Tag: Historic Hamilton

The Odeon

Pictures.

The Odeon was built across the street from the ABC Regal Cinema. It was one of the original cinemas in the Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres Ltd. The building was designed by the cinema chain’s house architects Andrew Mather,

Odeon

The Odeon opened on 14th November 1938 with George Raft in “Spawn of the North”. The building was faced in cream faience tiles, and had a small slab tower on the left-hand side. Seating in the auditorium was provided for 1,353 in the stalls and 466 in the circle.

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The Odeon was closed for tripling on 1st March 1980, and re-opened on 5th April 1980 with 466 seats in the former balcony, and screens 2 & 3 in the former stalls seating 224 and 310.

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The Odeon Was closed by the Rank Organisation on 26th August 1999, and was immediately demolished. The site is now a car park.

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Ticket from the last ever showing on the last ever night, before the Odeon closed.

From my own collection in the last picture you will see a ticket that was from the very last showing, on the very last night, before it closed. It was Wild Wild West with Will Smith. Ths showing was on the 26/08/1999, I went with two of my pals and it was quite emotional. I can recall the showing being half empty, and sitting next to us were an elderly couple who must have been in their 70s, they had obviously gone on the last night to reminicse.

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Beckford Street School, Anti-Smoking League.

 

 

KarenMartin

This fantastic piece of memorabilia was sent to us by Karen Martin. The card was collected by Karen’s dad, who likes to keep Hamilton memorabilia and it dates from Beckford Street School in the year 1907.

The Card reads:

“BECKFORD STREET SCHOOL HAMILTON.

Anti-Smoking league – I promise to abstain entirely from Tobacco in any form till I reach the age of 21 years.
Signed by George Campbell – Class teacher – John F Lang
Malcolm Blair F.E.I.S,, Headmaster. Date: August 1907.”

I asked Karen if there was a story behind this anti-smoking card, however as it was bought by Karen’s Dad, he didn’t know if there was or not!

I can picture the said George Campbell being caught smoking at school and the Headmaster giving him an ultimatum of Ten of his finest strokes, or to keep off the fags until he was 21……I know what option I would have picked!!

The Seagrave Brothers

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The Seagrave Brothers.

 

Angela Seagrave sent us another picture of her dad, Tommy Seagrave and his brother Jim Seagrave and there nephews Billy Bowes and Jim Byars in the Peacock Bar which is now the Tap Room.

We want to see your pictures from nights out in Hamilton. Send them to us by PM (private message) or by email on historichamilton@icloud.com.

St. Johns Grammar 1940s or early 50s.

TerryBouette.Fix.
St. Johns Grammar School, Late 1940s or early 1950s.

 

Terry Bouette sent this picture of St Johns Grammer School somewhere late 40s or early 50s.

Terry Bouette is 3rd from right. Eric Forlow is 3rd from left.On third row right in middle is someone called Patterson. I remember the boy 3rd row third from left whose father was caretaker in Hamilton Mauseleum.

Can anyone else be identified.

THE LAURIE FAMILY OF BURNBANK

 

The Laurie family of Burnbank owned one of the towns best and most noticeable businesses. They were the owners of  Chieftain Buses that was based at their depot on High Blantyre Road.

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In the picture above, back row L-R are James, John & David Laurie. Middle row is David & Margaret Laurie and the kids in the front row are Wilma and Bob Laurie.

The company was started by James Laurie. When he came out of the army in 1918, he started with a taxi and built it up into a bus service.

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The family later moved to number 81 High Blantyre Road and then set up a bus depot right next door to their house. The business was thriving and had employed local people to work at the depot, as well as all of the Laurie family who were involved in some way.

David Laurie who is the grandson of David Laurie Snr told Historic Hamilton that “all of the family were involved in some way, driving my dad did along with coach building and my uncle’s did mechanics and driving right up to the 60’s when they sold the business”.

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The family depot in Burnbank was a busy place and as previously mentioned, it employed local people who include, Carrie (Mair) Clark who was a conductress on the Hairmyres route, her sister Elsie also a clippie on the Hairmyers route, her brothers Willie and Robert all worked for the Chieftain buses for a number of years.

 

Robert Wilson, Bob Mair & Robert Clements were a few of the drivers on the Chieftain Buses.

Former site of the Cheiftan depot.
Former site of the Chieftain Bus depot, now a public Garden.

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The company ran all the way up to 1961 until it was taken over by the SMT group. The old Chieftain garage became Jamieson’s Builders yard for many years and later was sold to the council and it was eventually landscaped.

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Historic Hamilton would like to thank David Laurie for telling us his family’s story & sharing some pictures and also Robert Stenlake for supplying some of the local pictures of the Chieftain Buses.

We would like to hear from you! What was your memories of the Cheiftan Buses at High Blantyre Road in Burnbank. Send them to us at HistoricHamilton@icloud.com

HAMILTON CARRIAGE WORKS

Flyer for the Hamilton Coach works.
Flyer for the Hamilton Coach works.

One of the major companies in Hamilton round about the turn of the 20th century was Scott, Stirling & Co!

Scott, Stirling & Co were local coach builders in the town and they were founded in 1862 under the name J & C Stirling. They started off as a small business but quickly grew due to their excellent workmanship and at the time coach building was one of the oldest industries in Hamilton.

