In 1896, the road we know today as Station Road from the Station up to Glasgow Road, was almost entirely rural. A rough track, surrounded by fields, hedgerows and trees. Indeed on the eastern side there wasn’t one property or building from the station southwards until you got to the old Toll House at the […]
A familiar scene, yet strangely a little different now. This is of course Main Street in High Blantyre looking westwards towards Kirkton. Photographed in 1979, there are a few things different nowadays. The missing building in the billboard space on the right, the postbox no longer there today and the undeveloped narrower footpaths. However, the […]
This photo is from the 1930s and is Glasgow Road looking eastwards towards Hamilton. Taken on the toll brae the photo used for a postcard, was likely to celebrate the removal of tram lanes from the road and to celebrate a new hard surface being laid in the carriageway. As you see from the pavements, […]
This picture has a great deal of familiarity. Allegedly from 1937, it’s Station Road, looking down towards the Village, Blantyre. School children, some barefoot turn into the entrance to St Joseph’s School. Street lighting is electric and some of the homes on the right look fairly new. One thing which has dramatically changed though, is […]
This is the first time this photo of Elm Street, Blantyre has been seen in colour online. Thanks to Rob Gordon for sharing. This is an original colour photo which appeared in black and white in Neil Gordon’s book. Adding some narrative to this. In September 1979, three streets in the centre of Blantyre were […]
This is the railway bridge crossing over the end of the road at John Street, Blantyre. Pictured fairly recently, this location reminded me on a peculiar incident which happened in 1901, some 122 years ago. About 10 o clock in the evening on Saturday 7th September 1901, a miner named Edward Cornfield (40) met with […]
In early 1902, there was not a street or road in Blantyre which was causing so much comment and complaint to authorities, as Station Road. At times, especially in wet weather, conditions were deplorable and with homes planned, the road was significantly too narrow. The complaints had arisen particularly in 1901 when a large drain […]