Pictorial History of Auld Blantyre

Glasgow Road, Blantyre
East to West

And all its Arteries

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Valerios Building

McCaffries Bar - Also known as McCafferty's. then Enzios lce Cream Parlour.

It's known today as Miller's Fireplaces.

Robertsons Mineral Water Works at Springwells Blantyre

The factory was at this location because of the natural water spring, hence the name Springwell.

Robertson's Ginger Cairt

Mount Pleasant BLd & Miners Cottages. (Sleepy Valley)

Known locally as Deputy Raw or Dipity Raw as some called it.

Deputy's Cottages for the Whistleberry and Craighead Pits.

Whistleberry Rd -- Craighead pit on L/H SIde, Whistlberry Colliery 1&2 on RlH side

Craighead House on the outskirts of Blantyre, photographed in 1870 by Thomas Annan.

Craigend Pit

Robert Forrest, when he was only 19, working a horse at Craigend Pit, off the Whisleberry Road, in 1920.

The building, situated at the corner of Glasgow Road and Auchinraith Road, was erected by David Dale of the Workers Village and named after his wife Rose. Built in the early 1800’s. This picture was taken in the early 1970’s.

Auchinraith Club at end of same building.

Rosendale

Craighead Park

Forrest Street

Craighead Park, home of Blantyre Celtic F.C.from 1919, to the end of the 1986 season, when they went out of existence.

Blantyre Speedway at the Blantyre Dog Track

The Dog Track was owned and operated by Frank Doonin.

This photo of the dog track was taken on opening night of the speedway in July 1977.Speedway ran there 1977-81.

Bairds Rows

Craighead Rows, Known locally as Baird's Rows. This photo was taken on the Queen's Coronation 1953.

Baird's Rows consisted of three rows of tied Miners cottages belonging to Craighead Colliery. Purdie Builders of Coatbridge commenced construction of the houses in April 1878.

Blantyre Victoria F.C.

Blantyre Victoria were reconstructed as a junior team in 1902, playing in the Scottish Central League. The Vics were successful in winning the League Championship in 1935/36 and also contested the final of the Lanarkshire Cup in the same season.

Castle Park

Clark St.- Looking East

Here you see a Tram coming from Hamilton, Trams were introduced to Blantyre in 1903 when this photo was taken.

The Wellington Bar - Glasgow Road at Clark Street. A pub often frequented by the Lithuanian people of Blantyre and Burnbank, noted for its famous Dark Light Beer.

John Street Garden Display

Stepek's, Glasgow Road

Gilmours Building, Shops

Gilmours Grocery, Blacks Bakery, Gilmour Clothes etc.,

Angies Ice Cream Parlour, small Grocery, Richardson's Butcher.

Another View of Gilmours Building looking east.

The butchers shop was run by Jock and Chrissie Richardson who also owned a garage further up Glasgow Rd, next to the old Community Centre.

Co-op halls, offices & shops, central branch stretching from halfway up Herbertson St, to Jackson St.

Jackson St-- Building at top of street probably named Jackson Terrace.

This is where you would queue to get your "Divi".

Glasgow Road Looking West 1902

Glasgow Road looking East 1970. Co-op on the right and the Livingstonian Bar at the top of Forrest Street on the left, after demolition of the "Flea Pit" above.

Grant's Building looking West 1970. Then Gilmour's Building.

Castle Vaults at John Street and Glasgow Road 1970, after the demolition of McAlpine's Building.

Glasgow Road looking West from Jackson Street 1970

1st Masonic Temple, Dr Jope's Surgery, Chemist, Tempelton Grocery,
Clarkston Newsagent, Wee Don's (Valerio) Ice Cream, Marshalls shoe shop. Butchers, The Wellington Bar, Clark Street.

Kidd's Building (Sproats Laun). Shops,

Hughie Kidd's fish & chip.

The Smiddy Bar - Glasgow Road at Merry's Rows (Elm Street) Opposite The Wellington Bar, also known as Maggie McGuires.

