Between one and two o’clock on Monday 22nd January 1866 the stable, situated on the farm of Barnhill (on modern day Bardykes Road) caught alight. Owner John Jackson rushed to the scene and thankfully the damage was not great. The roof of the stable however, was completely lost. It was supposed a spark from […]
Perhaps inspired by the Royal family’s love of Ice Skating, many towns across the UK in Victorian Times had their own club for the new winter leisure past-time of ‘skating’. Blantyre was no exception, with an Ice Skating club already formed by February 1965. Newspaper reports made announcements when and if the ice was […]
Next, a tale long forgotten, for it happened 154 years ago. Another massive fire at the Blantyre Dye Works, the FOURTH time the huge 6 storey building was completely gutted. At about eight o’clock on Sunday evening on 6th March 1864, fire was discovered to have again broken out in one of the drying […]
This next story took place 155 year ago in Blantyre Stores, in the Village, Low Blantyre in the building which is now the Village Bar on Station Road. About two o’clock on Friday 23rd January 1863 three boys from Blantyre works were employed at Blantyre Stores for the day only. James Maxwell, William Maxwell […]
A last look at Sanny McVicar’s photos of the Highland Games. Keep coming back to Hercules the Bear, surely the star attraction! The thought of putting a live bear up near rows of kids nowadays! I have a distinct memory of Hercules drawing blood from Andy’s upper thigh at one of those events, (in playfulness […]
More photos of Blantyre Highland Games from 1988, courtesy of Sanny McVicar. Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said: Richard Geddes Is that Bill kazmier?? Caroline Maher does blantyre still do highland games?? Paul Veverka No sadly not. Jimbo McSkimming It was a […]
Sanny McVicar handed in these excellent photos of the 1988 Blantyre Highland Games. Pictured is Andy and Hercules the Bear, as well as some of the strongmen competing in the various strongman challenges. Located in the large field behind Bardykes House, the games were popular each year attended by many thousands of people. Whats […]