A little extract from Jimmy Cornfields ‘flitting’ story where a cairt is taken around some streets in Blantyre as a family move home. The map is 1910, but the story is a couple of decades later. Jimmy wrote,
“The cairt went up Dixon Street, turned right intae Stonefield Road, passin’ Jock Miller’s Piggery, Murdoch’s Pub, Trayners Wee Shop, Chuckers Jeans an’ the independent Co-op. Then right intae Calder Street an’ doon past Carfin Street, Govan Street, Millar Street an’ Burnside Street. Then past Maggie McAleenans Shoap, across frae Tam Barclays yaird, an’ New Clinic across frae McAlpines-in-the-park (Netherfield Place) tae the Clay Road (Victoria Street) an’ the Polis Station across frae Calder Street School an’ the new Miner’s Welfare an’ the Wee Congregational Church at the junction of Craig Street (Slag Road).
The horse an’cairt then turned left down Craig Street past Carlton Terrace an’aw thon lovely wee Cottages, especially the wan (Popular Cottage) yir Auntie Lizzie wis boarn in, tae ye came tae Harper’s garage at the corner. The cairt then turned right on to the Glasgow Road, past the Cosy Corner Pub, Greenside street, Arbuckle the Butcher, Andra Little the Baker (does he still make thon lovely wee rolls?) Hogg’s Paper Shop, Grimson’s Wireless Shoap, Paterson the Chemist, the Dookit Picture House, Norris the Grocer, Cathy Potts Fruit Shoap at the corner o’ Alpine Street, opposite Hugh’s the Grocer, Gibson’s store, Allen’s Chip Shoap, McWilliamson the Butcher, an’ Davidson’s the Drapers, which wur aw right across the road fae the Central Buildings, Turner’s Building wi’ J.C.Sweet’s cut price Shoap.
Then the entrance in tae Logan Street, wi’ the Priory Baron oan the ither corner. Before they started building Logan Street wis jist a wee street wi’ Turner’s building oan the right haun side wi’ a Park next tae it, where aw the brass an’ silver bauns in Blantir jist tae practice, while oan the left haunside, wis the Priory Baran’ Hall (where aw thon doo’ men yist tae meet) along wi’ the new drill hall. Did ye’ ken, James, that it wis named efter Janet Logan, the wife o’ John Clark Forrest, a prominent man in Blantir at the time who also had three streets named efter himself? Like John Clark and Forrest Streets.”