In Summer 1977, a fight was on to save the James Little College at Crossbasket, High Blantyre. It would be a battle not to be won.
The governors of the college for handicapped people (using the terminology then) decided to launch a campaign to try to keep things open. It was really aimed at Strathclyde Regional Council to maintain the opening of the college, then the only one of its kind in Scotland. The campaign focused on the excellent progress which had been made to date and how the work was bettering lives.
A drastic cut in the number of enrolled student, 10 only in 1977 meant the Council were looking for savings and closure was inevitable. The articles did arouse some public interest and protest but not to any extent that it made a difference.
Despite only being open 13 years, since 1964, the college located in what is now Crossbasket Castle, had seen over 300 students pass through with a tremendously successful 80% conversion into finding work for disabled people after training in some profession had been given. There’s no doubt it provided opportunities for people who would otherwise perhaps not have had them, gave them a degree of further independence, satisfaction and security.
Two days after the closure of James Little College, on 22ndJuly 1977, having exclusive use of the entire ‘Castle’ and 27 acres of ground, landowner George Baxter Russell sold off 4.9 acres to the North East side of Crossbasket Estate. The buyer was David Brainard Baxter Russell and his wife Margaret, of 14 Glenturret, East Kilbride, George’s brother and sister in law. It proved to be another excellent business transaction, for George sold the 4.9 acres for £23,500. (£150,000 in 2015 money), and more in line with the worth of that land.
Let’s just take a second here to put this in context. A reminder, in 1976 George acquired Crossbasket Castle and 27 acres of estate land for £35,000. Just one year later, he sold only 4.9 acres receiving £23,500, recovering 67% of his initial outlay, yet still retaining the Castle and 22.1 whole acres! Now THAT was some business transaction and I wonder what he would make of things today if he knew that a £15m hotel, restaurant and spa was being built on that little part he sold off!
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