Continuing the exclusive look at some stunning colourisation of Blantyre photos, today bringing back the magic of the Orchard at Boat Jocks, in all its glory.
Incredibly, these photos are 112 years old, dating from 1908. The black and white photos were restored removing their scratches and grainy appearance, sharpened in contrast then sent off to Scotland Colourised, for adding colour.
The result? The Brown family at Boatland, near Blantyreferme are pictured in amazing colour, somewhat brining back the location of how it may once have looked. Archie Brown is pictured on his knees working hard with picked fruit at his orchard, a location many of us know as ‘Boat Jocks’
On his workers stands at the door of the former Boatland cottage outbuildings with his wicker and wooden baskets and barrels. Not forgetting the orchard itself laden with large, well cared for fruit!
This was a successful business run by a hard working family, Archie’s own diary proving the daily toll and graft needed to keep the business going all year round. However, don’t let the idyllic location fool you. At this time, behind the orchard was a growing Bing, the waste of a huge industrial adjacent scene at Blantyreferme Collieries. It’s unknown what the Brown family thought of the adjacent colliery or whether it supplemented or hindered their business.
Some of the fruit trees survived until recent decades, but this riverbank location is now only fields and young trees.
