The author’s father-in-law discovered a well-preserved Victorian-era Scottish stoneware bottle while digging in their garden in Croftfoot, High Blantyre. Dating from 1850 to the 1890s, the intact bottle likely served for ink or medicinal use and exemplifies the area’s industrial history, as such finds are common near Victorian homes.
Rob Thorpe’s painting of my Croftfoot house in High Blantyre, used on my book cover, holds personal significance. Built in 1730, it’s one of the oldest houses in the area, blending historical charm with modern functions. I’ve renovated it since 2012 and plan further changes in Spring 2025.
We had a furry, winter visitor to our garden this week at High Blantyre. This grey squirrel appeared, rapidly climbed the bird table and started helping itself to the peanuts I’d left out for the birds. Filmed from my front window, the squirrel seemed to know it was safe with me behind glass, despite being […]
117 years ago, on Saturday 9th June 1905, the Blantyre Co-Operative held their annual gala day. The weather was beautiful, but without a public park in Blantyre, the gala had to be held on private ground. The donated venue for that day was the farm field in front of Croftfoot (my own home) in High […]
This is Blantyre man James Jackson, pictured last Century at the Pyramids in Egypt. A military man, James was the former owner of Croftfoot, the house I live in now at High Blantyre. These photos were shared by his relative, Jan Jackson who has been kind enough to share several photos relating to Croftfoot. There […]
There’s something a little spooky but still fascinating when somebody contacts you with photos of furniture once in your own home before you lived there! That happened to me this week when Jan Jackson shared these photos of wonderful furniture that once adorned Croftfoot, in High Blantyre. A tall grandfather clock, a Georgian writing Bureau […]
This lovely, previously unseen photo from my collection shows the brand new houses built on Broompark Avenue. Photographed here in 1908 or so, they were constructed around 2 years earlier by William Burnett. Obtaining the land from the Jacksons of Croftfoot on 1st November 1905, William Burnett planned on constructing an avenue with good quality […]