Reminiscences from Margaret McKinnon

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Margaret and husband John on the occasion of their Golden Wedding anniversary.
They married 7th April 1958



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Margaret and husband John on the occasion of their Diamond Wedding anniversary.
(On the 9th April the Mayor and Lady Haughey paid them a visit. Our card from HM had been delivered on Sat 7th)

 

Note from Ed: Margaret has been sending me photos of old Cambuslang over recent years and they are displayed elsewhere on the website. However, I was impressed with her background information accompanying the photos and I have asked Margaret for permission to post an abridged version of her comments for all to see. She has a wealth of local knowledge and I thought her memories should be shared. The items are appended below and in no particular order. She has tried to avoid causing embarrassment to persons still living who are mentioned and I would ask you to contact me if you feel an any such entry should be removed.

Margaret's Background

I was born on the 11th of November 1935 at 11am. My Daddy said he heard me crying for the first time just as the church bells of the Old Parish Church were chiming for Armistice Day. He always made my birthday special because of the significance of the date. My maiden name was Margaret Kelly Kerr, after my maternal Grandmother. I have a sister Annie who is 7yrs older than me. My late brother George was 5 years older, and my late brother Jimmy, arrived in April 1938.

My father was George Kerr, he was born in Church St in April 1906, his father also George came through from the Lothians to get work in the Iron works and he met and Married my Granny in Rutherglen in 1898.

My mother's name was Annie McLean, she was born in Blantyre on the 15th November 1906. Her parents were Jimmy, & Maggie (Kelly) McLean. They married in High Blantyre in Halloween 1893. His father, Alexander was killed in the Udston Explosion of 1887. His mother Janet was tragically killed in a house fire in 1907, in High Blantyre.

My Grandpa was a very quiet man, but would get visibly upset at the thought of fire and was always warning us of the dangers of it.

My best friend was Nancy Lindsay, She is a year younger than I am, we still correspond, She lives in Windsor Ontario.

We played mostly in the "Rounders" (The wee park in Vicars Walk,) none of the neighbours objected to us playing there, although I understand it has not been allowed for a long time now.

My childhood pals included Betty Dougall, Rachel Cole, Myrna McIntosh, Jessie Neill, Tom Kerr, (No relation) Gerry Murray, Charles Clark, Myra Allan, and a lot of children who visited their grandparents, like Elsa Hammond, David Thomson, etc. These people all lived in  the lower part of  Borgie Crescent & Vicars Walk, we never ventured up past the steps.

I had a very happy childhood.

 Extract of emails...

October 2009

You have posted the photos very well, Your site is growing great, and I'm sure there must be a lot of photographs that are in boxes in a lot of homes, and like me, the owners just have to make up their minds and get them to you.

I knew I had seen another pic of the last tram, and it is just possible it could be one of John's. But it looks a more powerful flash.

Carol, nee Lindsay,O'Donnell is my best pal's younger sister. Nancy Lindsay was my Bridesmaid and 11 months later I was her Matron of Honour. She married Alvan Ditchburn, from Church St. and they emigrated to Canada in 1959. He has had a couple of notes in your guest book from Windsor Ontario. The Lindsays lived in 10 Borgie Crescent, I saw Carol the morning she was born.  Nancy and I are lifelong friends. We go back to before school days. I must ask Carol about the photo. Their Dad was Jimmy Lindsay, Plumber & electrician and had a place in Greenlees Rd just before Bushiehill School gates. Their Mother made the Rosettes that decorated the Scottish Cups for which I have the photos. She was very clever with her hands. They bought a house in Ardoch Gdns with Carol & Arthur, Jimmy was a great flower grower and gardener in his retirement.

I like the photo on the site, from the bing looking over the Railway bridge, towards the school, the house I was born is away in the background. (Johnson Drive).

The Picture of "new" Johnson Drive is great. I gave it to my sister in Erskine, and she noted the washing, as I did, out on the line at the back door. When My Grandparents got that house, in 1920, there  were the both of them plus 3 sons and 3 daughters. My Mum being the 3rd youngest at 14 yrs old, but they were the first of the families to get a house there. They all got married from there and my Grandparents died there, never having been in hospital. When my parents got married (in 1926) they stayed on to help with the old folks. When I was born in 1935 my gran was only 61. So much for being old, it's changed days. A lot of my cousins were born there because of the new facilities, like a bathroom and hot running water. How fortunate we are today.

Again Ed the website is great, Thanks for forwarding my Email on to Glen Montgomery, again I will wait to see if he gets in touch or the girls there, whom I haven't seen in years. I thought about the Australian boys in the photo, I wonder if they have seen themselves, there is every possibility. Anything is possible on your site!

I looked through your website Ed as I thought I had seen a photo like this, John took this one at 12.05 on the 4th November 1956, We had come out of the Masonic hall after having a party to celebrate his 21st Birthday. He took the photo with his Uncle's camera, who was an amateur Photographer. I know that Mr Blower was there that night as he used to take pics for the "Advertiser". So their will be similar ones around and his Uncle also sold copies in Maggie Wilson’s sweetie shop, for people who had requested them. As I said there will be quite a few around. Hope it is not too dark, but there is a few well-kent faces among that crowd.

That was very nice Ed what you did with the Gateside photos, I feel quite proud for John.

You ask about Jean Sinclairs! Well where do I begin with that one, I knew her as far back as I can remember, through the war years when we used to get a few sweeties when there was supposed to be none, No coupons-No sweeties. My mother and Jean were very friendly, and her son Fred was my older brother George's best pal. (When George got married in 1954 Fred was his Best Man.) I remember them getting into many a scrape, and George always seemed to get the belting for it, Jean used to live in Bushiehill Street, and there was great excitement when she had her new house built between the shop and her nephews Garage - David Eadies, They lived in the crescent and Bill Eadie his Dad (and Jean's brother) was a Clerk of works in the Council. It was after Jean was widowed that she got her wee house built. When I think about it the neighbours were great down there, Over the fence from us in Borgie Crescent were the Coles. their Daughter Rachel was a Primary teacher in St Brides, She and I were best pals too. She had a wee sister Patricia. Maybe you remember them. I knew such a lot of boys & girls from both schools because of where I lived.

