Memories of Glasgow

Working in Glasgow

I worked in Glasgow for the best part of 16 years with the Wallis Fashion Company, who I am still with but in a different location. I would love to hear from anyone who also worked with the company over the years, but I would also like to find any information regarding my great-grandfather. My papa never realy spoke about his father as he didn't know very much, all I know is my great-grandmother Annie Lenord worked in a house in Glasgow during the war and my papa's father's name was Patrick Slowey who  emigrated to America where he died. My great-grandmother came from a little village called Newmains, Lanarkshire. If you have any information please email me at: Rosebud28@live.co.uk

Wedding of John Breen to Jane Rose Grand Hotel

Recently I started an ancestor search on my parents, mother Jane Breen Dalzell, I have just discovered her great-grandparents were John Breen who married Jane Rose on the 4th November 1884 at the Grand Hotel. I would love to try and get more information on this, and maybe some pictures of the inside of the hotel.
Also Jane Rose lived in Woodland Villa, Copland Road, I am trying to find too?

Glasgow Agency of the Bank of England

"The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street" as the Bank of England is known maintained a small office in Glasgow fir many years. It was on the north side of St VIncent Place and I worked there between 1975 and 1978.

On fine summer days I would cycle to the bank from my home in East Kilbride about 15 miles to the south but I rarely had the energy to pedal the whole way home in the evenings as there is a climb of maybe 1000 feet. Sometimes I would get off and push for a particularly steep part of the route but on tough days I would put the bike on the train from Glasgow Central Station just round the corner from the bank!

I returned to Glasgow on a holiday trip in 2005 when I was celebrating my 60th birthday and revisited the site of my old bank work in the 1970's. Things seem so much cleaner now although there is more traffic and more people. The bank has long since closed its agency offices in Glasgow but I could stand on the steps in the very place I had stood thiirty years previously and imagine myself ringing the bell for admission at 8.30 !!

Childhood

I was born and brought up in Possilpark from 1937 until 1958 and do not remember this mural. I guess things have to change, and I must admit the mural is very colourful and well done. I remember the Blind Asylum, the Co-op, Saracen Cross, St. Theresa's Church, all on Saracen Street (if my memory serves me correctly). My little brother and I used to go into the Co-op and watch the men in their white coats measuring out the sugar into paper bags, cutting and weighing the butter from the big slabs - no prepackaging in those days during the WWII. I have many happy memories of Possilpark.

Rainy Days & Sundays

We used to go to Art Gallery & Museum on Sundays, especially if it was raining. We took the tramcar from Possilpark right to the door. My sister and our four brothers spent many happy hours there looking in wonder at all the amazing things in the display cabinets. We did not appreciate the art until much later, especially when we had to pay one shilling to stand in line to view Salvador Dali's painting of the Crucifixion, as it had apparently cost the Museum its entire budget that year! I am anxious to go back home and see the renovations that have taken place, I only hope they have not changed too much as it is one of my favourite places to visit.

Bell, Bain and Scott Lairs, Necropolis

In the Necropolis, Section Omega are a number of family lairs containing the following family lines. The Bell Family Lair has the following inscription, James Bell, Printer, 1806 to 1883( James Bell, my Great, great grandfather, was co founder of the famous Scottish printing house of Bell and Bain in 1831. Bethia Scott, his wife 1809-1891, his eldest son, William Scott Bell, printer, unmarried, 1847 to 1890, Isabella Scott Bell, daughter, 1850 to 1897, another daughter, Jane Martha Bell, 1849 to 1930. In the Omega section, in an adjacent lair are buried members of the Bain family with this inscription, Andrew Bain, Printer. Thomas Bain, his brother, 1816to 1839, Robert Bain, his brother, 1822 to 1848, Jane Fleming, his Mother, 1788 to 1854. Andrew Bain, 1810 to 1858, Jane Symington, his wife, 1817 to 1893,
James Bain, their son, 1841 to 1878, Andrew Bain 1844 to 1926, James Ernest Aspin, 1864 to 1932, Janet Kinghorn, his wife, 1868 to 1939. In the Omega section near James Bell is the Scott Lair. with the following inscription, William Inglis Scott.
Helen Marion, his daughter 13 June 1863 , 19 june 1883, Agnes Galbraith, his daughter, 25 February 1865 to 23 March 1900, Andrew Galbraith Scott 23 November 1861, 25 October 1904, The above William Ingles Scott, 23 January 1826, 22 November 1907, Margaret Bogle Scott Galbraith, his wife 29 Sept, 1833, 18 Feb 1915. Also in Omega, following lair, erected by Anthony Hannay, in memory of James Scott, one of the 100 notable citizens of Glasgow who transformed it into a modern and prosperous city.his son, died 22 August 1851, aged 13 months, Helen Inglis, his daughter, died 15 may 1858 aged 8 years, Douglas Mann, his mother died 19 August 1860, aged 70 years, Marion Paterson Scott, his wife died 2 July 1864, aged 43 Years, Also in the Section Omega, the following lair, James Scott,
In Memory of Maggie his eldest daughter, 14 July 1850 , 22 march 1864, Agnes Nora, born 30 April 1860, died 27 February 1878. James Scott, born 21 may 1810, died 24 April 1884, his son, Captain Archibald Galbraith Scott, late of the Royal Artillery born, 18 February 1862 died 27 may 1900. his wife, Jane Martha Galbraith, born 8 may 1830 died 10 February 1917, Thomas Scott, Baker, was according to the Burgesses and Guild Brethren of Glasgow 1751 to 1846, made a Burgess and Guild Brother by purchase 11 March 1833. He died 26 June 1853 and buried 30 June 1853. Also in Section Omega, is the following lair, James Scott, in memory of his Mother, Helen Inglis died 15 December 1851 aged 69 years, His Father, Thomas Scott died 26 June 1853, his Sister, Christina died 11 July 1869, aged 53 years, his Sister Isabella , born 13 December 1818, died 26 march 1899. The above information was obtained from an early family bible in possession of the late Thomas Ian Scott Bell, formerly of Royal Oak, Machen, Monmouthshire, Wales.
James Bell was my father's Grand Father. His name is Captain James Logan-Bell ,
OBE MID, ASC, 1914 to 1922, Royal Horse Artillery, First Cavalry Division, BEF. who
emigrated to Australia in 1924 and enroute met and fell in love with my Mother Ethel Lilian Shelley, private secretary the Caterer to the House of Lords, the De Vere Group of Hotels. They married and settled down in Melbourne and surrounding
districts. I was born in 1935, an only son. Both now lie buried in the picturesque and historic pioneer cemetery in Sorrento, near where our Prime Minister Harold Holt mysteriously drowned at Cheviot beach on 16 December1967. I ive with Merlyn my wife and younger Daughter Christina here at Carnegie, an attractive inner Melbourne suburb. Merlyn's family were pioneer miners, the Trembaths from St Just, Cornwall who originally settled in Bendigo at the time of the Victorian Gold Rush. Her Grand Father grew quite wealthy and established a stock broking business, his Grand Son Robert still practises with a family broking firm. Therefore
the photo of the Cathedral and the Necropolis have a special significance being a resting place of a significant number of my father's Scottish ancestors.