Vario's Building, Shops, Mathew Millar cobblers, Hairdressers (Thorburn), Agnew's Fish, Lightbody Cakes, British Restaurant later Gas Board showroom, Walter Batters ironmongers, Boyd's Hall, (Bookies), Sandy Thompson Newsagent, Callaghan Dress & clothes, Sweet shop where Pasha Cigs were sold.

Glasgow Road looking East.

Stonefield Parish Church, Church St.

Looking West from Church Street.

Brown's Building, Fruiters (Cathy Potts), Norris grocer's, Picture House (The Dookit), Paterson's Chemist & Optician, Hogg's Newsagent (later Pates), Littles the Baker, Paterson (Painter & Decorator), Peter Craig Butchers. Greenside St.

Masonic Buildings built in three stages. Small tenement & Dr Hutchisons surgery, Masonic Temple & halls, Bowie's Florist, fruit & veg, Aitkenhead Butcher, Mathieson jeweller, Bank, The Priory Bar - Glasgow Road at Priory Place (Logan Street)

Masonic Building

The Priory Bar

Often frequented my Free Masons because of the adjacent Masonic Hall.

Harpers Garage, Glasgow Road

Glasgow Road looking East from Logan Street

Dating from 1953 this was the main Post Office in Blantyre. A map surveyed in 1859 shows the post office of the time on Station Road, just within the confines of the Mill Village where most of the population of Blantyre's population resided.

Blantyre Post Office

Harts Land or ( Herts Lawn ) as they say in Blantir Shops

This area  taking in Greenside Street was known locally as the Stud, because of the profusion if children who where born and lived there!

The Cosy Corner Pub - Glasgow Road at Greenside Place Street.

Opposite Harper's Garage.

The Cosy Corner Pub

Devanney'  Store, McGarvie the Barber, later Jimmy Cleary's Ladies & Gents hairdressers, Peter Valerio Ice cream Parlour, Bradley the Cobbler, Mrs Guy's wee sweetie shop.

The Central Bar - Glasgow Road opposite The Ale House, owned by Bernards the Brewers.

Also known as Sullivan's a former Manager, then latterly known as Fallon's.

Capaaldi's Ice Cream Parlour and then Blantyre Gazette Clifford Printers.

The Policeman was nicknamed, "Dan the Pig".

Stonefield Primary School opened in 1872

Ness's School, as it was affectionately known, was named after Major John Ness who was the Headmaster of the Blantyre Works School from June 1st 1856 - 1874.

This is an etching of the children arriving at the new school on the first day.

Major Ness tells the story of the last day he spent in the school after sixteen happy years.

Victoria St -

L/h Victoria Place known locally as the Honeymoon,

Police Station.

Calder Street Junior
Secondary School

Blantyre Miners Welfare Society & Social Club

The Welfare Institute was established in Blantyre in 1928 with the social club being opened in 1960, the Bowling Club in 1964 and most recently, the Resource Centre in 2008.

Stonefield Primary School

Stonefield Primary School with Hastie's Farm on the right.

Hastie's Farm - a working farm till the 1960's and then a Night Club and Restaurant.

Entrance to Stonefield Public Park

Renamed in 2006 to McAnulty Park after the legendry Andrew McAnulty, "the old war horse" of the early 1900's

Vincent Lombardi Building, Bakers, Norries Fish, Mauchline Newsagent, Vincents Fish Restuarant, Robert Craigs Grocery.

Station Road

At one time, the old turnpike road tollhouse stood directly across from the cinema on Station Road.

Placed strategically on the corner so that no-one could sneak past it, the tollhouse probably targetted traffic going to and from the Mill Village and Railway Station. The tenement block with the crown feature which replaced it was built in 1902.

High Blantyre 1 - 2

Glasgow Road 1 - 2

Low Blantyre

Blantyreferme

Blantyre Folk 1 - 2

Everything Else