Grants Building

Grant’s Building

Grant’s Building, which contained Owens Cycle and accessories, where you got your accumulator charged for your wireless (radio), Ella Little’s Grocery, Sub Post Office, which was run by postmistress Miss Stewart and her assistant, Marian Kilgour. The shop also had Sam Douglas’s Barbers in the back. Lane to Baird’s Rows (Craighead Row’s)

Thomas Dunsmore Hartman wrote, “If you crossed over Glasgow Road from HerbertsonStreet, this would put you just past the Cart entrance going down to Baird’s Raw’s.

Again, we have a tenement two storey type building, with stores at street level and through the close, you go upstairs to the second level.

In this building of note was Black’s Bakery, one of the most popular in Blantyre. This was one of the two bakeries in Blantyre that sold morning rolls, and in the early-morning hours 6.00 a.m. – 9.00 a.m. The shop on Glasgow Road did not open until 9. 00 a.m, so you had to go to the back of the building and go directly into the bake house. This was great, for when you opened the door, there was this fantastic smell of the baked rolls and the terrific heat from the ovens, much appreciated by anyone coming in off the night-shift and making their way home to their families with these warm rolls, especially if it was in one of the cold mornings of winter. I have experienced this, and I do cherish the memories. I hated ” night shift!”

Grants Building and Post Office looking West 1970

Grant’s Building looking West 1970. Then we had the two story tenement, the Gilmour’s Building.

Photo sent in by Anthony Smith.

Your Comments:

Len Northfield: Every time I see these photos it breaks my heart what they did to Blantyre. Ok, it wasn’t exactly the prettiest town in the world, but it was a community with heart and soul.

Jim McDougall: Aye, I remember walking to Ness’s School with my big sister back in the 1940’s, passing by all those lovely old buildings, you’re not alone Len, it is heart breaking to see them all gone, we had a Brilliant Community spirit in those days. A place I still call home, and still miss. Memories is what we have left.

Mary McGuigan: Aye deff Len, old buildings are better I think x.

Mary Summers: I feel the same Len.

David Owens: First time I’ve seen a photo of this. I barely remember being in the shop?

George Mackenzie: Used to get my haircut in Sam Douglas’s which was IN the Post a Office.

Mary Summers: Used to go into that post office all the time.

Tom McGuigan: It was called the wee post office. I think Alec Lethan had the carpet shop for a while.

Shug McNeill: Asda tore the heart out of Blantyre.

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