Here’s a few news stories which were going on in Blantyre during August 1977. James Little CollegeA lecturer at High Blantyre’s James Little College for the handicapped made a strong plea in favour of the special school being kept open. College governors had recently announced that the facility at Crossbasket would have to close because […]
I hope you’re enjoying my look at the 1890’s Blantyre. It’s one of my favourite times for local history, not just because of the sheer amount of change, but also the many excellent and little known stories that formed part of our history. Like this one, when an outbreak of fire at High Blantyre Railway […]
What was going on in Blantyre during Autumn 1967? Exploring some of the newsworthy stories during October that year, some 57 years ago. Anybody remember anything here? There was some excitement in High Blantyre as a couple of teenagers were injured in a motor cycle accident. Robert Lyon (17) and Margaret Lyon (19) of 5/7 […]
Continuing a look this month at previously unseen old Blantyre photos online. On 17th November 1967, the High Blantyre Primary School at Hunthill Road went on fire. This photo was kindly shared by George Hay. It is unknown if it was started deliberately or accidentally. This school was also later known in the 1970’s as […]
On Wednesday 11th December 1895, residents in Blantyre were alarmed to see a shocking fire. Between 8pm and 9pm that cold winter’s night just over 128 years ago, the bread van of the Blantyre Co-operative Society was discovered to be in flames. By the time the fire was extinguished, damage amounting to around £15 (about […]
What a terrible, depressing scene. This weeks dry weather has seen a significant wildfire outbreak on the upper moors above High Blantyre, just above Calderside. Emergency service were called and spent a couple of days attending to the fire, which was spread over an expansive area. It’s unknown how the fire started, but not thought […]
About 11 o clock on the evening of Saturday 31st May 1900, smoke was seen coming from a door and window of a property in Hunthill Road. The alarm quickly raised. This was the house of Mrs Fulton, a widow who lived alone. On the door being forced, the house was found to be full […]