Patersons Chemist

Paterson’s Chemist, Main Street

The building on the right front edge was the chemist’s Paterson’s, just before the wee row of cottages on the right, then before that there used to be two big billboards and before that there was a path leading down to Ashwood’s garage just before Kirkton got built. Paterson also had a Chemist shop on Glasgow Road.

The Stones Hotel was on the left through the two pillars. Gas lamp in front of Paterson’s.

Your Social Comments:

Carol Gilmour: What year was this?

Blantyre’s Ain: It is pre 1947 because that was when the last Gas Lamps were replaced by electricity and as there appears to be iron railings on the Stones Hotel walls, it pre dates it to before the 2nd World War i.e. 1939. Anyone know any more info?

Elizabeth Weaver: Do you mean gas lamps in Main Street, Bill? We still had gas lamps in Victoria Street in the early 50s. We used to watch the lamplighter come round in the evening.

Elizabeth Weaver: I well remember going into the chemist’s when I was young – another dark interior with rows of potions and pills. The wee cottage down from it was where our great grandmother Campbell (nee Gibson) lived – she was one of the first registered midwives so she had a brass plaque on the door at that time. By all accounts, she was a no-nonsense woman who loved her job and the babies she delivered, but was not afraid to challenge their mothers when it came to matters of hygiene or household management. Family legend has it that when one young mother presented her baby for a check-up, great-granny had a look at the baby’s unwashed skin and declared that the cure for the baby’s (non-existent) skin condition was a raw potato in the bath every night. The potato was pointless of course, but the baby got a regular bath from then on.

Margo Haughen: Lovely story, Elizabeth! I’ll pass that on to a new generation of midwives!

Thomas Barrett: Is the two storey building on the left Jim Wilson’s shop?

Jim McDougall: Aye Thomas that’s Wilsons shop, the path between Stones Hotel and Wilson’s leads to Victoria Street.

Gary Doonin: You can’t see original building where Stones is which used to be a big house owned by a family called Devanney who were coalmen, but you can see the two Pillars which led into this house. Tam is right, the building on left is Jim Wilson’s shop at very top of Victoria Street.

Ishbel McKinlay-Wilkie: Memory lane!! xx

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