I’ve recently found some information relating to a former restaurant at High Blantyre.

David Maxwell’s Restaurant was situated in the Spiers Laun building, and the establishment later became more known as “The Station Cafe”. In June 1898, Mr David Maxwell of Kirkton applied for and was granted the transfer of License at High Blantyre from Mr Tomney to himself.

Pictured here sometime either in 1898 or just after is a woman wearing a white blouse, perhaps related to the Maxwell’s outside the restaurant in High Blantyre’s Main Street. This wasn’t far from the corner of Hunthill Road. The stone work is new looking, as the building was still fairly new at that time.

To put this picture in context, on the right is Main Street, to the left was School Lane and Logan’s Pub (later to become Carrigans and now The Cornerstone)

The Hamilton Herald newspaper on Friday 17th June 1898 added further comment about this transfer of license to David Maxwell. They reported on the frequent changes which had been made ‘of late’ at this shop with David being the 4th tenant to have occupied the property in the last 4 years (since 1894). The Fiscal also commented on the general unsuitability of the premises, which presumably was due to the fact there were several other public houses very close by.