Quick Questions

Blantyre Oddities
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Genuinely asking. I don’t know the answers. Can you help……

1. What year did the former 2 storey stone TENEMENT immediately next to David Livingstone Memorial Church get demolished? It opened out on to Glasgow Road, where now the modern flats are.

2. Who owned the land prior to 1971 that the PRIORY BRIDGE Housing estate got built on?

3. What in your opinion was/is the BEST SOCIAL CLUB in Blantyre and briefly why? Even if its not there anymore

4. Was Blantyre’s CHRISTMAS TREE ever positioned anywhere else other than Stonefield Park or High Blantyre Cross? (Heard a rumour about this, needing clarified)

5. What year did tenants start moving out of HIGH BLANTYRE PREFABS? Was it 1967 or 66? (I know many were derelict by 1967 and most demolished by 1968)

Thank you.

P.S These queries are for adding to current entries into “Blantyre Explained” a huge, (almost) definitive volume of encyclopaedias with absolutely everything related to Blantyre in A-Z format, 33 years in the making. They contain ever word I’ve ever written about Blantyre in concise format, every fact checked note i’ve collected since a teenager and every relevant comment made on this Facebook page by you guys! [Planned Release to Schools and Libraries in mid 2020 and commercially for sale by Christmas 2020]

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

Eleanor Clark Well we moved to Larkhall in 1952 from the prefabs in Auchenraith Terrace, so still standing then

Davy Thomson I loved the auchinraith club,, was a brilliant club, spent my wages in there!!

John Cornfield Priory Bridge I thought the Wilkie’s owned the land
The High Blantyre Prefabs a lot of these tenants moved into the Electric houses Jedburgh Street Up to Broompark Road these were getting built about 65/66 I think
Thomas Barrett Blantyre Celtic great wee club next Auchinraith Club.
Thomas Barrett Don’t think it was Wilkie he was other side of the road. Maybe Jackie can’t remember his surname was a bookie still lived in the big house as you come into Blantyre.
James Richardson Question 2 Robb family Flemington farm!!
Gary Doonin Robb’s owned PB land
Gary Doonin Tams thinking Jackie Evans (cousins) who owned the red sand stone house at PB
Thomas Barrett Gary Doonin that him Gary thanks.

Alex Rochead Question 2 the Robb family. Sandy Wilkie an confirm this.

Margaret Henry Question 5: we moved from Nith Street to Millheugh Place in 1968. Margaret Henry (Dorricott)

Jackie MacDonald I honestly thought it was your Dad Sandy Wilkie. Lol x

Sandy Wilkie James Richardson is correct about Priory Bridge – it was Hamish & Margaret Robb of Flemington Farm at the Dalton who owned that land, sold to Wimpey in 1968/9. Their son Jamie is still in the farmhouse but the main house is now a Retirement Home. Margaret Robb has recently moved back from Hamilton into one of the cottages at Loanend. It was Jack Evans the bookmaker & family who lived in the “Big House” which is still there, embedded into Priory Bridge. They had two sons, Donnie, a teacher, & Ian who was a doctor. Previous owner to the Evans, was Ian Oliver who owned a gents outfitters in Hamilton, and his parents before him.
John Cornfield Sandy Wilkie cheers I knew you’d kick in and you’d know the owners thanks Sandy

Sandy Wilkie I’m glad it wasn’t Jackie – I would have had mixed emotions! It was that sale of land by the Robbs which stopped me continuing at Aberdeen Uni and deciding instead to “stay home” and work with my dad on the farm milking cows whilst at the same time, building up my own milk round by delivering twice a day to the 600 new householders who gradually moved into Spam Valley, sorry, Priory Bridge! Funny how things turn out – think how many Blantyre milkboys & girls who WOULDNT have had the sound but tough training as Wilkie Warriors.

Jackie MacDonald Sandy Wilkie loved every day of it. Xx

Rose Lee q5 we moved from Armour Street to Harkins Ave in Nov 67

John Cornfield Sandy Wilkie was it 5 houses in the whole scheme we didn’t deliver to ? It was definitely something stupid like that

Stephen Mccall Sandy Wilkie you had the best of the best on the night run. Who would have thought deliveries at night would have been so successful. We covered Priory Bridge, Wheatland,
SSHA
Burnbrae
Village
Coatshill. Great squad and some great times.

Blantyre Project Thank you everybody.
Blantyre Project all duly noted.

Jiae Jiae I think a cousin of mine left their prefab round about ’67/68 and did a swop to EK about ’69.

Wullie Clarkin Question. Three got to be the wee Celtic club everybody welcome
Stephen Mccall There was a lot of great clubs around.
Auchinraith club always jam packed at the weekend. 599 Masonic club was the first to get 11 am opening on a Sunday due to a mistake when granting their license people traveled from all around the area because of this. Became famous for the murder that happened in it. Columba club great club sadly closed earlier in this year.

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