As you may be aware, I’ve been passed many wonderful old photos from Alex Bowie, some with Blantyre connections given they were taken by Blantyre joiner and photographer, David Ritchie. I’ve not rushed into posting these, determined to slowly but surely find out more about each before posting. This is one previously unseen photo, which […]
Livingstone Memorial Church Outing, 1895
On the afternoon of Saturday 22nd June 1895, the annual summer outing of the Livingstone Memorial Church took place. The children of the Sabbath school and their parents were heading to Coltness in Wishaw. The day was all that could be desired, including the weather and the turnout was very large. With almost 400 people […]
Blantyre Socialist Field Club, 1895
Exploring a now defunct former Blantyre Club. The “Blantyre Socialist Field Club” went from being an idea in early 1895, to a fully fledged club by that summer. On Sunday 30th June 1895, the Blantyre members had their first ramble, a collective walk to the countryside. The official name was “Blantyre & District Socialist Field […]
Enough for a Van, 1977
By April 1977, the pupils and teachers of Blantyre High School could celebrate knowing their fundraising efforts had now accomplished their goal of raising enough to buy a new van. They had been raising money for 2 years. Assistant Head teacher, Bob Pirie (far left) accepted the brand new Transit Van that month from Mr […]
An Abrupt Letter, 1895
Around New Year 1894 going into 1895, long standing Blantyre Police officer Constable James Moir and another officer were chasing some ‘coal stealers’ from a Bing at a local colliery when suddenly, the Constable slipped on some ice, badly injuring his leg. By July 1895, his condition had worsened to the extent he could not […]
Summer Washout Trip, 1895
On Tuesday 2nd July 1895, the school holidays had just started and the young children of the Sabbath Schools of both Stonefield Church and the EU Church were looking forward to an annual trip. County Councillor John Craig invited the children up to play on his fields at Birdsfield, High Blantyre. However, the day was […]