“It’s great to have friends”. That’s what Philip and Maureen Rooney (centre) feeling in December 1977 when Tom Berry handed them £225.
Mr Berry, along with Andrew Semple (fourth from left) were both friends of Mr and Mrs Rooney. The three men all served on the committee of Blantyre’s Doon Inn Social club. When Tom and Andy heard that their old friends house had been badly damaged by fire the previous month, they decided to help.
Going around Blantyre’s pubs and publicans, who responded with donations of bottles of whisky. With the help of customers, they raffled off those bottles of whisky in various Blantyre pubs raising £225 to help the Rooney’s of Ashley Place put their home back together again.
Philip Rooney told reporters after this photo was taken, “The generosity of Blantyre folk has been magic“, as he thanked everybody who had helped. Recognise anybody else in the pic?
