Millbank Road
We lived at 54 Millbank Road, off Caledonia Road, near the Wishaw train station. As kids we trainspotted, played soccer, cricket, rounders, etc. I had lots of cousins to play with. We would go to the pictures in the town of Wishaw, which was within walking distance. The Plaza was on Saturdays when they had a program especially for kids with The bower boys, Flash gordon, and singalongs, following the boucing ball when we would all sing "I Belang Tae Glasgow" which was strange for none of us came from Glasgow. The Prefabs were next to my building with a field in between. My Aunt Ina stayed in the Prefabs for some time with her kids and Uncle Wull. This was after they moved out of Millbank Road, so they didn't get very far. They had a greyhound track at the end of the road, close enough so you could climb the hill at night and watch the lights of the track and the little greyhounds chasing the "hare" We were the Bunces and everybody knew us and we them so that if the kids did anything wrong it would get back to my mother and father fast. One time I was driving my bike home from the Academy and was riding with my eyes closed on the road (for some stupid reason) and a man in a car rolled down his window and yelled at me, he was going to tell my mother. Another memory was going to the town with my mother every day to the butchers, etc. The women would park their prams outside the stores by the dozen with the "bairns" in them. Nobody thought at the time it might be dangerous, but none of the babies was ever taken. I don't think that would happen today.
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RE: RE: Millbank Road
I had a relative called Margaret MacDonald, who lived at 46 Millbank Road in the 1930's. Would you have any information on her or her family?. If so I would be most thankful. Paul.
Comment from Paul Cunningham on Sunday, 13th February 2011.
RE: RE: Millbank Road
Are we talking about Chapmans Butchers here down on Main Street close to the town clock and Woolies as we all affectionatly called F.W. Woolworths? I was raised in Cleland but attended St. Adian's High. I was one of the first group to attend it, does anybody remember it?
Comment from Mary M on Friday, 20th May 2011.
RE: RE: Millbank Road
I lived in Pather from 1953 until 1971. I knew all of the areas along Caledonian Road and remember the prefabs and the Bunces. I also remember when St. Aidan's was built.
I remember we used to play in the old ruins of housing adjacent to Millbank Road and there was an old copper there that we used to boil up......for what I don't remember, but my brother Frankie and John McCullogh from our street were always there too. Played at wee hooses!!!
I remember Wishaw Acadamy but we went to St. Ignatius. Elsie Barr who lived next door to us went to the academy and then on to Wishaw High School. I went to secondary school in Hamilton.....Holy Cross and after that worked in the Burgh Bank which was originally in the old YMCA but then moved across the road to the new building next to the Anvil on one side and Tom Knox the cleaners on the other side. From there I went to Law Hospital from January 1968 until 1971 when I left after passing my finals to get married and live in Alloa. Came back to Wishaw after 3 yrs but in 1983 emigrated to Western Australia.
Comment from Cathy Binnie on Sunday, 27th November 2011.
RE: RE: Millbank Road
My name is John Jeffrey, we lived at 66 Millbank Road. Our house was the last before the green hill in the houses known as Munroe Place. Next door to us was Jim Moffat and his wife, Jim worked on the railway. "Francie"Murray had a horse and cart and collected straw for the farms. Jim Neilson had the coal yard before the green hill. Our relatives, the Littlejohns, and my gran Elizabeth Porteous also stayed there. My uncle Robert had large sheds before the prefabs where he sorted pedal bikes. David Scott's dad owned the "Cali" bar. I remember when they built the flats on "Cali" road and the Wishaw South train station was running, and the auld wash houses at the back of Munroe Place. I went to Wishie Academy and remember all the teachers' names from that time. Any wein that lived in Munroe Place is bound to remember the races we had on the drying greens. So many good memories of growing up in Munroe Place before they decided to knock it down and scatter auld pals and families tae the wind. So glad I found this site as a few of my auld pals might turn up and remember me...
Comment from John Jeffrey on Monday, 19th December 2011.