Hi All,
I have an ever increasing urge to go home for a little while. I really feel the need to take a trip round the places I knew as a kid and young man. It's probably been 6 or 7 years since I was back in Glasgow for a long weekend, which I really enjoyed, so it is time for another visit.
Now I need some advice from you all on how to resolve a bit of a problem. We moved from the Soo-side to Castlemilk in 1959 and had a brand new house, I still remember the first time my Mum and I went there on the bus, walked across a muddy field from the bus stop in the dark in winter, taking great care to navigate the buildings in progress and making sure we didn't fall down any big bloody holes.
Walking down the street trying to find number 31, the excitement rising in anticipation at what it would look like, my heart thumping at the thrill of being here and the prospect of what we will find!
Needless to say, we were not disappointed, ground floor 2 bedroom " 2 BEDROOMS !" front garden "FRONT GARDEN !" a veranda as well. Walking through the door you could smell the new paint and plaster, and the first room I looked in was a bathroom "A BLOODY BATHROOM!!" Oh God, I thought I was going to die, honestly. What more hidden treasures would I find a few short steps away? A kitchen was discovered, with 2 sinks, a cooker and a cupboard with a very strange copper looking cylinder thing with pipes going everywhere, how odd! A pulley hanging from the ceiling, no wonder my Mum was so happy! Bless Her.
After spending many years in this house and 2 of my sisters being born there in the house, you can imagine how special this house was, and still is to all of my family. In the past, when I have paid a trip home I have always gone to see the house and sit in my car and discretely look at it from a we bit of a distance recalling all those memories with a smile on my face. Indeed this ritual is still practised by all of my family even now. Anyone going up for a while always does, this includes Sisters, their children and even Grandchildren! It is that special to us all.
Here is where you come in! I would dearly love to see inside the house one last time before it is to late! How do I manage to organise that one......OVER TO YOU!
Take care, John
A longing in my heart
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braveheart
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:01 pm
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi Braveheart first you will have to tell us the address as a lot of the buildings have been torn down and new houses put I their place. I will name a few of the places.
29/33 Ardmaleish Rd has gone (New Houses)
Stravannan Rd (new houses)
Downcraig Rd.from the lefthand side going straight up to Ardencraig Rd.(New Houses)
"Babyland" is not there (houses they built at Carmunnok rd side of Ardencraig Rd.
New houses built at Ardencraig Rd at Carmunnock Rd end up to Birgidale are all bought houses (new).
Top end of Birgidale Rd up to Ardencraig all new houses..........
Ballantay Rd. some new and the others ar the old ones.
Machrie Rd./St also
Bogany fats and also the houses before you came to the flats
Glenacre Dr. ........
Barlia Dr. ...........
Some of the houses in Dougrie Rd. before you come to St Margaret Marys chapel
Mitchellhill flats are gone, houses across the road from them also
The "Valley" is still the same only upgraded a bit
Cavin hasn't changed much some houses around Arnprior are new
Dougrie St. at the back of the police office are away right round to where the shops where. New houses roundabout Tormusk are new.
Will try and think of some more and will let you know but it would be better if I knew your old address.
Amelia
29/33 Ardmaleish Rd has gone (New Houses)
Stravannan Rd (new houses)
Downcraig Rd.from the lefthand side going straight up to Ardencraig Rd.(New Houses)
"Babyland" is not there (houses they built at Carmunnok rd side of Ardencraig Rd.
New houses built at Ardencraig Rd at Carmunnock Rd end up to Birgidale are all bought houses (new).
Top end of Birgidale Rd up to Ardencraig all new houses..........
Ballantay Rd. some new and the others ar the old ones.
Machrie Rd./St also
Bogany fats and also the houses before you came to the flats
Glenacre Dr. ........
Barlia Dr. ...........
Some of the houses in Dougrie Rd. before you come to St Margaret Marys chapel
Mitchellhill flats are gone, houses across the road from them also
The "Valley" is still the same only upgraded a bit
Cavin hasn't changed much some houses around Arnprior are new
Dougrie St. at the back of the police office are away right round to where the shops where. New houses roundabout Tormusk are new.
Will try and think of some more and will let you know but it would be better if I knew your old address.