Gerry Murray too from around the corner, was my brother Jimmy's Best Man. His sister Chrissie was the mother of Tom Gault as I knew him as a wee boy, he became Father Gault when he joined the priesthood, and next door to them in 2 Borgie Cres. were the Smiths, who's grandson's name is Walter, They used to come to see there Granny on a Sunday from Carmyle. I was about getting married by that time. Mrs Smith gave us a wee ornament for our wedding present which we still have

Another thing that has come to mind is when the chip shop was closed people used to come to our door to buy cigarettes. The shop only closed if they had run out of "Dripping". Fish and chips were the only foodstuff not to be rationed during the war, but the fat was, and that put them out of work, The Barrs in Newton used to bring some over and vice versa if they run short. that was okay, but selling the fags at the door must have been breaking the law. It was only the shop that was licensed to sell tobacco. My Mum used to wrap them up in newspaper, as if that would have made any difference. Again Jean would help out there as well. If Mum had none she would send them along to Jean, depending who they were. As long as it wasn't the C.I.D. My Grandfather only got fined once and that was for putting the bathroom light on during the blackout. That was a 10 shilling fine! precious beer money to him. I have remembered quite a lot, and they are nice memories Ed. That is the main thing, to remember your childhood, not with rose tinted specs, but as it was, a nice place to live, although I don't think we appreciated it at the time. I don't remember any grievances with neighbours, everyone seemed to help if it was needed,

We were in Number 3 Johnson Drive, in the cooncil hoose. As I said in the New Houses picture in the website, you can see the washing out the back door. There were only two council houses in Johnson Drive. I didn't recognise the view you sent me, it was John who pointed it out to me, it has changed so much, From the corner of Croft road there was the Labour exchange, "The Broo" then the Nicols later the Carrols, from East Kilbride, then our house, it is so changed, all painted white,  (Matt Nicol owned Baxters the Chemist down the Main St next to the pub after you crossed Westcoats Rd on the same side as the Station. They moved "Up the hill to Mansfield Avenue.)

 In that view of the private houses the first house belonged to a Mrs Chrighton, (When I was at school,) who's daughter May owned Crightons Shoes. Then through the wall was the Espie's. Her name was Scoular whose Dad had the coach works down behind the Whitefield Creamery Dairy on the old Hamilton Rd, and her uncle owned "The Big Key" The house on it's own still has Mrs Dewar in it. She is the widow of Davie Dewar the Joiner who had his place next to the coachworks. These workshops were next to the Empire cinema. (which was down this lane).  Hope I've got that right and not got you lost!!

The chip shop was in Kirkhill in Cadoc Street, "Macs Fish & Chips" but it was always called McLeans as it belonged to my Grandparents. It was next to Willie Grays the post office, then Christie the butchers on the corner of Howieshill Road. You have a photo of it on the website but I can't find it.

Down from the shop, was Carrigans Pub and I always remember the crowd coming in at 9.30 pm as that's when the Pubs shut then. The shop closed when I was 18, so that was in

1953/4 (my birthday is November, I know I was 18.) With me writing this all down for you I have come to realise the number of business people who lived in that area. One of the Macintoshes lived in Vicars Walk, and his brother lived in Croft Road. They had the Bakers next to Langs the Cafe, and they had the Hall at the back, not the Langs as someone has stated in one of your photos. It was easily mistaken.

I have some personal Photos well I think they are, the Staff in the Home Bakery and pictures of the Scottish Junior Cup when it was displayed in the window,   they are from 1967, but I would need to verify that, with Cambuslang Rangers to see if I'm right about that, What should I do about that Ed?

5 November 2009

Back to my "Local knowledge" Where would you put all this stuff? There are a few bits I have seen that we could amend.   Scoulers have a picture in the site, it is down old Hamilton Rd. going towards the Sauchie bog, you can just see the name up on the old gable end of the building. When the "shows" came here Scoulers used to do any repairs that were needed to the caravans or any bodywork repairs. We used to see them sitting down in the yard, and that is where Davie Dewar's workshop was as well, so not behind Whitefield creamery shop.

Getting back to the Dewars, before they moved into that house, it belonged to the Guys, a very well known family in the area. I used to be sent over to the old lady to get fresh eggs in my wee basket, and by coincidence, when we got this house in Dukes Road, the previous tenants were the Mathies. Mrs Mathie was Mrs Guy's daughter, and she wrote for the Cambuslang Advertiser. I had a visit from her just before our wedding, she covered all the local weddings in the paper, no photographs just descriptions of dresses and the occupation of the bride & groom, and where you would take up house etc., so the feature would be in the paper the week of the wedding. I still have the cutting from ours, a bit yellow though, but still intact.

Before the Espies bought the bungalow next to Mrs Crichton, two elderly spinsters had that house, and they had a shop (something like Jean Sinclair's, only in a house converted shop in Lightburn Road in Halfway,) I can't really remember them dying, but I have it at the back of my mind that they sold the house and moved up to where the shop was. They used to come over to "TEA" and my Mum would bake her scones and cakes for such occasions, as that was the way back then, hardly any bought items.

Round the corner in Croft Road an old lady lived in there and the children from school thought she was a "witch" (cruel), her name was Mrs. Wilson and soon after she died Mr & Mrs McDade & their son Jim came to live in that house. (Mr Mcdade had the cobblers shop down the Main St.), next door was Willie Grays house. He had the Post Office in Kirkhill. Then there was the railway bridge then the toll pitch.

Later in life, when my two girls used to go to any party in Cambuslang, they got a bit fed up, as one time I asked them how they enjoyed one of the Christmas parties, one of them said "It was a great party, but it was my Grans stuff AGAIN! They were so used to eating things from the shop, they would have enjoyed someone else's eats for a change.

Will you let me know how you intend to post all this in the site Ed? I still feel a bit self conscious, but my Grand-daughter Natalie said it might encourage other people to put in some things they remember.  if so it will be good, I suppose.

As I said I like your idea of it, just me, it's the "Who does she think she is" people I am thinking of. but why not, I'm not doing any harm. and you would tell me if I was.

7 November 2009

This is the photo of the Bakery staff in 1967.

L-R    Cathie Gribbons, Annie (who lived in the high flats next to the shop) Mammie Perry, and Barbara Wales. Incidentally, Barbara's niece is in the photo on the school roof, Margaret Orr, and when we had the chip shop Barbara lived in the Glebe, which was in the space surrounded by Croft Rd, Cadoc Street, & Howieshill Road. You would be able to see her house from Carrigans Building. She moved to Cathkin, and sadly died in 1971. Our family loved Barbara, she was sadly missed.

