A snippet from the Hamilton Herald 2nd October 1896, a newspaper describing the Blantyre column news from 127 years ago. This was the remainder of the news that week:
“Last week the village was ‘en fete’, the occasion being a marriage in the Parish Church. The marriage caused a lot of stir in the place, for apart altogether of the social position of the parties, marriages in the Church of Scotland are comparatively rare. This is an English custom where we might with profit follow, for it is surely more fitting to be married in church, than in the halls attached to public houses, in which it is now becoming so common to be married in.”
“Some time ago a Bachelor’s Club was formed in Stonefield but it is long since defunct. They had rituals and odes, one of which sang to the air of Campbell’s famous song, commenced with ‘Ye Bachelors of Blantyre.’ As some of the members have now got married, we are afraid that the sunny smiles of the Blantyre lassies have proved too much for icy, uncomfortable bachelordom.”
This next jotting however, is my favourite…..
“We heard the other day that a band of new pipers is to be formed in the village. Though the statement is not very well authenticated, still to be forewarned is to be forearmed and we do hope Dr Grant and our other local J.Ps we see that the peace of the village is not disturbed. We are a long suffering people, but the hideous noise which is sure to follow the formation of such a band may prove too much and if such a band is formed of new musicians, keen to start out in the hobby, we advise those members to be taking themselves up to the uncultivated fields of Blantyre Moor or to the hidden depths of the shafts of some of our local collieries to be practicing.”
