Castle Vaults

Castle Vaults

Another bite sized chunk of Blantyre History

On the east corner of John Street, there was a shoe store called Marshall’s which always displayed a fair amount of shoes and Wellington boots hanging at the door entrance of the store. We youngsters use to run by and see how many we could hit and unloosen from their hook and fall to the ground. We must have had a great affection for this particular store or person that owned it, as we made up a wee song that went like this:

Marshall’s Shoe Shop & Castle Vaults

“I hid a wee monkey,
I feed it on Marshals Breed (bread)
Marshall! Marshall! stick it up your as!#%le
ma wee monkeys deed.” (dead)

We must have really loved that guy to have made up such a wonderful wee song, Of course it is easy to see that us Blantyre boys were influenced greatly by the Burns school of thought in our songs and poetry.

Note from Bill: Marshall’s Show Shop was owned by Matthew Marshall, affectionately known locally as ‘Matha the Pole’.

All the way from Clark Street to John Street bottom floor on Main Street were all stores within a tenement type building as described on previous tenement type buildings. Through the close and up the stairs to the living quarters.

On the other corner of John Street was the Castle Vaults, a well known pub and very well frequented place to drink. Unlike today when most pubs are owned by Breweries, the pubs in them there days were privately owned, and the owners carried what ever types he knew would sell in his particular area, but it was the same old story after the third round of drinks who cared what type it was. A good drink for a miner if he could afford it was 6 individual drams of whiskey with each dram followed with a pint of beer as a chaser, he would generally make this last from say 6 o’clock to 10 o’clock closing time.
Experience talking. Hic! Today, two beers and I am ready for bed.

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Continuing the conversation between Thomas Dunsmuir Hartman in Chicago, formerly Logan Street, (known as TDH or Drapadew) and Margaret in Queensland Australia on TalkingScot.

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