In December 1892, a cold snap prompted locals in Lanarkshire to engage in curling, though results were mixed. Hamilton teams, led by Colonel J. C. Forrest and Major Aikman, competed against Blantyre teams, achieving notable victories. Meanwhile, leading curlers excelled in a national contest at Carsebreck, ultimately winning the title.
On January 7, 1893, a severe cold snap in Central Scotland famously froze the River Clyde, creating a safe surface for ice activities. Locals enjoyed skating and improvised rinks, with enthusiastic crowds and no reported accidents. A photo from February 2021 commemorates this historic event and its legacy.
Between the 11th and 14th February 1902, the Clyde unusually froze over during an incredibly cold spell. The River Clyde was frozen over fully riverbank to riverbank between Blantyre Weir and half a mile upstream to the Craighead Viaduct. It made for a strange and rare sight for local people. On the following Saturday morning […]
Perhaps inspired by the Royal family’s love of Ice Skating, many towns across the UK in Victorian Times had their own club for the new winter leisure past-time of ‘skating’. Blantyre was no exception, with an Ice Skating club already formed by February 1965. Newspaper reports made announcements when and if the ice was […]
Tragedy befell a Blantyre man on 21st December Christmas 1927. Along with two others, John (or James as some reports confirmed) Cook (20) of Chalmer’s Land, Blantyre set out for stroll, and eventually reached Bothwell Bridge, where a pond beside the river was frozen. Cook, who was a deafman, but impetuous youth, suddenly left his companions […]