Since you asked me to do this, there has been things I have remembered, like the day I saw the King Queen & the princesses. I was astounded when I saw the date they came through Cambuslang, and realised how young I was.

My Daughter Alison has the same type of memory. When I told her about you asking if I remembered Jean Sinclair she said "even I remember her!" She can remember my Dad giving her 2/- to get a Toblerone, ice lollies and change back, she was only 4 years old.

When my Dad was ill, we were at Johnson Driv. Almost every day to let my Mum go to the shop. I was expecting Rhona, and had time to spend valuable hours with him. He died in October 1964 at the age of 58. Rhona was only 10 months old. He told me Alison would remember him, and she does.

I will also tell you about the time Mrs Murray fainted -  when we got the courage to go through the Borgie tunnel - seeing the lights over Glasgow for the first time - going to the shelters during the air raids and my sister bringing home shrapnel after Rutherglen Academy was bombed. There are lots here Ed, in my mind, and if that is what you want me to write about, I will do. The boys and girls I remember from "The Borgie" etc.

10 November 2009

Your family photos are great and as I said they all look very familiar, I recognise Margaret of course, There is a wee girl in one of the Kings Crec photos that I'm pretty sure she is in the last tram photo, years between the two.

I noticed I omitted to put the names of the two ladies who owned the shop in Lightburn Rd. they were Isa McDonald and her sister Nettie. I wonder if anyone remembers that shop. it was on the right hand side going up the hill.

The shelter was an Anderson one out our back door. My Dad had to dig down deep to put that in and we had a great time watching him! The nearest brick built shelters were in Vicars Walk. There were shelters dotted all over the place for passers by to use, in case of daylight raids. Some were built on the Toll pitch for that purpose too.

Another bit of info Ed is, Did you know there was an W.A.A.F.S. station in Croft Road? with a barrage balloon anchored there? we got to know some of the WAAFs too.

Borgie Tunnel

The Borgie Tunnel we went under was from the public park (down at the paddling pond and under the railway and the Church ) to the Borgie Glen. The boys went on to go through to the gasworks, but not the girls!! there was no-one to stop us or nothing in our way, that's probably why your generation didn't get doing it, we spoiled it for you. It must have been all overgrown too, but when we played down the Borgie and could be away for hours. Could you imagine that today?

Response from Ed Boyle

With regard to the Borgie tunnel again. when we left school (St Brides), we would jump the fence and head up the borgie, past the 'well' and up to Kirkhill. There was a tunnel which went under the swing park but this was always flooded. So we went up past the tenements (the rookery) down into the burn and entered the tunnel to which you mention led to the public park. This was concrete tubular tunnel about 6 feet wide which initially looked very dark and foreboding, but this was just because there was a right hand bend just inside and you couldn't at first see the other end. Provided the burn was not in spate you progressed along the tunnel walking gingerly on the sloping side. As you say, this took you into the park and further adventures. During a recent visit I noticed that the had barricaded the park tunnel entrance..(health and safety I suppose!)

Donated July 2010

During the war, we had a Waafs station in Croft Road where the Salvation army hall stood. I remember the Nissan huts. I don’t know how it came about but a lot of the families “adopted” a AAF. The girl who came to our house once a week was called Joan. Her name was Derbyshire She came to the house once a week, for the evening.

We used to chant to her “ Joan Derbyshire comes from Lancashire and stationed in Lanarkshire” I saw a lot of her after the war, because she met and married a Cambuslang man and spent the rest of her days here. She had a family of her own but I can’t remember her married name. ( Nancy had a girl called Connie who visited her house,) I suppose it gave them a break, and of course they would be homesick!

Joan died quite young, but a lot of her family must still live in the area, if so. I just want them to know we, as a family, grew to be very fond of her, and often when I used to meet her we would go over old times, Once she took Jimmy and I in to the barracks, I’m sure she was taking a chance and had to hide us, it was very exciting for us as children to get in there. We had a great time with her, she was always very nice to us.

The big Barrage balloon was anchored there for anti aircraft protection, It was huge looking up in the sky. So different from the Johnson Drive of today.

My Dad was in the home guard, as he was employed in the Iron works in a reserved occupation, he decided to join!! There was one night he told us about, when he was nightshift, he was driving his “Goliath Crane” and all of a sudden there was something white in the darkness caught up in the girders above him. He and his workmates decided it was a German paratrooper, as the all clear had recently sounded. They all got armed with their picks and shovels (no guns) they were going to sort the “Baddie” out, yes you’ve guessed it. As they climbed up towards this white thing billowing in the night air they discovered it was a barrage balloon that had slipped it’s mooring. He told is that tale often and I’m sure it grew a longer tail as the years went in.

The death was announced in May 2010 of Mrs Espie, (Nessie Scoular) daughter of the Blacksmith mentioned earlier. Her Uncle owned “The big Key” she was 85. Her house was formerly the McDonalds, (I see Walter Jaap has mentioned where their shop was in Lightburn Rd Halfway.) I met a few old neighbours at her funeral, but none of my childhood pals.

My Aunt Beatrice & Uncle Willie McLean lived in Sussex. They had in their time worked for Lord and Lady Spencer, Dianna’s grandparents, long before Dianna was born. We went to see them quite a few times, and in 1999, while we were there, after my Uncle had died, she brought out a leather writing case, and in it were letters he had kept from his time in the Army. She let me see them, and there was one from Isa McDonald. She described the four of us and how we were growing up while he was away, and George & Annie at school, a really glowing “report”. I wanted to ask her if I could have that letter, but as she was still grieving for my uncle, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. She died in Jan 2000, without us seeing her again. At her funeral I asked if the letters were there, but was told there was not any. Maybe she destroyed them before she died, but it was such a nice letter that Isa had written about our family. I know my Aunt would have given it to me if I had asked. I regret not asking for it.

