Who remembers Games Electric Ltd? The electrical business arrived in Blantyre Industrial Estate in High Blantyre around 1971 and employed many local people, taking on several apprentices throughout the 1970s.
In October 1977 however, the firm was in trouble having had their premises flooded out (and not for the first time!) Blame lay firmly with what was described at the time as the ‘high handed’ attitude of Strathclyde Regional Council.
“Enough is Enough”, told Director Joseph Glass to reporters, following the 3rd flood in as many weeks. The drain next to the factory first overflowed on 7th October 1977, the water pressure blowing off the cover and the pressure of the water flowed right down the hill and into the factory. Production was immediately stopped.
Strathclydes’s emergency services were brought out and managed to divert the water away from the factory. Another time, water flooded in again, this time soaking office carpets and many of the electric control panel components the factory used, were under water and useless. Productions again stopped with mopping operations taking all week.
It was estimated that £900 damage had been done not to mention the downtime of thousands of man-hours and a tussle ensued when Strathclyde Regional Council refused to call on their insurance policies, though did help putting sandbags around the factory.
The problem was thought to have been caused by the construction of the nearby EK Expressway, which was directly being built on an existing stream. The stream being diverted was clearly causing water to also flow into unexpected areas. Councillor Malcolm Waugh
The Auchinraith Roundabout is pictured a year later in 1978 following completion of this section of the expressway, the embankments now covered in trees.