Amelia
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braveheart
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:01 pm
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi Amelia,
Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.
Yes, I noticed there were a lot of changes last time I was up. In fact, when I visited No31 Blaeloch Drive, I had heart palpitations as they had knocked down the entire area and rebuilt all the houses, but guess what.......No31 was left standing and untouched, the only house still standing in the area, which is AMAZING!!! So, I'm hoping it is still there and I can get the chance to see it again, it means that much to me.
If you find out anything Amelia I would appreciate it.
Take care, John
Thanks for the response, I appreciate it.
Yes, I noticed there were a lot of changes last time I was up. In fact, when I visited No31 Blaeloch Drive, I had heart palpitations as they had knocked down the entire area and rebuilt all the houses, but guess what.......No31 was left standing and untouched, the only house still standing in the area, which is AMAZING!!! So, I'm hoping it is still there and I can get the chance to see it again, it means that much to me.
If you find out anything Amelia I would appreciate it.
Take care, John
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi John [Braveheart]
Isn't that great your house at number 31 is still standing, yes the exodus from the soo-side in the 50/60s was an upheaval for us all, to have a bathroom , inside toilet, verandah etc was all new things for us. Although I felt the planners let us down with hardly any shops or community centres , I honestly believe with the power of hindsight that if we had all become involved more in the community our estates would have become better places to live as we could have petitioned the council for more amenities etc, as it was there were people I lived next close to [for 7 years] and we just passed each other by in the street or just nodded our heads to. Where do you live now John ? is it far away from Glasgow ?. I'm glad Amelia gave you a heads up on the streets and roads still standing. I went back to Glasgow from London for a weeks holiday last year 2012 and got the bus out to south Nitshill and most of the estate had been knocked down but just like you low and behold 39 Willowford Rd was still standing and as I passed by it I looked at the verandah and could envisage my Ma, Da, sister and myself standing there as we did in the summer months. Although if truth be known John I hated south Nitshill when I lived there [because leaving the soo-side tore the heart out of me although I was only 13 years old when we moved there, and left behind our community spirit, shops, pubs, chippy, cinema etc etc]. I had to go back one more time just for piece of mind to see the old estate but wont ever go back again although this is my own personal view as other people would still like it.
The last 2 years I have went back to the soo-side and the Oatlands/Gorbals area is almost unrecognisable but I feel more at "peace" there, I hadn't visited the soo-side for 45 years previous to those wee holidays and although I had saw images of how it is on the internet it still came as a shock to me, I felt so depressed on my 1 st holiday visit I couldn't find it in me to take photos but this year I did take photos and met up with a few friends [from face book] in the Brazen Head and Laurieston bars. Cant wait till next September to go back up again, I can only put away a few pounds from my pension every week to pay for my hotel and travel plus spending money but I get all excited when I step off the train in Central station knowing I will meet people of my own age group and have a good old laugh. Good luck to you John.
Regards.
Danny
Isn't that great your house at number 31 is still standing, yes the exodus from the soo-side in the 50/60s was an upheaval for us all, to have a bathroom , inside toilet, verandah etc was all new things for us. Although I felt the planners let us down with hardly any shops or community centres , I honestly believe with the power of hindsight that if we had all become involved more in the community our estates would have become better places to live as we could have petitioned the council for more amenities etc, as it was there were people I lived next close to [for 7 years] and we just passed each other by in the street or just nodded our heads to. Where do you live now John ? is it far away from Glasgow ?. I'm glad Amelia gave you a heads up on the streets and roads still standing. I went back to Glasgow from London for a weeks holiday last year 2012 and got the bus out to south Nitshill and most of the estate had been knocked down but just like you low and behold 39 Willowford Rd was still standing and as I passed by it I looked at the verandah and could envisage my Ma, Da, sister and myself standing there as we did in the summer months. Although if truth be known John I hated south Nitshill when I lived there [because leaving the soo-side tore the heart out of me although I was only 13 years old when we moved there, and left behind our community spirit, shops, pubs, chippy, cinema etc etc]. I had to go back one more time just for piece of mind to see the old estate but wont ever go back again although this is my own personal view as other people would still like it.