I talked earlier about Mrs Murray, One day, of many, we were over at the railway (over behind where the garage is now) We used to go over to wave to the troops coming into Glasgow. They would always be hanging out of the train windows, waving, so glad to be home, and as always Mrs Murray was there. Then we heard the shout drowning out the noise of the steam engine,” MAAAA!!!” Next thing Mrs Murray fainted. It was her son Tommy, we could see his ginger hair shining bright in the sun. We were all running around like “knotless Threeds” as my mother always said. I don’t remember who saw to the poor woman, but Gerry (her youngest son) was there and he was in such a state as well, The fact that Tommy Murray was posted “Missing in Action” was lost on us, but what a shock for his Mother who must not have given up hope, and went over to the railway line every time there was a troop train coming in. The elation on everyone, when it sunk in was very emotional. We were all crying and laughing at once. Tragically Tommy only lasted about a year. He died after the harrowing time he had endured, all the years he was away. I haven’t heard from Gerry for years, he went to live in Largs, If you are reading this “GE MU” Hello to you from John and I.

Nancy paid us a visit at the beginning of May, all the way from Windsor Ontario, she was over to see her sister Carol. Lots of catching up again. She was telling me someone in Canada told her she had been mentioned in this site, isn’t it something, that people read these pages and recognise someone they know.?

I also read in “The Reformer” of the death of Charlie Hill the boxer, Condolences to his family in Brisbane. He put Cambuslang on the Map then.

In Cambuslang I was known as “the wee lassie McLean” It always annoyed me, as that was my mother’s maiden name, but she and my Dad had attended Bushie and were well known in town: the Kerr name was usually missed out. I was no relation to Tom Kerr at the other end of the Borgie, but we were all the best of pals. Tom had an older sister Anna, and I had an older sister Annie: it got confusing at times, and it was from Tom’s back garden we gained entry to the Borgie Glen, There was a loose railing which no-one knew about??? We used to pull it out and squeeze through then put the railing back in its place. We spent many a happy hour over there and even though we could hear my mother shouting for us, we would ignore her for as long as we felt we could get away with it. We made fires, roasted potatoes, usually blackening our teeth trying to eat them, as they were not the BBQ’d kind we get today.

We would go up to Barclays (aka Scotch Toalies) at the top of Croft Road for fallen fruit at a cheaper price. That was another hidden lane. Going along from just below Whitefield Creamery. (Where Ed worked 1960) There was a big house with stairs up to where we bought the fruit. I knew people from Kirkhill because of the chip shop. I see Margaret O’Brien has a feature in the website.

I was on the back of Tom’s bike one day when he was “speeding” down between the schools in Tabernacle Street and when we got near Jean Sinclair’s Shop, off we landed in a heap, skint shins and knees. I didn’t go home to get them tended in case I got kept in.

My husband’s Grandmother lived across from the shop, so I knew John since before we went to school. Every one of the children were very wary of Mrs McKinnon, she did not like children going round the back of the building, It was a very nice back garden, tended well, and I was always too scared to venture round there. Little did I know then, that she would become my Grandmother–in-law, be at my wedding and be part of my life till she died in 1963. Her Husband (John’s Grandpa) used to come over to fix the pipes in the chip shop during the winter, to defrost the pipes, or fix a burst pipe. Sadly he died when we were 10-yrs old, so I didn’t get to know him, but he and my Grandpa used to have a pint or two down in Carrigans together.

One night, again during the war, I was with my Uncle Willie,( who was home on leave from the army) going to the shop to see my Mum, as we came up the steps from Borgie Crescent to Cadoc Street, we heard a plane, and all of a sudden the whole place lit up as if it was daylight, A flare had been dropped, . The planes were looking for the Iron and Steel works. It was eerily quiet. Then just as quickly it got dark again, and with no street lamps it was hard to see for a wee while. On another dark evening, my Granda was coming out the chip shop with my Mum, he had been to Carrigans earlier, my Mum let him go to lock the door. And he staggered from her, right across the road and hit his face against the lamp-post, what a keeker he had. In the darkness, people were walking into Baffle walls, which were built across the mouth of closes to reduce the impact of any explosion. Many a person had some explaining to do, hence the expression for a long time “ I looked like I had walked into a baffle wa’” when one had been in a fight.

On a journey on a bus you never knew where you were in winter, the conductress was known to call out the stages of the journey, if you were coming from Halfway, she would shout “C’mslang terminus” as the bus came down Hamilton Road.

In Kirkhill there was a wee, old fashioned shop at the corner of Cairns Rd and Vicarland Rd. It was called Hess’s. When the German Hess landed at Eaglesham, I wondered what all the fuss was about and why Mr Hess was being called a German. My young mind couldn’t take in all that was happening.

My Mother was great at making meals from the rations we got. In particular the dried egg mix, done in the frying pan, and browned just the way I liked it. Like a well done Omelette. She was a great soup maker, and my Dad grew all the vegetables in the garden, Mr Lindsay, Nancy’s Dad kept chickens in his garden in the Crescent and veg and beautiful flowers. My sister made mock cream with cornflour and milk whipped up with Vanilla essence. I loved all these things, We ate them because we didn’t remember the sweeties or bananas, or fresh cream. My Mum and Auntie took us on the bus up to the Clyde Valley in the summer for fruit to make jam and jelly, and get lovely Clydeside tomatoes, and cooking apples, we knew then we would be getting delicious apple cake, made famous later in the home bakery.

My Grandparents had a worrying time, as my Uncle Willie McLean was serving with the London Scottish Regiment with the 8th Army and was stationed in Sicily. He wrote and told us of the exotic fruit trees there were, things we take for granted today. In fact I have letters my Mum & Dad wrote to him as well, I have copied one page in which my Dad is describing a trip to Paddies by Jimmy and I. When I read it after all these years, it brought back the mayhem there used to be in “The pictures”, when all the children in Cambuslang (it seemed) were in the one cinema. Weans with their wee brothers and sisters like myself, who were allowed to take them to see the latest western which was probably a dozen or so years old. My experience was in August 1943, when I was just under 8-yrs old.

Another letter my Dad is describing the garden full of newly planted veg. He loved the garden and as he was on shift work he was able to tend it every day weather permitting, but it was always good weather then, in my memory!

My cousins the Simpsons (Mill Road Halfway) were a big part of my life, as my Mother and their Mother (my Auntie Lizzie) worked in the chip shop together, we had many holidays together, usually to the Fife coast, May was 10 months older than I was, David and Jimmy were the same age, born 1938 and Jimmy Simpson or “Wee Jimmy” was the youngest. Born 1941. Of the ones mentioned here David and I are the only ones left. It is hard to believe, My sister Annie is still with us and lives in Erskine.

