Another brilliant old photo of Glasgow Road. This looks eastwards towards Hamilton and was taken from the end of Merry’s Rows (now Elm Street). Off to the far left is Clark Street, and beyond the tram, leading off to the left is Forrest Street then Grants Buildings with the double canopy of Gilmours shops.
Behind the back of the tram still on the left of the photo is the slated turret of the former Livingstonian Pub at the corner of Forrest Street, which at this time would have been the Masonic Hall and later to become the Electric theatre, one of the first cinemas in Blantyre. A few years after this photo, the upper floor burned down, taking the turret with it!
On the right in the background is the tower of the former Caldwell Institution at the corner of Auchinraith Road. It’s a good photo, the tram driver taking time to stop and pose for a photo.
Incredibly, everything in this photo is now gone. The people. The road surface, the buildings, trams, pavements, telegraph poles and lamp standards. Not one brick or stone remains. Indeed the whole scene is now entirely different, looking like this, from the exact same vantage point.
With thanks to Rob Gordon for sharing a good colour copy of this postcard.
