Who remembers Rennie’s Shop in Coatshill? Did you know in 1967, a massive quantity of cigarettes were stolen from the shop. In the early hours of Friday 19th May 1967, almost 26,000 cigarettes were stolen in an audacious heist! Two 20 year old young men from Burnbank, under cover of darkness broke into the […]
On Sunday 30th April 1967, a single decker old bus which had been used as a workman’s bothy burned down. The bus had doubled as a work hut and was being used by the many men employed in removing the Priory Bing at the former Priory Colliery, Low Blantyre. It is unknown how the blaze […]
The first week in April 1967 was particularly notable for vandalism in Blantyre. An empty prefab in Lochlie Street, High Blantyre which was due to be demolished was set on fire on the evening of Monday 3rd April 1967. Although firemen were quickly on the scene, only the frame was left standing. The next evening […]
Some stories I need to be careful off, as 1979, is a little “modern” and where high jinks end in arrest, I have no wish to embarrass anybody or dwell on things that happened 40 years ago. SO. In this instance, I won’t name the rather well known man in Blantyre, who once lived in […]
Around 5pm on Sunday 24th June 2018 emergency services were called out to a major blaze just off Newhousemill Road (the back roads to Blantyre). An area at the back of Lodgehill Farm was ablaze with thick black smoke seen as far off as Calderglen Country Park and Low Blantyre. Three fire engines attended […]
On Friday 19th December 1862, a week before Christmas, police constable Andrew Cooper was going about his rounds on Burnbank Road when he saw three well known characters of the same family. John Cook (the father), Sarah Cook (the wife) and also Sarah Cook (daughter) were in the dark street carrying something bulky, struggling […]
On Friday 26th August 1836, two males who were employed at Blantyre to cart some stones and rubbish ended up in a quarrel. The row was over some trifling matter relating to the performance of the work, which resulted in one of them, named Cameron picking up a heavy stone and with it, struck […]
On Saturday 14th August 1922, three young Blantyre lads, John King, John Hay, and William Wallace decided to have a game of football. Nothing strange there at the end of school summer holidays. However, it was their footie venue that caused a problem! The boys who lived locally, went to Mr Thomas Watson’s field adjoining […]
 | Lindsay Paterson on Glasgow Road, 1925 |
 | Eric Flack on Soldiers at the Dookit, 1916 |
 | Archie simm on The Houldsworth Watch |
