Granniesn

I remember being brought up in Gowkhall Avenue in the late 40's early 50's. I remember the gaslit lamposts, the council worker erecting the wire fences which formed the garden boundaries of each house, the runaway horse which bolted from Donaldsons Farm and smashed one of the lamposts with its harness gear, the Council workers roughcasting our new houses, the Steam Road Roller levelling the tarred roads before Tar and McAdam was invented, the Rocks area behind Thomas Muir's Bakery and his brother James Muir's Bakery, Johnny Biagia's pony and cart selling his Ice Cream, Ramage the Fruiterer with his horse and cart , newarthill Coop Baker with his horse and cart which reminded me of a stagecoach, Newarthill Hearts F.C. v Cleland Rovers. I have so many memories of Newarthill from the 40's to the 60's which I could not possibly post without incurring the boredom to the younger generation. To the older generation who remembers the Healy family, feel free to E-mail meat healy103@btinternet.com

I lived in Spalehall Drive in the 60s. Attending Newarthill Public School and then Dalziel High School. Like Margaret Rusk I remember Johnny Biaggia although he had an ice cream van in the 60s. Ramage still delivered fruit and veg, again in a van. We played football on the ‘putting green’ all summer long. Smashing childhood memories of roller skating in the bandstand, playing on the swings, tennis ( and football ) in the tennis courts. Riding our boggies down the path at the back of the school. Family names I remember are the Cauldwells , the Hunters, the Brownings. It was a long time ago.

We lived in the prefabs in Hawthorne Lane. I loved that house it was like our own wee bungalow. Our neighbours were the McGlynns, the Delaneys, The Weirs, The Mungalls and the Muirheads amongst others. We had various relatives living round about and went to visit them often to get a ‘piece’. Like the others, I remember Johnny Biagi and his son Alec who had the ice cream van. I remember Jimmy Wilson or Duthart the baker, the butcher van which came on a Friday, and we all got a penny caramel from it. We used to go to Muir’s at the top of Newarthill on a Saturday afternoon to get cakes etc at half price because there was no supermarket open on a Sunday then. I remember Burnside’s the shop opposite where the library is now. And ‘May Brady’s store’ the Co-op. Lithgow the butchers and Willie Muir’s the grocers both on the main road. We went to the surgery to be seen by Dr. McDougal or Dr Anderson. The surgery was in Carfin opposite the chip shop next to Marian Dr. We used to play on the blackie bing and the red bing. I regularly came home with hardly any backside in my drawers!😅 we could catch baggy minnows and tadpoles which we would bring home in a jam jar, only to be sent right back again to put them back. Donaldson’s farm was where the Hibs club is now (If it’s still there.) we used to throw our grans cut grass over the fence for the cattle. She lived in Whittagreen Ave. It was lovely watching the animals and hearing their sounds. Sometimes the ‘shows’ would come and use the farmer’s field. Great fun. Also remember the Salvation Army playing their hymns in some of the streets occasionally. I remember too the gala days, they were great fun and I always felt rather envious when I saw the ‘queen’ in all her finery. I loved living in the prefab, though they have long since been demolished. I wish the sites on the ‘net’ had pictures of around this time, it would really bring back the memories.