These photos from a film camera, although a little blurry were taken in 1997. Pictured is the Dandy at various points along its route from Glasgow Road, to Farm Road and on towards David Livingstone Centre. It may not have changed too much in the 21 years since these were taken! What’s your memories of “The Dandy”?
Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said:
John Cavanagh I must’ve spent all my childhood in the dandy I’ve got some great memories there
Anthony Smith I remember when the gate and houses weren’t there.
Thomas Barrett That was our play area from the prefabs happy times. My late brother John got stuck up a tree was in the Hamilton Advertiser
Fran Mcdermott Walters Spooky at night and we’d bloody run like sprinters through it lol
James McMillan Always remember the sand pit behind the shops and the children home there as well
Gail Chalmers Me too
Margaret Duncan Mr MacKay our teacher from St Josephs used to take the class down there to identify trees but really he just wanted a wee smoke
Anthony Smith Big Archie ?
Margaret Duncan Yes Big Archie – I think the only thing he taught me was how to spell temperature – but he was nice – we had Mrs MacKay as our register teacher – I liked her too
John Dunsmore Defo. Tony ,hate x houses weren’t there . Takes you well back pal
Sadie Dolan This was my short cut from village to shops, wouldn’t dare do this now, xx
Hugh Sugar Kelly Spent a lot of time playing in the Dandy. Making swings an hiding there when playing cap doors run. Great memories
Aidan McDowell Always wondered why its called the dandy
Andrew Little What happened to the old nunnery??
Andy Callaghan Spent my whole childhood down there and in the woods running along Clydeside Knew it, and all its wee paths, better than I knew my own face. Feel lucky to have been brought up there. It wasn’t all slag heaps n bings . Though I loved playing on the slag heaps n bings too. My mother said I came home dirtier than my Dad and he was coalface miner.
Margaret Mary OSullivan Andy Callaghan Loved it too! I used to go down to pick bluebells for the altar in the classroom at Saint Joseph’s primary – then spent ages arranging them in a jam jar. Happy, wonderful, carefree days!
Colin Duffy That was my play ground I lived right beside it in Livingston crescent I would spend all summer there and winter
Carol Porter Growing up I was always warned never to go near the Dandy- never stopped us though
Jim Brown Once a week, ma da would take me and ma wee brother (by foot in those days) down to ma Grannies at vewfield avenue via the dandy. Can remember getting a punnet of wee tomatoes at Browns nursery
Carolyn Patterson Our house backed onto the dandy when we lived in the prefabs in Park Lane was our playground and shirt cut to Botrels shop happy memories it was safe back then x
Jackie Meikle Walking threw it every morning and back from st Joseph’s school
John Beggs Kristopher Beggs Tree swing at the bridge was a death trap but some laugh and if you where brave enough to jump of the tree stump
Helen Mc Gowan Munday Don’t know if I could find my way now! Happy days.
Linda Halpin Me too used it as a shortcut especially at school to go back and forth from Coatshill
Ryan Mcskimming Ethan O’Donnell ye hink wains still got jump ins doon there at that time
James Gilmour Steven Dunn gettim chased way the police haha
Stephen Cairney There used to be a well good tree swing Taylor Rouse dae you remember it
Jim Mccoll I still walk it a few times a week with my wee springer spaniel, the only danger here is the amount of broken buckfast bottles at the rail bridge, apart from that it,s a great wee walk down to david livingstone park and beyond.
David Baillie Loved going down the dandy when we went to my gran and papa in Bruce terrice.
Jimbo McSkimming up the dandy every day delivering my papers down the village with my put together Grifter bike
Jim Crossan I went to the Joe”a and got sent to the nuns for stuff, scary dogs etc.
Peter Kelly We were always told that red Indians lived in the dandy!
Gail Chalmers My gran stayed in Myrtle street and auntie in Marie way so always cut through the dandy to go between them. Played many an hour in the sandpit behind the shops & home
Peter McCafferty Many a cairy oot had doon there…..Happy days.
John Cornfield It was a great place to hang out before they built all the houses . At the sand pit all the Tyre boys would meet with our wine 🍷before going to Celtic v Rangers games and it was always mixed both Celtic and Rangers no fighting between us
Anne Gilchrist We always called the bottom part, heading down towards the Clyde from Farm Road ‘the dandy’. Used it as a route to the village and to school in Bothwell. My brothers would head down there to set up rope swings on the banks of the Clyde. There were lovely bluebells there as well. The top half, behind the prefabs and up past the convent we called ‘the avenue’ – a posher bit!!! I am referring to 50s /60s!