Still in the war years, there was one night, (my Dad was nightshift ,again) when an air-raid started. My Mother refused to take Jimmy and I out to the shelter as we had Measles, we were in the bed settee in the living room. The noise was terrible, and I was scared because my Dad was not in. The noise was getting worse by the minute, Eventually, my Dad arrived home, he had walked from Clyde iron works with a bit of steel plate held on his head, as he usually did. After he came in I could smell something cooking, my Mum was making him something to eat. She had put a very scarce egg on to fry for a sandwich for him, The next thing we knew she was screaming above the noise of the air-raid, she kept saying the egg had jumped out the pan, there on the kitchen linoleum was the fried egg,.... disaster!! She kept repeating that the egg had jumped out the pan. I suspect that when (as we later discovered) a bomb had landed near the works it was so loud that she must have jumped with such a fright that the pan went up and the egg came down. Yes my Dad had his egg, he wasn’t going to let a wee thing like the floor keep him from a very precious egg. It took a long time for her to live that down!

I later learned it was the Clydebank Blitz that night, so I would be 5-yrs old. Oh, and the measles were rough. Because of having them I have suffered all my life with ear trouble and many visits to the ENT depts.. When you read the names on the Clydebank Website, the ages of the children, and whole families gone in two nights, I got off very very lightly. We were so fortunate where we lived.

I cannot tell you if it was the same time, but my sister came back from school, having been sent home because Rutherglen Academy had been bombed, but I was more interested in the shrapnel she brought back with her, the jagged edges, very rough to handle, and of course I didn’t know at that point what it was or the destruction it caused.

On V.E. night, my older brother and his pals built a bonfire in “The Rounders” (Vicars Walk) we were having a great time until I ran round just in time for George to swing one of the sticks ready to go on the fire, and it hit me right on the forehead, so I had split my head “wide open” as I was told, It was sore, but it couldn’t have been that bad because the next night I was down at the Ritz with a big bandage round my head, it looked impressive, I was a wounded soldier, and poor George was wounded in a different way with the belting he got. We had flags up on the windows of our house, they were on all the houses, and it coloured up a previously dull and frightening existence,

The reason we were at the Ritz was they had a big light beamed up lighting the front of the building, and the shops had no blinds on the windows, it was the first time we had seen that, and the radio songs included “When the lights come on again all over the world” Well that is how I felt, all our lights came on and it was wonderful. My Dad took us up to Howieshill Road to see the lights on all over Glasgow - What a sight!!!

Photos Donated by Margaret

Dad in Garden

Jimmy David Me and Anne Nicol    My cousin David Simpson is behind me, and my brother Jimmy is standing on the left of the picture. I think that
was in 1947-8.

Me in Mum's arms with Grandmother At the gate in Johnson drive is in 1936 with Mum & Gran & me 7mths.

Me With Dad & Jimmy taken in Torquay 1946.

The four of us Kerrs. My Brother The four of us Kerrs 1n1947. My Brother George did his National Service in the Royal Marines by 1949 he was away  in Portsmouth. Another gereration serving but not so worrying at that time.

1st School photo

Alex McLeans Silver Wedding   (alternative with better resolution - but cropped)

(I'm sorry it is in such a state, like that when I got it). It was taken in the Ex-Servicemens hall in Croft Road 31st December 1949. There are a few local people. Sadly a lot have gone but I'm sure some will be recognised. In the rope swing--The wee girl is Anne Nicol (she is Matt Nicol's daughter, owner of Baxters chemist)

It was my Mother’s brother Alex & his wife Mary McLean who were celebrating .
You will probably know their Grandchildren, The Islips. I will see how many of the rest I can remember.
L to R back row. The man in white shirt with Guitar is Alf Islip.(their son-in-law).
2nd back Row. 4th from left, Lizzie (McLean) & Archie Simpson, the woman with White flower is Ruby (McLean) Islip (their daughter) the rest of the names escape me.
3rd back row, Walter Allison with Ernie Islip in arms, Mrs R McPherson,? ? ? Peggy (McLean) Rankin, ex Newton, and Uncle Alex’ twin, Alex McLean Jr
(their son) & Wife Margaret, next 8 I know the faces but not the names.
2nd back row. ? James McLean & Maggie McLean my Grandparents, Annie (McLean) Kerr, Mary (Millar) McLean & husband Alex, My father George Kerr who had been their best man. James Millar, Margaret McLean (Their daughter) before she married Walter Allison. ? Mary Islip on her Gran Islip’s knee.
Children at front, Don’t know first two, Tom McPherson, Me, along a bit my brother Jimmy, ? George Islip at his Aunt Margaret’s knee, Uncle Alex worked in the Gas works with Walter Allison who was a Gas Fitter.
That is all I know Ed. I should know a lot more names, because they were Aunty Mary’s relatives.

 

Anne Davie's wedding at Johnson Drive 5th June 1950 - Submitted 10 Oct 2010

Here is a photo that will be of interest to a few people who remember my family, you can see Croft Road houses in the background. It was my sister’s wedding day, she got married in St Paul’s church then they had the meal and reception at Johnson Drive. I don’t know how my mother managed it, I know Jimmy Simpson (who still lives in Dean’s Avenue Halfway) did most of the meal. It was a sit down meal. We borrowed trestles and tables and I think there was two sittings. All the furniture was out the back door. It was a good job it was a scorcher of a day. My Mum baked the cake and my Dad decorated it (As they did for three of us) (By the time Jimmy was married in 1965, my Dad had died the October previously)

In the photo, Jimmy Simpson, My Aunt Lizzie’s brother-in-law is standing on the extreme right of the group. He is very well known in Halfway, and he is the youngest brother and only surviving member of that generation of the Simpson family. They lived in Deans Avenue for as long as I can remember. He was a butcher to trade. And a very good Family friend.

In the photo are....

L to R back row My Uncle Willie & Aunty Peggy Rankin, then 5th from them is my Aunt Margaret, (My Dad’s sister.) ? The Groom Davie Irvine from Glasgow The Bride, Annie, Robert Farrell (Blantyre) Uncle Archie Simpson ? Alex McLean, & Mary. Behind is my Grandfather, Aunty Lizzie & Jimmy Simpson.

L to R sitting 5 Irvine side ,Nancy Lindsay (Borgie Crescent) Margaret Kerr (Me) My Mother Annie, brother George, Dad, George Kerr His Brother William (Emigrated to Rhodesia in 1957) Behind him my Grandmother McLean, and the rest are from town. I think there is 40 in the photo, don’t know where Jimmy is. George was home in leave from National Service from the Royal Marines.

