100 Years ago and this is Main Street, High Blantyre at the Blantyre Co-Operative Society buildings. Unlike the other photo posted yesterday, these buildings are still standing. Putting these into context, this is now Day Today, the ATM, Hyper Cyber, Enchantress Hairdressers and the Wee Wool Shop. In the foreground is the stone wall at the corner of Priestfield Hall.
A busy scene as people go about their shopping and errands. Seeing horses and carts would still be commonplace in this era but of course times were changing in the roaring 20s. In Blantyre and surrounding districts, slum clearances were underway in this decade, making way for new ‘modern’ council homes like those at the Crescents, The Village, Welsh Drive and Nursery Place. Homes with damp proof courses, indoor toilets and some with more than 1 bedroom.
What is apparent in this photo is just how wide the granolithic pavements once were. As horse traffic gave way to motorised vehicles, the pavements were made narrower to widen the carriageway. This building appears to have been well constructed, standing whilst many others in the vicinity suffered from subsidence.
I was born in High Blantyre. “up the brickie” 12 Hamilton Drive. A relative used to manage the Co-Op in Main Street and I have two containers that used to hold the butter knives in that store.