I like this photo. It’s in my own family collection which makes it personal and also for it’s gloriously clear quality. It looks like it could have been taken yesterday with a modern camera. It’s also special as it’s a location immediately adjacent to my own home.

Pictured on the afternoon of Wednesday 10th May 1950, is the opening day of the Main Street, High Blantyre Police Station.

Members of the Committee are pictured making an inspection of the premises after the formal opening. The new Police Station with 4 houses attached was built on greenfield site, previously unbuilt upon, the land acquired previously from nearby Croftfoot.

The station on High Blantyre’s Main Street, was formally opened by Mr D. Pollock Smith, Stepps, the Vice Convenor and Chairman of the Police Committee. In declaring the station open, Mr Smith confirmed it was the first to be completed in post war years as part of the Police Force’s intention to improve all police buildings in the County. Their aim was to house all the officers in the houses adjacent and this had been a good start to that goal. Schemes for police houses were at the time also being constructed in Westburn, (Cambuslang), Garrowhill, Viewpark, Newarthill and Larkhall. He congratulated the contractors on the excellent job they had made of the new station, which was to be an asset to the Force.

Those present at the ceremony included members of the Police Committee and local councillors and Chief Constable Thomas Renfrew, Depute Chief Constable John Wilson, Superintendent GH Docherty (from HQ), Superintendent Alex Murray of Hamilton and Inspector Peter MacDonald of Blantyre.

A tea then followed the opening and Mr Robert Aitkenhead on behalf of his company which built the station presented Mr Smith with a gift as a memento of the occasion.

Pictured also are Chief Constable Renfrew (left), Mr. D Pollock Smith and Inspector P MacDonald.

In the background, you can just make out the former Baptist Church Building (wee tin kirk) which is no longer there. Some people may remember the air raid siren which used to be positioned on the roof of this building, even well into the 1970s.

From “Blantyre Explained” by Paul Veverka (c)

On social media:

Margaret Elma Griffin I remember the Air raid siren and the Na

Margaret Elma Griffin I was going to say the Baptist Church

Elizabeth Lovatt I remember thre Baptist Church too and a good friend was the daughter of the police officer in the first house in this photo.

Anne Irvine Is it right Paul there’s a few “police houses” jotted in Blantyre ?. I’m talking maybe Strathmore Ave. 2 houses different from the others. I always thought that’s what they were

The Blantyre Project yes, I think the police owned a few scattered homes. I recall seeing that in a valuation roll.

Karen Menzies Love seeing these pics we lived in 294 when my dad was in the police back in the late 70 s early 80s next to the baptist church . Loved living here ! The McLean s lived next door and then my mums best friend lived in the one you can see attached to the station Liz and Ian mcnaughton . We spent many a day playing on those steps of the police station x I always wondered what it looked like inside x

Bill Hunter That would be Sam Mclean, you had Willie Adams, Bob Miller, Bob Mackie, Sam Mackie, Stewart Anderson, Geoff Syme to name a few.

Karen Menzies Sam and Frances McLean where our neighbours .their oldest son Gerard was about my age then . Great memories x

Bill Hunter any idea what happened to Sam

Bill Hunter Bob Mackie stayed in the one next to the wee church

Karen Menzies That’s the one wee stayed in . I know Sam and Frances moved to Ireland Frances was from .

Bill Hunter Nice family I worked with Sam.

Ian McNaughton My old house