A wonderful picture of the north side of High Blantyre Main Street. I’m uncertain of the date but think it it may be mid 20th Century. To the left is Loch Ryan Cottage, the property that is now McLeans Newsagents. It had previously been a tailors.

Beyond it, in a building now demolished was a public house, the history of this tenement coming soon to this website. Some of us will remember the two little garage buildings and workshops and Abbott plumbers. The tenement beyond it still exists today now Kathy’s Bling shop and Snips.

Whats your memories of this part of Main Street?

Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said,

Stephen Kelly Asking my mum about that public house, she can never remember it. She was born 1956. She remembers the wee huts though and for some reason I think I can mind a hut being there in the 80s when I was a wee boy

Eleanor Clark The pub that was across from Fyfe’s the undertaker our grandfather was a joiner and he put the ceiling up without using any nails

George Crossan Used to stay in the tenement 268 main st . About 1960 !

Brian Weaver In the 1950s, the shop on the left with the sun shades was MacLean’s the newsagent. The next property that you can see was not a pub then, but belonged to Mr Gilchrist who did radio repairs. Next there was a draper’s shop which for a short time in the 1960s was owned by my parents, Bill and Jean Weaver. Then there are the two sheds. Beyond that there was a drapers shop owned by the co-op and then the pub. That’s my memory, but as I proved on this site more than once, my memory isn’t always correct!!

Blantyre Project Brian – Your parents shop previous to that was the Athletic Bar and going WAY back even before that was a fish restaurant.

Maggie Anderson Brian Weaver…I worked in the co-op drapers which had a tiny shoe dept at the back

😄

Brian Weaver My mum only had that shop for a couple of years, but she had Kiddiwear further down the road and in the early 1950s it had been beside the co-op across the street from the co-op drapers. How can I remember all this when I can’t remember where I was yesterday?!

Lon McIlwraith Brian, my mum Rena McIlwraith worked in Weaver’s shop.

McLaughlin Lorraine James Watson

Marian Maguire Lovely picture, much nicer than the flats that are there now. So sad it wasn’t preserved as it had much more character.

Blantyre Project makes me wonder why it was demolished. Perhaps subsidence? I’ll need to investigate.

Maisie Whittaker I also thought that was Gilchrist shop !

Jim Donnelly I remember the co op used too have a shoe shop there where you could get a pair of pathfinder shoes for £3.00.

Margaret Muir Not related but my husband had a friend called Jim Donnelly .my husband lived in Milton Street.

Linda Gourlay I remember the huts too

Arlene Campbell There was a post office in the lower part of the picture in the 70s

Thomas Barrett I remember my grandad telling me about a pub called the Athletic Bar wonder if it was this 1 !!!

Blantyre Project Athletic Bar was definitely within this scene.

Elizabeth Lovatt I remember everything just as Brian does …. the post office was further down the street Arlene. Brian’s mum had a kiddies clothing store near to the post office,Nelson’s grocery, butcher,browns corner store and Jean Weaver was next door to the fish and chip shop. Across the road from them was the chemist. Further dow again was Jessie and Jim Wilson’s

Margaret Elma Griffin I remember Willie McLeans I was in the same class as his son Alistair remember the workshops and the drapers my cousin used to work in there also my auntie don’t remember a pub being there though apart from Blakleys

Isobel Hollis I am very curious,Margaret, as I also was in the same class as Alistair McLean in High Blantyre Primary. I was Isobel Adair at that time! Do you know where the McLeans are now? I know it’s a lifetime ago!

Blantyre Project Isobel Sadly Alistair passed away in recent years. He is still fondly remembered by many people.Manage

Isobel Hollis Oh dear, that is sad news indeed! He had two sisters; one of them was some years ahead of me at Hamilton Academy but her name escapes me! Thank you for that information!

Blantyre Project sorry to be the bearer of sad news.

Isobel Hollis That’s life,sadly…..

Margaret Elma Griffin Isobel I think I know you from all those years ago did you have a twin sister Margaret the Talis Twins were my friends my maiden name Is Miller ( Elma Miller ) you may not remember me as we left for England when I was 10 although we came back many many times to visit relatives my Granny and papa Miller and Auntie Jean Rodger she lived in Park Crescent

Margaret Elma Griffin Sorry to hear about Alistair I may be wrong but I think one of his sisters was Jean ?

Isobel Hollis Margaret Elma Griffin, yes! I did have a twin sister,Margaret; sadly, she died in 1991.
Are the Tallis twins still local to Blantyre? I’ve a vague memory that Ann was in Springfield Crescent but that’s many years ago. I’d love to know what happened to them both!
I’ve been in England for many years; I did teach at High Blantyre Primary before I left though! 😀
Yes! Jean McLean sounds very familiar; it’s a small world! Lovely to hear from YOU though!

Margaret Elma Griffin So sorry to hear about Margaret . I to have wondered over the years how they were doing . I believe the Bungalow where lived is still the home of one of the family. Good to hear from you Isobel it is indeed a small world
Maggie Anderson Margaret Elma Griffin my friend’s gran and mum and now her lived in park cres ….she and I worked in the co-op down the road

Isobel Hollis The Tallis original home in Victoria(?) Street or the bungalow in Springfield Crescent, Elma?
I wonder if anyone else on here knows anything? Three sets of twins started school together, namely Adair, Tallis and the Cochrane boys! Wonder what became of us all!

🤔

Ann Golder Ann Tallis stays somewhere off Aughinraith Road, Isobel. Jean stays somewhere in England. I meet Ann occasionally in Blantyre, usually in Asda.

Isobel Hollis Ann, thank you! I didn’t think your paths would probably cross as you’re not in Blantyre! Small world yet again! I often wonder what became of all those other children who started school that day! Hope you’re well, Ann! Xx

Margaret Elma Griffin The original home in Victoria Street I also heard that Jean was in England I remember they had relations in England

Isobel Hollis Lillias Addison, I can see a notification on my FB page for a message on here but I cannot see your message! Maybe it’s just a blip!

Lillias Addison sorry Isobel must have been a blip.

Isobel Hollis Lillias,
…what did you say in the message!?! Am I wrong in thinking Ann was still in Springfield Crescent?

Lillias Addison Yes Isobel she now stays in Anford Crescent she has been away from Springfield Crescent for a while now.

Isobel Hollis Lillias…Ahhhh, I ve no idea where that is but pleased to see she’s still around the area. Thanks, Lillias!

Janet Cochrane Do not remember a pub it was Gilchrist electrician when I was young. We did not have electricity at the farm so we had to take our accumulators into the shop to get them charged they were acid batteries for the wireless. The shop next door was Devanney drapers
Then the huts next was the coop drapers and shoes. Then I think there used to be a bank it was never open in my time. Mrs Weavers Babyshambles was next to the chip shop.