My sister is a widow now, but as we were saying in June, “that was 60 yrs ago”

Anne Davie's wedding at Johnson Drive 5th June 1950.JPG (414112 bytes) 

 

Extract from a letter my Dad wrote to my Uncle Willie McLean, while on active service in Sicily....10th July 1943

It reads...

""I must tell you a story about wee Jimmy and Margaret, today was the first time they were at the matinee by themselves. When they came home Margaret came in first and said "Never again, never, never, never... the noise ae they weans wis terrible, aye and they put us up in the balcony tae! Then wee Jimmy came in just as she finished speaking and I nearly exploded when he said "Aye an thone man wi the searchlight nearly blint me, an he kept shoutin tae ah wis near deef". They are a great pair of pals. You should see Jimmy if he finds Margaret has gone out without him noticing, he nearly goes off his head.It must have been a great thrill to have had a visit from General Montgomery. Well Willie, it is now 9 o'clock so (I am at the end of the paper anyway)I will have to finish and as I get ready for work I will listen to the news. I hope the boys are still doing well in Sicily.

All the best,

Your Brother George".

The letter was written on the 10th July, then it says hospital 28th July - it is then stamped 22nd August. There are a lot of stamps all over the envelope, he finally got it on 25th Aug. in hospital. He had been wounded in the leg and had to have his kneecap removed, His eardrums were perforated with the blast. He lived till he was 83 yrs old.

Note to Ed.  I don't know where he was in hospital, but my Mum & aunt Lizzie went to see him once he got to England. Again I don't know where, Cheers Ed.
Margaret

 

Cambuslang Public School - Submitted August 2012

 

There are not many forget the day they started school, and I am no exception, I remember walking along Johnson Drive to “Bushie” as if I was never coming back. I was taken (after a very tearful farewell to my Mum) to a BIG class among other children in the same boat. It was the beginning of August, 1939: I was 4 yrs and 9 mths old. And about 3 feet tall!! My best friend Nancy wasn’t even there because it would be another year before the same fate befell her. In with us in this big classroom, were older children (who had started after Christmas) and they were there to welcome us, A bigger girl called Isobelle (Linnen) came to sit beside me and took me under her wing, (I’ve always remembered and appreciated her doing that). It was Miss Strang’s class; she took the first start infants.


The colours and the pictures around the walls intrigued me. There was “Three Ships a Sailing” on a big frieze all round the wall of the class. Then the reading books. Apple says A, Camels Hump says H, Swan says S, Drummer Dick says D. Needle says N .Piggy says P. etc. As we were settled in to our classes with our own ages, one person I knew there was John, my future husband. I met Julia Thompson that day and we remained best pals 'til we went to Gateside. Then there were the other girls... Margaret Graham, Nancy Welsh. Edna Watson, Margaret Mitchell, Eleanor Duncan, Netta Greenhorn, Anne Ambrose, (Where are you?) Cathie McDonald, Anne Leighton for a wee while, then I saw her in an Eastfield school photo recently. (We now live near each other).

The boys... John McKinnon, Nicol (Marsh) George Callan, Robert Russell. The late Alex Hood, Jim Hume, Archie Edmunds, the late Gordon Leighton, (Same birthday as me) Jimmy Glencorse, John Thomson, Alex Swan, Tom Perry, (Tom’s Mum is in the Home Bakery staff.. Mamie) Peter Wotherspoon, Bert McIlroy, , Later on the classes were amalgamated, and we met lots more, like Alvan Ditchburn, Jean Perry, (Tom’s sister) Ellen Morris, Margaret Orr,(Dux Girl) and I remember two girls who were great tap dancers, Nancy Price & Nancy Laidlaw, maybe a bit younger than us, and Billy McNeil, (Dux Boy) who later lived beside us in Springhall in the 60’s.

Our teachers on the ground floor were Miss Strang, Miss McLean, and Miss Wallace. Very nice teachers. Then... The dreaded Miss Shearer Nicknamed “Scrubber” because, may I quickly add that when you misbehaved, she threw the Blackboard scrubber at you, and another rotten habit she had was to dig a small sharp wooden blackboard pointer into your ribs. She was the cruelest woman I encountered at Bushiehill. Mr Smith “the Jannie” was great . He was the Grandpa of Lillias & Anne Lindsay who lived in Dukes Road. Their Mother, Mrs Lindsay still lived here when we moved in here, just a few doors down on the other side.

Miss Downie, very fair minded, Miss Liddell, lived just round the corner from me in Croft Road, & Miss Mills (Qualifying Teacher), a real lady, we all dreaded getting Miss Brown, but we skipped her somehow, our headmaster was Mr McIlwraith A real Gentleman.

The Girls got Miss McLean for sewing, (She had a strange accent and it was years later we discovered where she came from in the most amazing coincidental meeting. (Which I will tell you about later) She used to say to us that if we POOLED the thread tightly, it would pucker on the material!! It was the way she said “POOOLED” she drummed that into us as I’m sure Margaret Graham and I learned to our cost. I can do a neat hem now, and my grown up daughters still get me to alter things for them, in her class we knitted socks with four needles which I had seen my Grandmother constantly do. We made the obligatory Lap Bag, and the shapeless apron etc.

Then there was the Nurse who paid us regular visits, to give us injections, weighed us etc. She told me I as underweight, but didn’t seem to take into account how small I was! The worry I had of what the nurse told me was dispelled one day when we were waiting in the line to go into class after “dinnertime”. I had been home and my mother was making soup, so I got my favourite raw carrot back to school with me. As I munched at the carrot a hand grabbed my wrist holding it up high, it was Mr McIlwraith, and I thought I was going to get a row, but he shouted to everyone “SEE THIS? This is where she gets her red cheeks from!!” He then let me go and just walked away. I have always had red cheeks the bain of my life, later I could try to cover them with makeup.

It was wartime when we attended primary. We had shelters under the school, but if there was a daylight raid and you lived nearby we got home, we used to see the aircraft on the few occasions there was a raid during the day, and I’m sure that if we had a bad air-raid during the night, we didn’t start school till 10am. Does anyone else remember that?

