Nature slowly claiming back the former ornamental, beautiful Italian Gardens at Auchentibber. This photo from 1999 shows the remnants of arched structures built 90 years earlier which once adorned the quoting green gardens. Built by the miners, these gardens were once described as a “wonder” and somewhere for tourists to come to happily knowing they […]
Some changes took place at High Blantyre Cemetery in October 1977, which recognised that only Blantyre residents should be buried at that location going forward. Hamilton District Council had decided not to allow burials of people from outside the town in the cemetery, except in special cases. Suggestions that this move was being taken because […]
At the end of September 1893, Lanarkshire was counting the cost of a significant outbreak of typhoid. The ‘fever’ had broken out in a number of villages and towns, and Blantyre didn’t escape it. In September, numbers were growing, with 39 new cases reported that month alone, higher than Cambuslang and neighbouring Bothwell! The outbreak […]
In September 1977, residents were told that the site of the Blantyre Mining Disaster and former Dixon’s Pits at High Blantyre will likely be the location of a new, industrial development in the town. Negotiations were ongoing to bring a jobs boost to the town… and by Autumn 1977, those negotiations were nearing completion. The […]
Interesting wee story this next one. Well, I thought so. When the new Housing estate at Priory Bridge was built in the early 1970’s, builders and the District Council argued about who should be landscaping the verge at the side of the B758 Blantyre Farm Road. A beautiful new housing estate with modern homes had […]
Whilst researching a story about the early Labour Party movement in 1894, I was recently puzzled to read that they met at “Blakely’s Cross”, High Blantyre. I haven’t heard that term before, Blakely’s Cross. Looking at the 1898 map though, it is easy to see why that name would apply. At that time, in the […]
One of Blantyre’s worst eye-sores was set to go before the end of the year 1977. In February 1977, it was announced that Stonefield Bing was to be turned into a park and leisure area, by that autumn. The bing, which was the site of Dixons Pit 4 pithead had been disused for 40 years […]