Fond Memories Of Ashgill

A Memory of Ashgill.

My Dad was from Ashgill and my Mum was from Stonehouse. Emigrated to Canada in 1957 where I was born. First visit to Scotland in 1967 and met my grandparents in Ashgill - 15 Bogside Rd - Peter and Jeanie Hamilton. My Dad was Willie Hamilton, or Bill. Am very familiar with the school in Dalserf - Dempsters garage - the Fingerpost - the old Post Office. The old miners houses at the bottom of the hill called Tint-a-view? (one of Dad's cousins lived there. There was no bathtub or shower and it was only one bedroom) and the Meeting Hall at the bottom of the hill - the farms up top (the Marlege?) Moved to Scotland in the early 1970s and attended Larkhall Academy while living in Stonehouse. My few years in Lanarkshire allowed me to see the whole village with my Dad's Uncle Geordie on our Sunday walks. Moved back to Canada in the mid 1970s but have been over numerous times in my life to visit family in Lanarkshire and still have a cousin of my Dad's in Ashgill. It is a bit sad to see a place that used to house my great-grand parents, my grandparents, two half cousins and a few friends to only one person now and a buddy who still resides on Douglas Drive. Still when I think back to my childhood, I always remember my Dad sitting faithfully and writing to 15 Bogside Road every other Sunday night, us children making sure my Gran got a picture from us in the envelope - and in return, that familiar air mail envelope that came back. Dad's cousin used to send us Oor Willie and the Broons when she saved up half a dozen or so. Ashgill will be a part of my history and will be in my heart forever because of the family memories it holds. It hasn't changed much over the years. I'm not so keen on the new houses at the bottom of town, but it's still "home" to me. I now reside in Nova Scotia, Canada (New Scotland), the place my parents chose to settle in as it reminded them of home.