I think it’s important to touch upon some Blantyre lives that went through remarkable ordeals. Mr Robert Hall was born at Blantyre ferme in 1881. An early job was travelling through to Glasgow where he was employed in the audit office for the Caledonian Railway Company. In 1919, he took up a similar position but in a much more adventurous capacity, with the Chinese Government Railways in North China.

He was interred by the Japanese when they entered the war and he was held in the Welshin Civil Assembly Centre in Shantung, where the famous missionary and sportsman, Eric Liddell, died in appalling conditions.

During his lifetime, he was a former secretary of Blantyre Vics F.C (in the days of players like Jimmy Brownlie) and also later, he was the secretary of Blantyre Bowling Club in Stonefield Road. Just before hostilities ended in WW2, he was repatriated to India due to his poor health. Mrs Hall, his wife had also been interred with him and she too left for India. They had a son John Hall who lived in Leyland, Lancs. Robert Hall died in June 1946 in India.