Shared here by Sandy Wilkie, is the former Esso Garage on the North side of Glasgow Road. A particularly snowy winter in 1978. Just look at the price of petrol! I have this garage as being owned by John O Neil and dating from the late 1950’s following the demolition of Baird’s Rows.
Situated directly across the road from Kelly’s Bar and Rosendale, it sat directly opposite the junction of Auchinraith Road where the on slipways are now for EK Expressway.
Anybody remember the Petrol Station and Garage from the 1960’s and 1970’s or can tell me more?
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,
Elaine Speirs My dad used to buy petrol there in the early 70s because i was collecting the olympic coins they gave away free with every tank. Happy days.
Brendan Mcghee Elaine i remember those coins but what was their purpose ?
Elaine Speirs You saved them in a special book like a collection. I think it was 1976 Olympics.
Drew Semple fantastic pic,remember it very well.
Eleanor Connor Drew…..is one of your relations Andy Semple who sang in ‘The Fortunes’ group ‘way back?…..if so, I was at his weddin’ to Ina. … (nothin’ to do wi’ the Topic) 
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😁😁😁Drew Semple Eleanor hiya,he is a cousin.
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James Whittaker I bought my first motor from John way back in 1965, Ann Mc Millan work for him at that time
Jim Donnelly Paul Devine AKA Bouncer & Johnny Morrison also rented the units just past the garage before the billboards
Jackie MacDonald Re going there in 60.s n getting Tony the Tiger badge from there with fuel.
#putatigerinyourtank.
#putatigerinyourtank.
Marie Mc Millan Yes my dad bought car of him we lived cross road in rosedale a can see John the now x
Charlie Greenhorn Anyone remember HARPERS garage at the bottom of Craig St.
Blantyre Project Harpers Garage history can be read here https://blantyreproject.com/…/central-garage…/Manage
BLANTYREPROJECT.WORDPRESS.COM
Carole Mackie Rickard My Dad worked there before setting up his own garage in 1964
William Dickson remember it well
Anne Irvine Was there not public toilets beside garage.? Or am I dreaming?
Blantyre Project Anne, you’re right. Public toilets were very close to this, same side a little further down the hill. The were accessed from Glasgow Road and sat next to the Greyhound Stadium/Speedway.
Blantyre Project across from Rosendale and Caldwell Halls. This map shows them there in 1962.Manage
Thomas Barrett Remember it well sawmill behind it.
Blantyre Project was that not beyond to the side of it? I thought the back field where Bairds Rows were remained empty. Not at all sure though. I still have to write about most of the north side of Glasgow Road.
Thomas Barrett Sawmill was to the left walking down the lane toward the dogs and Blantyre Celtic.
Gary Doonin Where the toilets sat in the late 70s was also a fast food hut selling hot dogs and hamburgers well into small hours
James Rouse Brendan Mcghee was this where the car wash/tyre repair place is just now.
Blantyre Project No James. This was a little further along towards Lidl. In fact this wee garage sat exactly on what is now the island on the ON junction slipway on to the EK Expressway, just before the bridge.
Brendan Mcghee Yeah just a bit further down . 
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James Rouse Thanks for the info guys. I can vaguely remember coming out of the speedway then going here for some refreshments. Was there a public toilet around here aswell?
Liz Allan Remember both paul lived across from me in wheatland ave and was friends with my brother and i was friends with Donna morrison johns sister
Bill Graham I remember getting a tigers tail for my bicycle from there. They were given away free with petrol.
Carole Mackie Rickard I don’t remember this at all but I’m sure my Dad will know more, I’ll ask him later.
Blantyre Project Must be a high blantyre thing. I dont remember this garage AT ALL either although i must have passed it thousands of times.
Peter Murray Brilliant info remember it well 
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Liz Boxall Marian McDougall. … Fancy Nancy’s filling station 
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Jimmy Duncan Jim boydy was head mechanic there
Marian McDougall 2/10pence a GALLON
Valerie Krawczyk I remember the garage and the O’Neils well. They stayed in Craig Street in the house which had belonged to the Smellie’s. My great aunt Nurse Mc Farlane( nee Smellie) lived there. The O’Neill’s had a son and a daughter. Johnnie O’Neill was very interested in vintage cars.
Richard Lees Great photo.
John O’Neil was a nice man, his son Roy was a clever lad.
John O’Neil was a nice man, his son Roy was a clever lad.
Ann Adair Creechan My auntie Annie McMillan worked there. I remember sitting in there on a cold winter day with a calor gas heater going.
Anthony Smith In 1968 /69 ,I used this garage to fill my Triumph Thunderbird motor bike tank up with 5 star,the highest grade,petrol.
Ann Hartman Loving all these memories keep them coming
Blantyre Project Ann, it will be many, many years before I stop posting, all being well in life. Always new, fresh daily posts. Never repeating.
Ann Hartman Your a star
Carole Mackie Rickard My Dad remembers it well, especially when it was broken into whilst a police van was parked in the car park having their tea! Caught red handed!
Helen Henderson Mclaughlin Remember it vaguely
John Queen my sister worked in the petrol station for a few years
Mrs Mc Millan got her the job she stayed across from us
Mrs Mc Millan got her the job she stayed across from us
Christine Forrest funny thing about living so far away pictures like this are fresh memories.
Hugh McDade The garage was just before the dog track owners were the doonins great nights there
Davie Robson Used to get sent there for paraffin for the heater (pre central heating in springwells) 
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😨😨Audrey Welsh Andrew Campbell my grandad looked after the track at greyhound’s .
Gary Doonin Big Andy
John Berry aye mind of it well used to hang abut there an the wee unit next to it mind of a chap called donald with a mustang back then
Drew Fisher I remember it well. It always struck me as really modern in the early 1960s. Did it do MoT testing? I seem to recall John O’Neil had a son Roy who attended Auchinraith Primary in the early / mid 1960s.
Marion Young Used to go to old post office next to it way pocket money
Steven Park Wasn’t the dog track jist behind?
Brian Hughes yes blantyre dog track just down the hill my dad worked the hare up in his wee box they used to have the blantyre tigers speedway there for a while
James Faulds i remember it well i used to go there to get and speak to the woman who worked there for a long time mrs mc nally george mc nallythe fire cheifs wife she had a boy bobby and a daughter i cant remember her name,john o neil owned it there was a wall in the front which and all the kids used to walk it as it had three levels next to it was kay moores kids store ella littles post office flats above the stores then there was a path to bairds raws and blantyre celtic park . we used to blow up our tyres and our footballs at the garage and get sweeties john was a nice man and his staff were good aswell
James Faulds the men used to sit on the wall waiting for the auchenraith cub and kelly pub openning
I remember it well. My auntie Alice worked there serving petrol. She lived opposite in Rosendale. I think Mr. O’Neil had the garage also at Limetree in Burnbank just opposite the metal scrap works Charlie Irelands.
I noticed Bobby Stafford’s name was mentioned on the post re. the Kimbos and the Midnights. Well Booby was my best friend almost 60 years ago and much as I tried, I never managed to track him down. Well we are all getting on.
Re. Andy Semple my Dad ‘interviewed’ him one night, when we lived in the village, as a singer for his band. The rest is history. Peter McPhail was his name and he played at many functions and Weddings in and around Blantyre.
I remember many of the people mentioned on these posts. Blantyre people appear to,be VERY nostalgic and I am no exception.