Taken from the windows of Mayberry Place, this pre WW1 crowd gathered at the David Livingstone Church for the unveiling of David Livingstone’s Statue. This is 1913 and a narrow Glasgow Road can be seen in the background, before being widened. Trams were running for about 10 years by the time this was photographed.

The interesting thing about this photo isn’t necessarily the fields of Wheatland in the background or lack of homes on them, but is the foreground itself, the entrance to the church , much wider than it is today due to the acquisition of church land and indeed the front gardens of Glasgow Road villas, in order to widen the road. The building in the background is now demolished.

A large crowd had gathered in front of the Church, the weather was changeable, it was cold, and what sunshine there was gave way occasionally to sleet and rain. Amongst those on the platform were Mr Fred L. M. Moir, of the African Lakes Corporation, and chairman of the Livingstonia Committee, who presided over this great occasion; Rev. W. G. Allan, who represented the Congregational Union; and Rev. Wardlaw Thomson D.D., of the London Missionary Society; Rev. James Mackie, as representative of the Hamilton Presbytery; and Mr George Pate, general manger of the Carron Iron Company, who represented the subscribers.

Also present were two of David Livingstone’s grandchildren, Dr Hubert Francis Wilson and Ruth Mary Wilson, both of whom would soon leave Scotland to do medical missionary work in Africa. A good description of this event can be found here:
https://blantyreproject.com/2018/09/unveiling-livingstone-statue/

How unsuspecting this crowd would have been as to what was about to happen in Europe and how their lives would all be so dramatically affected the following year.

This photo has been coloured by Scotland Colourised.