It was while I was in class one day that I was told about a “ Family Secret” A girl sitting across from me suddenly said “ Your Grandpa is my Grandpa” I looked at her and was trying to digest how this could be. I had my Grandpa at home and she wasn’t one of my many cousins, so why would she say that to me? I was a bit annoyed as I didn’t really know her all that well. So away I went quite indignant that she MUST be wrong, told my Mother what she had said, and then it was explained to me, oh I was affronted..........but not as much as my Dad and his many sisters. My Granda Kerr had been widowed before I was born, and he had not long died at this time, I think it was 1946/7. It seems he had married a widow woman to the horror of the Kerr family, whether it was in memory of their Mother I don’t know, I can only imagine. Of course they disowned him, his daughters didn’t speak to him after he remarried and neither was my Dad supposed to. But I remember I had gone to meet my dad at work at the Iron works and as we were walking away from the gate a man shouted and waived to us, My Dad waived back, I asked who it was and he said ‘That is your Granda Kerr over there’ I did not know they worked together, and I don’t think my Dad stopped talking to him, but I feel now I was cheated out of knowing him because of the opinions of his family. In recent years I brought the subject up to an old friend, a women about ten years older than me, she laughed and said, Aye that was that talk o’ Cam’slang for a while!!

Bushiehill was so dear to a whole lot of children, (and like me, didn’t appreciate that fact at the time) The one thing that got to me in school was the fact my older sister was DUX girl about 7 years before I got there so the teachers expected George and I to do the same, My sister went on to Rutherglen Academy, we went to Gateside. The fact I would have to get a bus to school did not appeal to me at all.,

I knew a lot of people from St Bride’s because we used to walk along the road together. And my neighbour Rachel Cole went there, she taught there later on.

Alvan Ditchburn wrote to me reminiscing about how good a founding we had at Bushie. We were wondering what the teachers would think of us all now. Would they say “Oh well they did not bad” I would hope that they would be very proud of our outcome with their teaching, the old saying goes “Give me a child before the age of seven and I will show you the man” (Or Woman I hope!)

I think that is where Miss Maclean, Wallace, and Strang came into our lives, and not through fear tho, they taught us how to behave and conduct ourselves, with a lot of input from my parents. How to be polite, respect our elders, and in general behave.

I often wonder how Miss Maclean coming down from Uist in the Outer Hebrides to our wee school with our accent (we thought hers was odd) Well till T.V. came along it was “heenzies beens” we liked .

Or pronouncing surnames wrong. One I particularly recall was Sonja Heenie and of course Johnny Weesmuller It was easier saying Tarzan (The one and only)

Yes until advertising on T.V. we really did not have a clue. All old Scottish words the way our parents and Grandparents talked. It took me ages to learn that my Grandpa came from Auchentibber, not Aitkentibber, and he also lived in the Glessert now I know it was actually Glassford and Blantir.

When I started work at 15, I was always being corrected, because you see. I came from “The Sticks” working in Bridgeton.

I often think that a lot of my school pals from that time could leave a wee message in the guest book just to say they have had a look at the site. It would show Ed how much we appreciate all the hard work he does!! I got a lovely surprise last year when a childhood friend (Agnes nee Kerr Wilson) who lived in the same building in Kirkhill as John’s Grandma, phoned me and said she walked through Cambuslang with me after reading my reminiscences.

Another surprise was when David Turbitt sent in the Photo last year of the 207th B.B. (St Pauls Church) with my two brothers in it, George & Jimmy Kerr, and Jim Lindsay. Nancy’s brother, and Tom Kerr is sitting in the middle next to Willie Goldie. Also Mr Alexander The minister who officiated at my sister’s wedding. Jimmy McKinnon (no relation) and the two Glencorse brothers. Willie Dawson, who also appears in the Salvation Army photos. Thank you David as I hadn’t seen that B.B. photo before.

Yes we had a great wee village, at one time the biggest in Scotland.

About 10 years ago while on holiday on Skye, John and I were having lunch in the Restaurant in Staffin. We were in the “Columba 1400” it is an Internet cafe as well and I had a look round it and thought to myself that it would be great to be able to work one of them, (The computers) Now after taking lessons a few years ago in Rutherglen I am able to sit down and write this. Never did I think I would be able to do this at my age. You’re never too late to learn right enough.

Having looked over the place, (I suggest you Google it, they do fantastic work there) we went into the tearoom. There was a crowd of pensioners in and as they were about to leave one of the women said to us “I hope we haven’t disturbed you with all our chatter” they had been having a trip out from the surrounding area with their club members, and they were laughing and having a real good time. We said not at all, and when she heard our accent, asked us where we were from, John said Cambuslang and usually folk say ‘Where is that? The lady then said, Oh I know where that is, my Aunt worked there all her life, she was a teacher. She went on to say she could not remember what the name of the school was, and told us her aunt’s name was Morag Maclean. We said we had a Miss Maclean but in our day we never knew the first names of our teachers. (Except for Miss Liddell, who lived in Croft Road and was very well known in Cambuslang as ‘Bella’) We had a wee blether with a few of the people who are the friendliest people on the islands. Then the Lady came back to us before she left and said, the only thing I remember was her Head Master’s name was Mr MacIlwraith.

Also when her Aunt came to Skye on holiday she brought a Miss Wallace with her. Well that was it!! As you can imagine, here we were at the age of 66, remembering our primary school teachers, and meeting one of their nieces by chance. She told us she had photographs of the school staff, asked us to write down our names and address and told us she would send them to us as long as we promised to send them back to her, within half an hour she was away with our contact details and we wondered if we would ever hear from her. I was a lovely meeting and very unexpected.

We felt chuffed to bits, and sure enough after we came home, the photographs arrived from a Mrs Mackay from Skye, We hadn’t even asked her name, Over the next few weeks we had the story printed in the Reformer, The reporter even got in touch with her to get her side of the story, and in due course her photographs were sent back to her with a very big thank you, We tried in vain to see her the next time we were there, but we’ve never heard from her again. She was a lot older than us at the time, so I don’t know if she is still with us or not. It was a ‘feel good’ meeting and we often talk of the coincidence of it. You can find the photo of the teachers at Cambuslang Public School in the twenties, in the school photos section on this website. Taken long before we entered the school gates for the first time,

In the school there was the ground floor then the first floor, where we had Miss Shearer and Miss Downie, then upstairs again there were more classrooms about four in all. We were then taught by Miss Liddell & Miss Melville who was the qualifying teacher. We sat and passed our “Quallie” in the spring of 1947, only to be told that Gateside was full and we would be staying in the primary till December, not going to secondary in August as was expected, this resulted in sitting our Qualifying exam again. Because of that hold up, we didn’t get our Third Year Leaving Certificate because we only attended Gateside for two and a half years. I started work, and John Engineering college in January 1950.

