Andy Lynch shared a photo from his christening in 1957, taken in his Granny’s back garden at 68 Auchinraith Road. He is being held by his Auntie Anne, who still lives in her Blantyre home since 1960. The background features houses on Hawthorn Place.
1960’s Auchinatih Signal Tower. The abandoned line, which is now the EK Expressway slip road leading up from LIDl on to the Expressway.
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 1865. Newspaper reports made announcements when and if the ice was suitable […]
On Tuesday 22nd June 1897, the children of the workmen of Auchinraith Colliery took part in Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, after being invited by Colliery owners. Merry & Cunninghame, (Coalmasters) reached out to the community in a rare display of generosity by sending out very artistic invitation cards directly to the children of workers, […]
Reviewing the monthly reports of Blantyre School Board, published in local newspapers, I found evidence that before Auchinraith School was built, it had been proposed to be built…..in Larkfield! The site of the current High Blantyre Primary was initially the preferred site for a new school in 1899, a school desperately needed due to capacity […]
On Sunday 7th June 1903, police raided an illegal betting operation in Blantyre. Sunday car players had congregated in the famous rendezvous at the field near the Auchinraith Colliery, a field encircled by the Auchinraith branch of the railway. The field notoriously used for gambling given its enclosure by the railway on 3 sides, with […]
In January 1905, a story circulated around Blantyre about a remarkable feat of endurance and bravery by Blantyre man, Charles Allan. Charles, a labourer who repaired chimney stacks, was sitting astride a chimney 60 foot from the ground with colleague worker, Andrew Messer. They were repairing the head of the chimney stack when Charles noticed […]