On 14th February 1907, Mr. John Dunlop wrote into the Hamilton Advertiser with a letter which contained not just complaint but lots of suggestions and foresight. John lived in Douglas Street in High Blantyre and was particularly concerned about the lack of facilities in Blantyre as a whole. I’ve recorded his interesting letter below, shown […]
On Sunday, 7th November 1909, a terrible fire took place at 6 Douglas Street, burning down a tenement building and taking the lives of 2 people. The sensational commentary was told in some detail in local newspapers and is retold here. Attached also to illustrate, from 1910 -1915 is this remarkable photo showing the timbers […]
Let’s go back to 1976 next and to High Blantyre. Pictured here courtesy of Gordon Cook is the view from former Dixon’s Pit 2 looking across to the relatively new Jerusalem Houses. A recognisable sight, still with their flat roofs at the time. The industrial activities in the foreground is the earthworks phase for the […]
Continuing our lockdown quiz. Where in Blantyre is this? And what year? Answer revealed tonight. With thanks to Sandy Wilkie for sharing. Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said: Stephen Mccall Is it the entrance to Bardykes Farm before the house were built. Fiona Dunlop […]
A riot broke out in High Blantyre Main Street on the night of Friday 23rd July 1920. Some of you may be thinking, “well, nothing new there then!”, but you would be wrong, for this was much more serious than any quarrel. On that evening, almost 100 years ago, angry men took to the streets […]
I DO LOVE a photo with no date! Being sent undated photos is like a little challenge to me, to try to close down the decade the photo was taken, or even possibly find out the year. I’d seen this photo of Douglas Street before in the late Neil Gordon’s book back in 2004. […]
A photo from 126 years ago! This is High Blantyre at Douglas Street in 1892, looking across to the newly constructed church halls. In the foreground is a wooden cart, likely belonging to the whitewashed smiddy adjacent. Behind it is the Kirkyard Cemetery and behind that the tenements near Kirkon’s High Blantyre Cross. During […]