Many readers of this page will remember Blantyre Highland Games at Bardykes Farm in the late 1980’s. People look back fondly to those well organised, popular events which gathered many thousands of spectators. However, you may be surprised to know that the 1980’s weren’t the first Highland Games to happen in Blantyre. On the last […]
A last look at Sanny McVicar’s photos of the Highland Games. Keep coming back to Hercules the Bear, surely the star attraction! The thought of putting a live bear up near rows of kids nowadays! I have a distinct memory of Hercules drawing blood from Andy’s upper thigh at one of those events, (in playfulness […]
More photos of Blantyre Highland Games from 1988, courtesy of Sanny McVicar. Featuring Blantyre Project Social Media with permission. Strictly not for use by others on or offline, our visitors said: Richard Geddes Is that Bill kazmier?? Caroline Maher does blantyre still do highland games?? Paul Veverka No sadly not. Jimbo McSkimming It was a […]
Thought this was worth sharing. You may have seen this recently in the Hamilton Advertiser. Pictured from 1987 is Hercules the Bear at the inaugural Blantyre Highland Games behind Bardykes Farm (Wilkies). The reporter noted, “Hamilton Provost Sam Casserly was confronted by bear faced cheek in March 1987 when he came face to face with […]
Shared here by Andy Bain is a photo of Jón Páll Sigmarsson (the Viking) at Blantyre Highland Games. Jon Pall was competing in the strongman events and was somewhat of a celeb that year. He would later die young 4 years afterwards. Zooming in on the crowd, I wonder if you can recognise anybody in there. […]
1989 Twenty six years ago this week at Blantyre Highland Games in the field beside Wilkies Farm, this photo was taken. Jón Páll Sigmarsson 3rd runner up in the world strongman competition, signs autographs. He was every bit the showman. During a deadlift event in the 1985 World’s Strongest Man competition, someone in the audience […]