Sadly, several avid readers of Blantyre Project are no longer with us. 2023 saw the sudden passing of a few people who followed these Blantyre pages every day and are notably now missing in hearts and minds and indeed the comments sections. I don’t post too often about this respecting privacy of families, but in this instance the family did want others to know about the passing of Helen Williams.
Helen lived in Perth, Western Australia for many years after moving from Blantyre around 1980. Whilst she lived in Australia, she had friends and family here in Blantyre who may be shocked to read this sad news.
I’d been corresponding back and forth for about 10 years with Helen, discussing auld Blantyre. Helen often provided photos and commentary which made this page all the more interesting and some of her comments were put into Blantyre Project books, for generations to read hereafter.
A while back Helen sent these 3 photos of a family night out in Hastie’s Farm in 1973. Hastie’s Farm, located just off Victoria Street near the corner of Glasgow Road was a popular night out in the 1970s. Sunday mornings proved popular with singalongs, put on by various entertainers. The photo with the largest crowd was a family gathering, mostly The Williams Family from Fernslea Avenue. The other two photos just a night out. Helen is sitting on the left of the first one , in the second one she’s on the right with her sister Alice Cook on the left.
Do you know any of the other people in the photos? Our thoughts go out to the Williams and Cook families at this sad and difficult time. Rest in Peace Helen.
I’m pretty sure the woman second to left in the photo of four women is the late Jean Gibson (nee Hill) of Knightswood Terrace Blantyre? If not Jean, her daughter Linda Gibson? So sad to hear of those passing.