Stepek’s Electrical

Jan Stepek Family Story

We can all remember the Stepek Electrical Shop at John Street on Glasgow Road and latterly, corner of Station Road and Glasgow Road, after all, most of our families got their first television and washing machine from Mr Stepek.

Jan Stepek, a Polish Immigrant, was a carpenter to trade and learned radar during the War. When the War was over, he learned of a Grant to study Television and radio at Glasgow University, which he eagerly took, and came to Scotland in 1947 and settled into a room and kitchen in Cambuslang.

He was often seen pushing his cart through the streets of Blantyre, offering to repair broken radios.

He only had one price for the repair, Ten Bob, but guaranteed that it would be repaired.

He soon opened his first shop, then his second and eventually became the largest Electrical Retailer in Scotland. He bailed out Hamilton Accies and became Chairman from 1969 up until 1987 when he stepped down. In 2000, he became Chairman once again until 2002.

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Although this video is 45 minutes long, it is well worth watching for an insight into the life of Jan Stepek.

Your Comments:

Andrew MacFarlane: A story which provides a great example of the social and economic benefits our community and country can gain from showing compassion and empathy towards refugees and our fellow human beings. Thanks for sharing.

Susan Flannigan Mayes: My mum knew him. She said he was a nice man and a gentleman.

Maureen Kelly Elliott: Brilliant ..worked in Stepek for 12 yrs .. good times x

Alex Mcdermott: Only in Blantyre

Ian Anderson: My mum and dad knew Jan Stepek, he came over during 2nd world war from Poland and started with a wheelbarrow fixing anything and everything nice man.

Catherine Travers Leslie: I used to work in Stepek’s when I was still at school. Worked at the weekends and holidays – thanks for the picture, brought back memories – right on the corner.

Campbell Wylie: Very high HP terms.

Isobel Bolger: My dad was in the army with the guy Stepek.

Donna Timmins: Bought my washing machine from Stepek’s, its still in use.

Christine Brown: It defo is the top of John St, Rego’s next to it then the laundrette penclose then the bookies, Batters, Geordie the barber, fish shop, Matha the poles known as Millars shoe shop.

Elizabeth Clelland: Think everybody in Blantyre remembers Stepek x

Marie Cathcart: I think I still owe Stepek money lol.

Anne Mccreadie: I got my first telly out of Stepek’s, paid it every Friday lol.

John Latta: Guy came to our house to empty the telly and forgot to do up the padlock, so I did and told ma da and got some doin that day.

Tracy Feelie: Who remembers bumpin Stepek? pmsl x

Angela Tallis: yeh got my first washing machine from there !! paid it off then got my betamax recorder lol, on my way home from work at Martin Murry the chemist.

James Faulds: next to Rego’s and the bookies and the dry cleaners.

Betty Mcneill: Them were the days when Blantyre had a Main Street.

Christine Brown: Geordie Thorburn had a Barbers just along from Stepek and his brother Freddie and you had Bunty for the woman’s hair.

Christine Brown: I used to run down Elm Street to all these shops.

Anita Watson: I remember taking all the weans to Matha Poles for gutties in summer and wellies in winter.

Christine Brown: Aye, and baseball boots cost next to nothing lol.

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