Continuing some interesting local , little known stories from the 1890’s. Masonic Lodge No 367, Blantyre, known as The Crusaders Lodge, L.O.G.T decided on the evening of Tuesday 2nd July 1895 to have an open air meeting in High Blantyre.
The outdoor venue was the farm fields to the north of Causeystanes/Main Street overlooking Dixon’s Pits and the purpose was to discuss a local Veto bill. This lodge was often involved in temperance movements and the locality of the meeting may have been carefully and deliberately chosen given the opening nearby of Mr Blackley’s new Public House at the corner of Broompark Road.
A large audience was present and the band of the EU Congregational church played a number of selections. The speakers were Messrs Rosie and King delivered stirring speeches to try and further the temperance cause, focusing on the dangers of excessive drinking in society. The message was carefully put over to the various miners and tradesmen in the audience.
Some time however, before the meeting closed, a large number of people left quite suddenly, distracted by the large hot air balloon overhead coming from Glasgow and drifting towards the high fields over Hamilton. The spectacle that evening was the lady parachutist entertainer jumping from the balloon, just west of Dykehead at the top of Sydes Brae. Now what a sight that must have been!
Though no photographs exist of this, for illustration only, AI has recreated what the meeting may have looked like.
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