In the year 1862 when the firm was established the business advanced rapidly. So mush so, that in a comparatively short period of time, it was found necessary to make considerable extensions, and from an original small shop, the firm now occupies an area of nearly one acre of double storied buildings, elaborately fitted with the most modern wood-working machinery.

Scott, Stirling & Co were so reputable that not only did they build coaches and do repairs in Hamilton, they did work all over Scotland, England & Northern Ireland.

They later built ambulance & fever hospital vans all equipped with the “latest improvised fittings”. They also built spring vans, message vans, bakers vans ans then moved on to light & heavy lorries.

They were noted as stating ” A supply of these vans are always on hand, or can be built at the shortest notice” They could possibly have been the Quick Fit of it’s day in the late 1800s.

Below is an advertisement for the carriage works that was gave to Historic Hamilton by Lesley Fife. There is also a Yellow outline marking where the possible site of the coach works were situated just next to the Hamilton Advertiser building, this was taken from the 1847-1895 map of Hamilton.

Campbell Street4 Campbell Street3 Campbell Street2 Campbell Street1.

HEAD FOR HEIGHTS?

Pat Hughes & Tommy Wynne 200 foot up in the air.
Pat Hughes & Tommy Wynne 200 foot up in the air.

Window cleaners Pat Hughes & Tommy Wynne cleaning the windows of the county buildings in 1964. It must have taken them some amount of time to clean the 20,000 windows two hundred feet up!! Picture courtesy of Stuart McAllister.

HAMILTON FROM ABOVE

HAMILTON FROM ABOVE.
This picture was taken in 1928 and you can notice the changes that the town has gone through in the last 87 Years.
As you can see, there is no M74 at the top of the picture but a road leading up to Motherwell. You can also see the line where the grand avenue of trees lead from the Palace up to the Duke’s hunting lodge at Chatelherault.
Tuphall Road (A) is shown from it’s junction with Quarry Street and Bent Road, with the Gasholder (B) to it’s right. The back of Johnstone Street tenements (C) has Woodside School beyond.
Selkirk Street (D) ran through from Portland Place (E) to cross Tuphall Road. Scott Street (F) and Butterburn Park Street (G) climb, uninterrupted, from Tuphall Road and across Burnblea Street (H).
Low Patrick Street (J) has the old Hippodrome at its foot. Central Station (K) and the former Town Hall are on the Left of the picture.
The fields at the bottom of the picture would be later built on as the construction of much needed council housing got under way.

Arial photograph of Hamilton in 1928.
Arial photograph of Hamilton in 1928.

Ha Ha Hamilton

On a Saturday mornin, we awe went tae the baths,
Com’on let’s go tae the toon, hiv oorsels some laughs,
We awe mingled at the bottom cross,havin a carry on,
Dayin’ a Harry Worth in Burtons windae, decidin where wir gawn,

Their buildin that new regent thingy, let’s go fur a wander,
Wee alec says ‘climb up the scaffold, n’ end up right roon yonder,
We wir sittin on the edge, a Lightbody’s man came wae a big tray on his heed,
As he walked by we leaned ower, a got a load o’ cream cakes, doughnuts n’breed

We were sittin there scoffin cakes, yum” then we came a cropper,
Standin there shoutin’ ‘come on git aff’ wis Hamiltons new copper,,
Ye cannae catch us wis the cry, as we splattered him wae cream n’breed,
He wis screamin at us, called us all sorts, n’ jist going aff his heed,

We ran roon the scaffold, he kept on chasin, he wis never gonna stop,
It wis realy funny, runnin hawdin he’s helmit, wae cream awe ower ls top,
The only problem wis, that we forgot, there wis only wan way doon,
”Big Wully,” the other polis’ even he wis laughin’ before he went to toon’

If Wully” tells you tae dae somethin, ye better dae it or yir’ dead,,
His favourite trick wis tae kick yir’ arse, or smack ye roon the head,
But ok, it wisnae funny, I thought awe the memories they wir great,
Jist wait tae the next time, I’ll tell ye whit happend wae the Majestrate,,,,,

Written by Hugh Haney for Historic Hamilton.

IS IT A BOOK YE WANT

“Is it a book ye want”
A see yir’ on aboot writin a book, well that’s mighty task,
The informations at yir’ fingertips, if no ye jist hiv tae ask.

Jist look aroon’ the places that yir’ postin’ aboot every day,
Go on meet the people, write a book, tae them that’s child’s play.

Ask aboot their thoughts n’ fears, they’ll sharp talk off yir’ ears,
They’ll tell ye things ye won’t believe, stuff that’s bin telt fur years.

Go out n’ have a fun day oot in Hamilton, Burnbank and Blantir’,
You’ll hiv loads of things tae write aboot, if ye listen tae the banter.

Jist look at their faces, suss their age, then thir era ye can gage,
See ye cannae ask a young un’ aboot whit happend in another age.

The best news is from the source, ask if true, they’ll say of cource,
Yil git loads that’ll talk awe day,n’ tell ye porkies till they’re hoarse’.

Remember people ye talk tae, take some wae a wee pinch of salt,
They’ll say they worked on the titanic, if ye buy them a single malt.

But seriously, these great people, who live n’ work all these places,
They’ve got histories to be told, the truth is in all of thir faces.

Written for Historic Hamilton by Hugh Haney 16/10/2015.