George Crawford shared some fantastic social history with me recently. Born in 1930, in this extract he recalls some childhood memories of Blantyre. Pictured is George and all his classmates in 1937 at Calder Street School.
“I do remember from the bathroom of our house at the Stonefield Parish Halls on Glasgow Road, the sound of the anti aircraft guns stationed at the Whinns and gathering shrapnel and synthetic cords from the streets, (in the morning).
Each week for one halfpenny we collected Soor dook supplied by Mr Craig from a large vessel situated on a cairt (cart) drawn by a horse. He came from a farm situated off the main street in High Blantyre. Rubbish collection was also made weekly by a horse drawn cart.
A few hundred yards beyond the farm was a hall in which met the Rechabites. I was a member. The principal man was Joe Cobley who lived at the foot of Church Street opposite the church. I was friendly with his son Billy. On the other side of Glasgow Road was a small field and beyond that Craighead Rows where lived the Pattersons and the Sims. My brother John was a friend of Andy Sim. His son, also Andy is married to Cara Crawford my niece.”
Thank you to George Crawford for sharing.