Like many Blantyre people in 1926, local man Mr John Mackie had his eye on job prospects abroad. The call of countries like America, Australia and New Zealand offered attractive prospects by comparison to a hard life in Lanarkshire’s mines. Trouble was, John was in love with his sweetheart, Miss May Dickson of 80 […]
With the closure of the Blantyre Suspension Bridge on 4th May 1949, thoughts had firmly turned to a replacement crossing by 1950. In Springtime 1950, the new site had been chosen, which was to be further downstream beyond the weir, much closer to Shuttle Row. By April 1950, workmen had marked out the site with Black […]
Taking you back 64 years now to 1953. Pictured from above is a rare low height aerial photo of Blantyre. This time Glasgow Road junction at Bardykes Road and what you’re looking at is the Westend Bar. *Note photo incorrectly says 1960. The Public Bar backyard is transformed temporarily into a small compound, acting as the […]
Pictured in 1903 looking down Station Road is the Village, Blantyre. Beyond the circular former gatehouse to Blantyre works, is the Village Bar and behind that the three storey tenements of Ulva Place. Ulva Place was a former street in theVillage. It was more of a cul de sac. Leading eastwards off of Station Road, […]
Betty McLean in Canada sent me a very interesting newspaper clipping from the East Kilbride News from Friday, June 28th, 1968, which touched upon Glasgow Road looking unchanged for 70 years! Nothing could now be more further from that statement, with the subsequent 1970’s redevelopment of Glasgow Road transforming the old character through demolition […]
Mr. Joseph Smith – was more commonly known as Joe. Joseph was born at Causeystanes on 28th August 1887 in Blantyre, the son of John Smith and Margaret Keegans. He made a success of his hobby, boxing and became the bare-knuckle champion of Scotland in 1906. Joseph married Annie McGorgary in 1908 at the relatively new […]
In September 2016, Eric Flack sent me a message saying, “Hi Paul, I am aware of some family ‘connection’ to Jackson, Craig and Coats Blantyre names. I have a silver fob medal won around 1840’s by a Jackson at the Blantyre show. Ploughing or milk. Plus a medical text book belonging to a Jackson dated 1829.” The Craig, Coats […]