It was when I got to Gateside I realised how much I had loved “Bushie”

 

Email Sep 2013 about War Memorial in public park

 

Thank you Ed, How very sad to look at, I don’t know why the names have never been put back, and there was talk a while ago about putting the names of the 2nd world war on as well. I should write to the council. I notice my Dad’s sister’s father- in-law’s name under the Gordon Highlanders, Pte Thomas Gebbie from Flemington. I have sent my cousin a link. Her name is Barbara Gebbie from Gateside Avenue Halfway. She will see her Grandfather’s name. She lives in Newcastle and was here to see me last week, we were talking about her remembering her Granny but not her Grandad, as he died in the War, We share the Kerr Grandparents, but only remember one Grandfather Kerr slightly. And her Granny Gebbie. Also the old Minister’s son, Rev Dr.Calderwood, you see his name in all the marriage Certs of those married in the Manse in Kirkhill. No doubt we should know a lot more.

I am going to write to the Reformer as well.
Thanks Ed for reminding me about this,

There was a woman I knew in Glenburn Avenue who said the figure of the soldier on the war memorial was modelled on her grandfather. Her name was Jean Cousins. She is dead now, but she used to talk about it.

Further submissions from Margaret - June 2015

 

My Mother was 14yrs old when her family Father & Mother (James & Maggie McLean) got the house. (She said she and her sister Lizzie used to play in the foundations of the houses, not knowing that one day they would live there.)

The McLeans moved into 3 Johnson Drive, so as she was born in 1906, that made it 1922 or as her birthday was Nov it could have been 1923. These houses in Dukes Road were built at the same time. The McLean’s moved from Blantyre to 26 Colebroke St when she was a schoolgirl. I know my uncle; the youngest was born in Blantyre in 1911.

In the pic of the Toll pit, on the extreme left on the top corner of it could be the chimneys of the same tenements. The wee building on Hamilton Rd/Westburn Rd is still there. And Lees building. (See Jean Dougal’s pics) housed lots of Cambuslang well-kent families. The Pub ended up owned by Tommy Currie, I remember his Dad when we took bottles back for pennies, he used to lean over the counter and seemed so very tall.. and didn’t seem to want us weans taking the money from him. But we persevered.

In Gordon Dinnie’s photo, Attached, The big gable end is near the building which housed the Gardners Halls, for dances etc, my Mum and Aunt used to say they went to I.L.P dances, It wasn’t till I was older I realised it was The Independent Labour Party! Dance. I don’t remember the tram lines being here as in this pic!
I remember my Dad taking me to the back court of the coffin building to see the King, Queen and the Princesses after they were at the Empire Exhibition.

I read Mary Gibson’s memories you sent me, She didn’t mention Rutherglen academy, My sister went there after being Dux Girl at Bushyhill, my brother’s or I did not reach these dizzy heights!! Tho the teachers expected it. I knew lots of people who went to Rutherglen.

Mary says that the Co-op ran the whole length of the Main St, from Tabernacle lane to the terminus, but I remember, from Hamilton Rd going towards the Co were the shops like Cairds at the corner, Then DK Brown Newsagents, run by his sister Mrs Boyd, then Russells the fruit shop, Curleys Butchers, The East Kilbride Dairy ? Charlie Glen’s Butchers shop. McIntosh the Bakers with the function hall at the back. I think Mary’s Dad’s shop was down in Silverbanks? At Bothwell St.

Tony’s Cafe, was it called the Criterion or something like it? Their name was D’arpinno. When my son-in-law worked in Di Maggios in Hamilton we went there for dinner a lot, but it was the first time we were in it, there was the usual photos of Joe DiMagio and Marilin Monroe, But there was one Framed photo quite prominent on the wall and John and I recognised it right away, it was one of Tony!! We then discovered that Joe the co owner was married to his Granddaughter. We had quite a conversation with him that night, he was delighted we knew who he was and remembered Tony, The other co-owner is Mario Gizzi, who is related to the Gizzi’s of Bridgeton They owned “The Clyde cafe” Maria his Aunt lives near us, and John runs her up to Hamilton to their Art Class, she tells us many interesting stories. She will be 90 yrs old in August, her only surviving Brother is 85yrs old. The only one born in Glasgow.

When looking at the Main St shops at that time Nancy’s (My friend & bridesmaid in Canada) Mum had leased The Chapel dairy (hence the owner being J. Lindsay) So this line of shops at that time must have been 1958-59, I remember buying lovely cooked meats from Mrs Lindsay for my 1st time hosting a New Year party. Stepek must have taken over from McIntosh’s Bakers, and purveyors for their reception halls. My Grandparent’s Golden Wedding Party was held in the Hall at the back of the shop in 1943. A few weeks before my 8th birthday. They were married in Blantyre 31st Oct 1893. I don’t remember the wee shop next to DK Brown’s. I know all the rest. We also knew people who lived above the shops.

Tony’s Cafe was on the Main Street from Clydeford Road side. 1st was Hunter’s Upholstery business at the corner of Clydeford Rd and Main St, then M. Wilson’s confectioners and general store, next was the Funeral undertakers (Co-op?) Then maybe The Borgie Rest pub. Then Tony’s chip Shop, and cafe, he had 2 shops. You are bound to have a view of that Ed.


The image you have sent of the roof you circled will be the extension of the Gardners hall. The tenement was not broad enough for the size of the hall. A fact I have not realised till now. John says there was a Public House down the low Hamilton Road, Could that have been McGettigan’s? But we don’t know where it was, I think Paddy McGettigan owned a lot of places like the Empire.

Tony’s Cafe, was it called the Criterion or something like it? Their name was D’arpinno. When my son-in-law worked in Di Maggios in Hamilton we went there for dinner a lot, but it was the first time we were in it, there was the usual photos of Joe DiMagio and Marilin Monroe, But there was one Framed photo quite prominent on the wall and John and I recognised it right away, it was one of Tony!! We then discovered that Joe the co owner was married to his Granddaughter. We had quite a conversation with him that night, he was delighted we knew who he was and remembered Tony,


End (for now)

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