This week’s quick questions. Not a quiz, I genuinely don’t know the answers and looking for YOUR help.
Q1. Who are the current OWNERS of the West End Bar? (McCormacks?, spelling?). I have the year they took over as being 2008.
Q2. What year did CALLAGHAN WYND housing estate get built across from the Westend? Housing developer? How was it named? Any interesting stories about the estate?
Q3. What can you tell me about the ROAD heading out of Blantyre from the Westend towards Spittal? Accidents? Incidents? Realigned when? Stories?
Q4. The STONE CLAD HOUSE on Bardykes Road sitting at the entrance to Bardykes House, when was that built and does it have a name? I have it being built in 1997 by Martin Miller’s Stonemasons (Stonecube rings a bell) but this is just a memory and hope to have confirmation.
All comments will be noted for inclusion in “Blantyre Explained” encyclopedia volumes. As always, thanks in advance!
William Mullen q3…my neighbour in the village ..1960s…was killed motorbike crash !!
Sylvia Mclaughlin Who was that Wullie?:/
William Mullen 2nd name was chambers..iwas bout 10 xx
Helen Grieve Q3 always flooded really badly just at the entrance to Doonans works. Still quite a dip in the road. There have been lots of accidents there.
Kathryn Allan Q2 i think is 1992
Greer Litster Yeh there’s been lots of accidents there Paul, most with not good endings Gx
Lesley Hartley Q2 I’m sure is 1993/94. My mum and dad bought one when they were just plots, I was 20 and moved out the following year. I remember our first christmas there we had to move out temporarily because it was a bad winter with really deep snow and all the pipes froze, they hadn’t been lagged properly. It was a lovely estate 👍🏼
Margaret Mary OSullivan Am not sure of the year. It was named after my Mum who spent most of her teaching career in Blantyre, teaching in Saint Joseph’s, Blantyre and latterly in Saint Blanes- a job she loved. Like most people who came from a working class background, she app…See more
Maureen Friery Moran Margaret Mary OSullivan , she was a beautiful lady, inside and out 😊
Gary Morrison West end bar is brewery owned .Maura McCormack involved and probably holds the license
Maureen Mccallum Your mum taught me in St Josephs .Have to say she was the best teacher I ever had .I remember her teĺling me always to let an adult go before me in a shop as it was good manners .A lesson that has followed me through my life ,to be considerste x
Margaret Mary OSullivan Oh thank you Maureen Friary Moran and Maureen Mccallum, she loved working with all you young people!
CM Connor Margaret Mary OSullivan I had no idea Mrs Callaghan was your mum . She taught me in St Blanes and was one of the reasons I went in to teaching- tremendous teacher 😍
Margaret Mary OSullivan CM Connor Aww lovely to hear that and you are such an excellent teacher!
Carol Boyd Q3. Jimmy Beatons son Jim was killed at the Dalton. Jimmy had the bus hire co. His sons were part of Blantyre Tigers Speedway team. I don’t know if Bobby is still riding.
Carol Boyd Jim was on his bike.
Gary Doonin It was actually George Beaton I think 1972 , realigned 92 93 , Callaghan wind 1994 by Wimpey , house at edge of Callaghan Wind 1997 stone came from Yorkshire .
Blantyre Project thanks Gary.
Alisa Tonner Q3 my good childhood friend Jean Couser was killed on this road and my other friend broke her back what a tragic tragic time I’m sure it was 1989 as the year before my boyfriend Paddy Ryan died in another incident across the road from my current house (Hillview Drive) and that was 17th March 1988 (St Patrick’s Day)
Sheryl McPhee Q3 I lived there 15 Hamilton rd bungalow next to bardykes chemical when I was young . I remember our wall down all the time with cars crashing into it . My dad always said it was a bad bend and dip in road cars lost control all the time
October 2008 we took it over from Mrs McNiell who sadly passed away recently…
We have heard many tales and stories recounted over the years about her time as landlady…
She was well liked and very much respected.
The pub still bears their family crest above the bar….
Look forward to reading the article….

There was some tale that at some point in the distant past that the land had been cursed

It was a super place for my two girls to grow up with their pals, it had originally a play park at the top with Wilkies Field adjacent and the kids could all feed the horses. Also they liked going into the woods and making tree swings. It was a range of 3 bedroom semis, and 3 and 4 bedroom detached house which at the time sold for a price range of between £52,000 to £85,000
The estate is actually called Bardykes Grove and the street name is Callaghan Wynd.

