Down Memory Lane- 14th February 2008

Feb 14 2008

100 years ago..

ADVERTS on the Hamilton Advertiser’s front page this week included an offer by an M. Stewart of Peacock Cross, Hamilton, for a ‘Servant’s Registry’ with “all classes of servants supplied”. Greenhouses were also for sale from £2 10s from an A. Smart of Glasgow’s Gallowgate.

IT was reported in the ‘passing notes’ column that Provost Pollock, since his elevation to the civic chair in November, hadn’t made any official appearances in Burnbank until that week, when he presented to Mr and Mrs John Blyth, on behalf of the community, a “handsome testimonial” at Burnbank Burgh Hall. The occasion was Mr Blyth’s semi-jubilee as a headmaster under Hamilton Parish School Board.

75 years ago...

HAMILTON man William Reid (38), having been sentenced to 12 months’ jail the previous year for a series of cheque frauds at Lanarkshire banks, was charged under the ‘Aliens Act’ at Newcastle Police Court for making a false statement that he was an American. Reid claimed, in a statement read to the court, that he had gone to America in 1901 and worked in various drinking and gambling saloons until he was 23. He had served sentences for burglary, and was deported from Ellis Island on January 4, 1932. An Alien Officer told the court that one of the burglaries Reid committed in America was the armed hold-up of a bank. Reid, who had only been liberated a few weeks earlier, was sent back to jail for six months.

50 years ago..

HAMILTON cinema-goers had the choice of Ava Gardner, Stewart Grainger and David Niven in ‘The Little Hut’, at the Regal, or Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra and Sophia Loren in Stanley Kramer’s ‘The Pride and the Passion’ at the Odeon. John Wayne also appeared in ‘Fort Apache’ at the Roxy, while Richard Widmark starred in ‘Time Limit’ at the Gaumont.

HAMILTON Town Council agreed to write to the Secretary of State for Scotland, John Maclay, expressing grave concerns about the volume of traffic accidents at Bothwell Bridge, highlighted in a recent Hamilton Advertiser issue. Their letter was also to press for an early start on a proposed by-pass between Uddingston and Larkhall.

February 16 2008

CUP fever hit Larkhall as Thistle bid to win the Scottish Junior Cup for the first time in 55 years. Over 1000 fans were set to make a 320-mile round trip to see the club in their fifth-round match at Inverurie Locos.

Former player Alex Dunsmore, a bookmaker in the town, was refusing to take bets on the outcome. The 62-year-old was so anxious that the team should win that he refused to tempt fate by opening a book on it. Another former player, local baker Tom McLean, was to miss the game due to his baker’s van round, while his three sons — also former Jags — played for professional clubs. Willie (32), played for Raith Rovers, Jim (29), was with Dundee, and Tommy (20), starred for Kilmarnock. All three were expected to rush back to Ashgill to await the return of the Thistle team.

February 10, 1978

COMEDIAN and showbiz personality Rikki Fulton entertained some 50 people with a “daring” display of pancake-tossing at Uddingston Day Centre. The event was the Shrove Tuesday draw for Hamilton District Jubilee Lottery.

HAVING seen a challenge in a skateboard magazine to beat a quadramaran — four people linked, all on skateboards — a group of Hamilton kids from the Silvertonhill housing estate promptly doubled it with an octamaran. They were: Lorraine Tollan, Norrie Petersen, Keith Webb, Ross Dutton, Douglas Gilligan, Calvin Duncan, Murray Clark and Iain Davidson.

February 12, 1998

A HOST of local stars attended the inaugural 400th anniversary celebration of Hamilton Grammar School with a civic reception in the Town Hall. Some 350 guests were present, including staff, retired staff, senior education officials, parents’ association members, pupils and former pupils, who had planned several other events throughout the year. Head boy Gavin Muir and head girl Fiona Bryson presented Provost Sam Casserly with a crystal decanter, who responded by giving rector Mr Alan Butterfield a commemorative plaque.

HAMILTON College was closed for a day when overnight storm-force gales left a ventilation chimney threatening to collapse.

February 12, 1998

ANGER erupted after councillors rubber-stamped plans to close two Hamilton old-folk’s homes — despite a 12,127-name petition opposing the move. South Lanarkshire Council’s Social Work Committee took just minutes to reach their decision to axe Hietonbank and Braedale Homes.

A YOUNG Hamilton policeman who persuaded an armed youth to hand over his loaded gun received a bravery award. PC Colin Campbell (24), who was based at Coatbridge, was presented with the Chief Constable’s High Commendation at Force HQ in Glasgow. In November, 1996, while searching for a man involved in a firearm incident, the suspect appeared before him. PC Campbell persuaded the man to hand over his gun, which was later found to have been loaded with blanks.