Douglas West, Lanarkshire

Mrs Smith's farm at Coalburn

I remember a stunning girlfriend, Rosemary Smith,  whose family farmed at Coalburn. We met while both working and studying in Manchester and I remember our visit to her mother's farm at Coalburn in 1968.  THere were fields of sheep, rain, sheep, trees, rain, lovely farmstead, rain, coal fire, rain, her old A40 Countryman estate car, rain etc!  A lovely place and... [more]

Cafe

There was a wee shop on the High Street of Lesmahagow that my mother always took me to as a boy. Down the left side were tables where you could sit and have juice and stuff, (not sure what I had, but I bet it was gooey and good!
They sold other stuff too like toys and some other household things... [more]

Wilson of Braidwood

My brother and I were packed off to Scotland from London each summer to visit our ancestral homeland, whence we would visit our Aunt Daisy and Uncle Adam at their place next to the old Braidwood school near the bottom of the village. This was always a real treat. The wonderful garden that sloped steeply down to the stream at the... [more]

The village of my birthplace

I was born at no 24 Miller Street, Glassford in the year 1938 and lived there till 1948. I have very happy memories of my childhood there. Dad was a miner and was transferred to the east coast when I was 10 years old. I am the youngest in the family. I emigrated to New Zealand in 1958, got married and settled in... [more]

I was Born in Ashgill

I was born above the old post office in Ashgill and my family moved to Cornsilloch when I was around 6 months old.
My whole family from my grannie and grandad Nellie Waddell and John Smith and their parents Hugh Smith all lived in Ashgill Prospect Drive and Douglas drive.
My uncle Sandy had tomato houses out at Ayr road,... [more]

Wishaw

I was sent to live with my grandparents John and Teen (Christine) McIndoe in Wishaw at the start of theSecond World War. They lived at 62 East Academy Street, and when old enough I attended East Academy Street School. I loved that time, my grandfather was a baker at the Co-op in Wishaw (head baker I believe) and I used to... [more]

Playing out in Kilmichael Avenue

My happiest memories of our street is of me and my sisters playing with our friends. We played all sorts of games ... skipping ropes ... peever ... tig ... film stars ... swaping scraps ... We were never bored, in fact we enjoyed ourselves so much that we hated when night time came and we were called in to go... [more]

A farm worker's daughter in Dunsyre

Dunsyre was my first school, there were only 7 children in the whole school, myself and my two brothers all went there. I loved my teacher, she showed me great kindness, her name was Miss Low, I will never forget her. We lived at Westhall Cottages about a mile or so away. My dad worked at Westhall Farm, Mr Green was... [more]