The last 2 years I have went back to the soo-side and the Oatlands/Gorbals area is almost unrecognisable but I feel more at "peace" there, I hadn't visited the soo-side for 45 years previous to those wee holidays and although I had saw images of how it is on the internet it still came as a shock to me, I felt so depressed on my 1 st holiday visit I couldn't find it in me to take photos but this year I did take photos and met up with a few friends [from face book] in the Brazen Head and Laurieston bars. Cant wait till next September to go back up again, I can only put away a few pounds from my pension every week to pay for my hotel and travel plus spending money but I get all excited when I step off the train in Central station knowing I will meet people of my own age group and have a good old laugh. Good luck to you John.
Regards.
Danny
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braveheart
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:01 pm
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi Danny,
Looks like we both have experienced similar situations. In my case, I loved the part of Castlemilk that I lived in, it was almost like a separate little community all of it's own as it was a little bit disconnected from the main estate by a dual carriage main road. Just about everyone who lived there knew each other and a lot of families became friends and in some cases life long friends. In my case I married my childhood sweetheart, she lived in the house directly across the street from me, and we went to primary school together, we have known each other since we were 10 years old.
Although I was quite happy living there I still went down the soo-side as often as I could to see friends and family. Coming from quite a large family, many of them still lived there then. And yes like you Danny I always felt safe there, everyone knew me and they always wanted to know how you were getting on and how your family were doing. I was proud to come from the soo-side, after all both my Dad and Grandad were born there, in the same street.
I know most of it is sadly gone now, but when you go through the area you still feel like your home again. It's hard not to because you have so many memories to draw from. It's still a special place Danny mate.
Take care, no doubt I will talk to you soon pal.
John
Looks like we both have experienced similar situations. In my case, I loved the part of Castlemilk that I lived in, it was almost like a separate little community all of it's own as it was a little bit disconnected from the main estate by a dual carriage main road. Just about everyone who lived there knew each other and a lot of families became friends and in some cases life long friends. In my case I married my childhood sweetheart, she lived in the house directly across the street from me, and we went to primary school together, we have known each other since we were 10 years old.
Although I was quite happy living there I still went down the soo-side as often as I could to see friends and family. Coming from quite a large family, many of them still lived there then. And yes like you Danny I always felt safe there, everyone knew me and they always wanted to know how you were getting on and how your family were doing. I was proud to come from the soo-side, after all both my Dad and Grandad were born there, in the same street.
I know most of it is sadly gone now, but when you go through the area you still feel like your home again. It's hard not to because you have so many memories to draw from. It's still a special place Danny mate.
Take care, no doubt I will talk to you soon pal.
John
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JosieStuksis
- Posts: 79
- Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:50 am
Re: A longing in my heart
All the houses in the Blaeloch and Holmbyre area have all been refurbished in the last few years. They have also had the exteriors repainted too. Looking much nicer but I wouldn't want to live there, it's reputation precedes it.. There is also a lot of new build houses on the site of Netherton primary school as well.The wee row of shops are long gone and the only place to shop is a mobile shop unless the people want to venture out to Croftfoot or to Castlemilk shopping centre.
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi Braveheart I was gong to take a wander across and take a photo of your close, when the weather is a wee bit better, my niece bought one of the new houses in Blaeloch just at the beginning next to Lainshaw and she loves it she says it is very quiet. You must have either went to Netherton or St Margaret Marys primary. They pulled Netherton down and now St Margaret Marys is away also they have built that where Windlaw school was if you can remember it, and all the kids went to Castleton from Netherton as they have built 2 brand new schools it's been up about 8years as I look right on to it, the only thing was they never sent any plans to the neighbours at our side they sent them to the side near the police office but it never affected them as the turned the whole school around and put the playing field at the other end so they have blocked all our view, I use to be able to see right into the town at the Royal infirmary now I don't see that much except the Erskine Bridge.
Amelia
Amelia
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braveheart
- Posts: 123
- Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2013 7:01 pm
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi Josie and Amelia,
Sad to hear that Blaeloch has a bad reputation now, it never had a bad reputation in the years that I lived there!
