Going back 71 years now to 1950 and a photo taken in Stonefield Public Park, Blantyre.
Following the success of winning the Scottish Junior Cup that year, Blantyre Vics sadly found themselves with very little money left to even go and properly enjoy a celebration. The Fifth District Council, still recovering from war years, similarly found no money or budget to put on a social celebration for the local team, however all was not lost.
Thanks to the community spirit and organisation of Parks Superintendent Mr. A.M Crowe appreciation of the honour brought to Blantyre was celebrated through a marvellous floral display!
The display was planted up by Mr. A. M Crowe and some of his assistants and featured the cup itself, made of flowers, a playing pitch in miniature, the name of the cup and winners and the date!
A total of 7,000 plants were used including 500 Mentha Requine, amongst the smallest flowering plants in the world. Any community group in modern Blantyre will know not just what an undertaking it is to plant 7,000 healthy plants, but the marvel being the cleverness, accuracy and sheer organisation and setting out of the display in the first place. I’m sure this display would have been appreciated by many, many people.
Mr Crowe on the left is pictured with Jim Richardson of Blantyre Victoria admiring the display.
I remember the flowers well in “our” park, and especially the constructed displays they were always so beautiful, we had to pass through every day oan oor way hame frae “Nessie’s Skuil”…or, strolling up to the kirk…or the shops… often the pool was empty though in my memory? That would have been between 1955 to 1963.