Working As Staff Nurse At Western Infirmary

I worked as a staff nurse at this fine hospital for several years in the sixties. I was hired to work in the Renal Unit-however, it had not yet opened when I started. I was put to work wherever extra hands were needed until it did.

I worked Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights as I was married with a baby. I remember my husband driving up this approach to drop me off for night duty. It was a great place to work, with marvellous experience - I learned at the "scene of the accident" as we all did then. I nursed Glasgow's first kidney transplant patient, whom I will never forget. I remember being sent out in an ambulance in 1968 (I believe) when a tenement building collapsed during the night of the "Great Storm". There was a tremendous sense of camaraderie between co-workers at the Western - we all helped each other without regard to rank or job e.g. the nuses would give the cleaner a hand if her workload was too great. Similarly, we all mucked in when Casualty was packed with all kinds of emergencies to get the job done. We had walk-in cases, accident victims, victims of crimes etc. There were always police in casualty - either with victims or perpetrators (allegedly). It was never dull.

My husband, a graduate of Glasgow University School Of Medicine also worked here post-grad & looks back fondly on his time at the Western.

DAVIE BROWNS PARK

THIS IS MY GRANDA,S PARK WE HAVE AWE OOR MEMORIE,S HERE OF HIM ON HIS BENCH WINTER RAIN OR SHINE YOU,D SEE MA, GRANDA SITTING WAE HIS WEE RADIO+WEE CUP 2 KEEP HIM WARM !!! I REMEMBER HOW EASILY THE SQUIRREL,S TOOK TO HIM THEY CAME RIGHT UP TO HIM +WEE ROBINS +EVERYDAY FAITHFULLY HE WOULD HAVE THERE FOOD OR SEND US FOR MORE THIS IS JUST MY MEMORIE OF MY GRANDA,S PARK A LOVED GOING UP THE HAUGH JUST TAY SEE DAVY BROWN SITTING READING HIS PAPER,S HURRY UP GRANDA I WANT TAY SEE YOU IN 2007 ON YOUR BENCH WAE A BAG FULL OF NUT,S ALOVE YOU LOA,DS YOUR FIRST GRANDCHILD ALWIZ IN MA HEART ANGELA

Grandpa - this will always be your Park

To a man in a million - Grandpa you're just simply the best.
We love you millions
Angela, Paul and Courtney.
and all your family - you have too many to write them all here
I love you Grandpa - Angela xxx

1st Caledonian Railway bridge

The deck of this bridge was removed in 1966/7 and only the piers remain. There is an inscription on the Eastern face of the piers, in english and some other language (maybe greek) (I have a photo).
The photograph shows one of the Clutha River Buses, which operated from 1884 to 1903, coming into Jamaica Street pier, The Cluthas eventually became uneconomic when the Electric Trams were introduced and the Underground Railway was opened. The history of the Cluthas has largely been forgotten.

Last bus home

So you missed the last bus home, in my case to Castlemilk from St. Enoch's Square, after a night at the Locarno.  It is winter, cold, wet and windy and you know you have to do it.  Stand and wait for the number '2' bus to get me into Castlemilk but never near where I lived.  Oh the thought of waiting for the stupid bus at the "Square" and the dreaded walk home, which was about 2 miles from the nearest bus stop!
If that wasn't bad enough, the wrath of your mother awaited you at the other side of the door ready with all she had to lecture once again (putting it nicely) of the importance of never again missing the 10 o'clock bus again, OR ELSE.
Come Christmas, waiting seemed a treat as the lights in George Square were gleaming and somehow all was well with the world, even your mothers words didn't seem as harsh.
But did I ever miss the bus again? you bet.  Can't miss that last dance, the bus "yes" but never that dance.
Wonderful times and memories of George Square.  Each visit home from Texas I seem to end up every day around the "Square", but the old Post Office phone boxes are no longer there to sheild me from the rain.  That is the sad part, but the change in the area is incredible, no longer empty after midnight it is jumping with excitement and lots of memories are still being made.  LOVE IT.