Yes Josie, I knew a lot of the houses in the area had been rebuilt or refurbished as I seen this when I was last up there. I also noticed that the row of shops had gone, but surprised they never rebuilt them, as everyone in that area used to use them. I used to do the local milk round from the coop, I used to go at 6 every morning, open the gate to the front door of the shop and take the crates of milk out that had been delivered by the truck some hours previously. I would then get the metal wheelbarrow and load the crates up into it and get on my way, pushing that bloody thing up the hill on Blaeloch! I climbed up so many stairs and closes that it used to make my head spin....made good money though!
Thanks for the info Amelia, it is kind of you to get a photo of the house it would be really nice to see it, I really hope the original one is still there. Yes Amelia Netherton or St Margaret Mary's primary schools, actually I went to both believe it or not, I went to Netherton when I first went to Castlemilk and then to St Margaret Mary's, its a shame they have both gone now.
Take care, John
Sad to hear that Blaeloch has a bad reputation now, it never had a bad reputation in the years that I lived there!
Yes Josie, I knew a lot of the houses in the area had been rebuilt or refurbished as I seen this when I was last up there. I also noticed that the row of shops had gone, but surprised they never rebuilt them, as everyone in that area used to use them. I used to do the local milk round from the coop, I used to go at 6 every morning, open the gate to the front door of the shop and take the crates of milk out that had been delivered by the truck some hours previously. I would then get the metal wheelbarrow and load the crates up into it and get on my way, pushing that bloody thing up the hill on Blaeloch! I climbed up so many stairs and closes that it used to make my head spin....made good money though!
Thanks for the info Amelia, it is kind of you to get a photo of the house it would be really nice to see it, I really hope the original one is still there. Yes Amelia Netherton or St Margaret Mary's primary schools, actually I went to both believe it or not, I went to Netherton when I first went to Castlemilk and then to St Margaret Mary's, its a shame they have both gone now.
Take care, John
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi John,
Just reading about you delivering milk, I did the same in south-Nitshill and used to start about 5 am delivering the milf from the crates dropped off by the Co-op driver . Did it in all weathers and was a great adventure althogh I only got paid 10/ shillings per week [which I gave to my Ma], then when my round was over John it was back to the house had my breakfast and got the bus[s] to Holyrood school. Great old memories John of our youths.
Regards.
Danny
Just reading about you delivering milk, I did the same in south-Nitshill and used to start about 5 am delivering the milf from the crates dropped off by the Co-op driver . Did it in all weathers and was a great adventure althogh I only got paid 10/ shillings per week [which I gave to my Ma], then when my round was over John it was back to the house had my breakfast and got the bus[s] to Holyrood school. Great old memories John of our youths.
Regards.
Danny
Re: A longing in my heart
Hi John & Danny
There's nothing to beat milk from a bottle somehow the plastic cartons are not the same.
Many a time I got my milk stolen from outside my door never found out who did it.
John when I used to go to a parents night club in St Margaret Mary's wee school this was before the bingo started we went and you would either go to keep fit or to the sewing class it was the headmistress Mrs McFaulds that run it we had some good laughs and it was always a night of freedom from the kids after having them all day
I also went to Holyrood school Danny when it was a senior secondary school but it all changed I went there in 1946 loved it was broken hearted when I had to leave to go out to work and then I stared as a message girl in Twomax (McClure & McIntosh) was the bosses names I got married out of there. I worked in the same flat as Alec Ferguson wife and all her sisters they came from around Florence St, but she met him after she left Twomax. The building still stands to this day.
Amelia
There's nothing to beat milk from a bottle somehow the plastic cartons are not the same.
Many a time I got my milk stolen from outside my door never found out who did it.
John when I used to go to a parents night club in St Margaret Mary's wee school this was before the bingo started we went and you would either go to keep fit or to the sewing class it was the headmistress Mrs McFaulds that run it we had some good laughs and it was always a night of freedom from the kids after having them all day
I also went to Holyrood school Danny when it was a senior secondary school but it all changed I went there in 1946 loved it was broken hearted when I had to leave to go out to work and then I stared as a message girl in Twomax (McClure & McIntosh) was the bosses names I got married out of there. I worked in the same flat as Alec Ferguson wife and all her sisters they came from around Florence St, but she met him after she left Twomax. The building still stands to this day.
Amelia