. On the left at the time this photo was taken, was the final days of Sneddons Buildings on Main Street, former tenements dating back to the mid 1860s.

What do YOU remember or can tell me about this garage? Or perhaps you remember the subsequent more modern garage that was there in the 1970s.

(c) Blantyre Project

On social media:

Jackie MacDonald I remember a wee garage between the Apollo and wee cottages.
The Blantyre Project thats right, and there was also one at the junction of Hunthill Road and Stonefield Crescent, certainly back in the 50s, near where the railway bridge crossed the road.
Moyra Lindsay Thanks for this I had completely forgotten all about it.
George Hay It was known as the Blue star garage for a time, the other one next to the Masonic hall was called the Craigneath garage. Both went out of business around the time of the completion of the expressway.
Alan Baird thats about my reckoning too george
Andy Whitters The original garage had the office next to the tenement on the right hand side as you look into it. This was knocked down and a new office built at the rear of the garage when the blue star company took over late sixties. The manager was called Robert and he came from Glasgow my mother worked in the garage along with Iris Braidwood she stayed in park crescent and ChrIstIne Paterson she stayed up the brickie but moved to the new houses Jerusalem
The Blantyre Project fantastic. Thanks Andy.
Andy Whitters The Blantyre Project hi quite a few celebrities came in Matt Monroe of born free fame think he was performing in hasties/browns also Jock Stein and quite a few famous footballers
Andy Whitters If I remember correctly your aunt Ann Hay worked in it for a while George before it closed about 72-73
George Hay Hi Andy, she did as did my mother Elizabeth. It must have been in the early 70s as I remember the pumps being in new pence. Where at the cross did you stay?
Andy Whitters George Hay the building right next to the garage above Parks paper sales old shop 374 top flat I can remember Ann in the garage but sorry I can’t remember your mother working their
Andy Whitters Paul the lady and the child in the photo I think it is my mother and me as we lived at 374 main st I meant to say you mentioned the four petrol pumps these were retained after the refurbishment .but not long after this a learner driver came into the ga…See more
Stephen Allan I saw a picture from 1977 of people standing around the monument across the road and you could see the garage in the background which was BP at the time as you could see the BP sign. .
Andy Whitters The BP garage is further down towards the old apollo pub
The Blantyre Project Stephen Allan you are right in that by 1977, the garage there did have a BP sign outside it, but it was still called BLUE STAR garage even then. This picture is 22nd Oct 1977. Andy was the one at Apollo not Esso?

Image may contain: one or more people, tree, crowd and outdoor
Andy Whitters Hi apologies I had moved away from high blantyre cross by then didn’t know it changed to BP I’m sure the one at the Apollo was a BP garage
The Blantyre Project Andy – I have emailed your son a clearer copy of the photo so you can work out if this is your mother and you. Cheers.
Andy Whitters The Blantyre Project thanks Paul the writing just blurred out the face slightly much appreciated
Christine Maguire The old garage sold esso a man big jock douglas owned it or worked in it
Jim Brown I remember the holes that were left where the pumps are as I nearly broke my leg falling down it whilst on my way up to Greenhall about 30 years ago Doh!! 

1 Comment

Add a Comment
  1. Alison Gibson
    Alison Gibson

    My gran Iris Braidwood worked in there, I’m sure she also worked in Park Packaging which was beside it before it moved to the industrial estate

    Reply

Leave a Reply