Glasgow Road East

On the right is Turners Building and further down on the right is Logan Street and then the Priory Bar and the Masonic Building with the pointed roof.

The three-story building on the left is McAlpine’s, and after that Alpine Street then Brown’s Building, which had Cathie Pott’s Fruit & Vegetable shop, Norris Grocers, the Picture House, (The Dookit, just passed where the dog is), Paterson’s Chemist & Opticians, Hogg’s Newsagents (later Wullie Pate’s). We then had Andrew Little the Baker, Paterson (Painter & Decorator), Peter Craig Butchers and after that, Greenside Street.

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This area is aptly described by an elderly cousin of James Cornfield, Peggy McGuigan, who at the time had lived in Coventry for some 60 years, as she described the Cornfield family house move from Dixon’s Raw’s to Logan Street. She says, “The horse an’ cairt then turned left down Craig Street past Carlton Terrace an’ aw’ thon lovely wee cottages, especially the wan (Poplar Cottage) yir auntie Lizzie Paton wis boarn in, tae ye’ came tae Harper’s Garage at the corner. The cairt then turned right on to the Glesca Road, past the Cosy Corner pub, Greenside Street, Arbuckle the butcher, Andra Little the baker (dis he still make thon lovely wee rolls?) Hogg’s paper shoap, Grimson’s wireless shoap, Paterson the chemist, the Dookit picture hoose, Norris the grocer, Cathy Potts fruit shoap at the corner o’ Alpine Street, opposite Hugh’s the grocer, Gibson’s store, Allen’s chip shoap, McWilliamson the butcher shoap, an’ Davidson’s the drapers, which wur aw’ right across the road fae the Turner’s Building, wi’ J.C.Sweet’s cut price shoap oan the corner, then the entrance intae Logan Street, wi’ the Priory Bar oan the ither corner. Before they started building, Logan Street wis jist a wee street wi’ Turner’s Building oan the right haun side wi’ a park next tae it, where aw’ the brass an’ silver bauns in blantir yist tae practice, while oan’ the left haun side, wis the Priory Bar an’ Priory Hall (where aw’ thon’ doo’ men yist tae meet), alang wi’ the new Drill Hall.” The whole story can be read here: A Wee Fat Wummins Memory o’ Blantir

Andrew Little’s – Bakers of 200 Glasgow Road, which opened in 1928 and closed due to redevelopment on 17th February 1979.

The photo from the early 1930’s shows Isa (Isabella Little) in the doorway of her shop.

Betty McGaulley used to live upstairs and remembers the Bread Strike.

J.D.S. Domestic Services had their first shop in what was Little’s, until it was demolished, according to Drew Semple.

The late James Cornfield wrote a poem about:

Andrew Little’s Rolls

No matter where I go,
no matter what I see,
My hearts always in Blantyre,
where I long to be.

Some things I’ve forgotten,
but one I’ve never forgot,
The smell o’ Little’s rolls,
especially when they’re hot.

Young ones nowadays,
don’t know what they’ve missed.
Why eating Little’s rolls,
is better than being kissed.

Whenever I saw Isa standing,
outside their front door,
Then round the back I would go,
when we wanted more.

The aroma form the Bakehouse,
especially from the ovens,
Was enough to make you think,
of buying another dozen.

I know things are not the same,
everything up the poles,
But as long as I’ll live,
I’ll never forget Andra Little’s Rolls.

James Cornfield 2012

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