I was only 6 years old at the time of this next photo in Summer 1977. Blantyre Market….but I do still remember all the fruit and veg and socks being sold! It was exciting enough to hold a memory for me even at that young age.
At the time Spook Erection, who ran the market was a fairly new name in Blantyre, though they were actually one of Scotland’s largest outdoor market companies. Similar markets were being run in Hamilton Ingilston, Paisley and Wishaw in the 70s. By 1977, they actually had about 50 markets all over Scotland.
Spook Erection began their operations in Scotland in 1972 with the Blantyre market held in the latter half of the 1970’s in the plot of land in front of Hastie’s Farm, just off Victoria Street and Glasgow Road. Today that’s now where Victoria Care Home is. It was an ideal spot for traders and a big hit with Blantyre folks.
Seeing goods in an easy, relaxed atmosphere outdoors on home territory was a big attraction for shoppers, especially if they knew the trader and could barter a wee discount or two. Blantyre market had dresses, shirts, shoes, fruit and veg, household goods, records and the occasional sweetie or antique stall. Another big plus was that the traders didn’t like packing up and going home with surplus stock, so would often discount things towards the end of the market hours, meaning the market stayed busy right up until close. The market was open from 10am until 4pm.
In Hamilton, they also ran a market in the Vogue Social Club carpark on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Although in business in Scotland since 1972, Spook actually opened in England in 1968 when Mr Nigel Maby, a stall holder himself, had the creative idea to start building stalls for the market traders in advance of the market opening. The idea was a popular one, taking pressure off traders to set up and one they were quite happy paying a fee for. Things took off and Nigel began looking for suitable sites elsewhere in Britain.
In the 1970s, Ingliston market in Edinburgh was the largest open air market in the country. I have very fond memories of mum and dad taking us kids to Ingliston at the weekends.
But why the unusual name ‘Spook Erection’? Nigel was asked this often. The answer was quite simple. The company would go along at night, working in the spooky darkness to set things up for the next day. When traders woke up the next day, they found an empty field or carpark turned into the ideal ‘haunt’ for a market.
The Blantyre market is fondly missed, with people able to compare prices in these outdoor stalls to what traders and businesses sold from their shops. It kept a lot of variety and drove competition and prices down.
Recognise anybody? The infant in the baby buggy must surely be turning 50 now!