A nice colour photo from 1979. This is Glasgow Road, looking Eastwards, though you would be forgiven if you don’t recognise the scene. This is the end of an era and making way for the next.
On the far right a demolished Rosendale has given itself over to preliminary advance earthworks for a new East Kilbride Expressway, the bridge over Glasgow Road noticeably missing and unbuilt yet. The road sweeping down fro the right is the end of the original route of Auchinraith Road, with part of this road still intact today in the carpark of Gavin Watson Printers (formerly Reids).
A lot has changed in the 44 years since this photo was taken. To the left ,just out the picture is the top of Forrest Street, and by this time the garage had been demolished, but further down the speedway still functioning.
Thinking back to this time, I paid next to no interest as a young boy to just how much Blantyre was changing and actually have very little memories of all the shops once along Glasgow Road. This was the price of progress, accepted as necessary, marching to a modern era.
With thanks to Rob Gordon for this good quality, colour image.