Street lighting is often overlooked today, but in the 1890s, residents of Lanarkshire’s towns and villages actively sought improvements. They voiced persistent demands for enhanced street illumination, highlighting a historical appreciation for this essential public service and the ongoing need for better lighting in their communities.
In February 1893, Blantyre Gas Company sought tenders for Scotch Lime Shells, essential for removing harmful gases in coal gas production. These shells were sourced from local limestone deposits and processed for efficient use at the gasworks, with the successful supplier delivering them to High Blantyre Station in June 1893.
On the morning of Wednesday 18th November 1896, a drama unfolded midway down Stonefield Road. In this era, there were few houses, the area dominated by the Dixons Colliery Pit No 4 but it was at those few houses, where events took place. At two blocks of houses, just east of Larkfield, three families were […]
As darker nights approached in October 1905, the Blantyre Gas Company at Stonefield Road (where Lethams Garage would later be), took opportunity to showcase a new type of gas light. A solitary, column around 20 feet high was erected on the pavement outside the gas works, which was attracting attention at night. The new Lucas […]
During the first decade of the 20th Century, the Blantyre Gas Company Ltd came under some criticism for not being able to supply all the Blantyre residents with the gas they so dearly wanted. The problem wasn’t just infrastructure, but also storage capacity, the works unable to hold the amount of gas demanded by residents. […]
In early 1922 gas lamps along Glasgow Road were replaced with electric lighting, not without its share of problems, I may add. This left the Parish Council with lots of redundant equipment which they promptly advertised for sale in an advert placed in the Scotsman in March that year. Up for sale were 28 […]
How did people manage to cheat their gas meters in Blantyre in 1931? Reports suggest it was a common practice for people to put false coins in the gas and electricity meters and then to repay the collectors later for the supply they obtained by these means. Such was the statement of an agent […]