Down Memory Lane

Dec 17 2009 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

Down Memory Lane

AT Hamilton Sheriff Court Sheriff Thomson sentenced a postal worker to three months’ imprisonment for stealing a postal order for 2 shillings. After it had been missing for some time it was traced to a Fifeshire village, where it had been cashed a fortnight after it had disappeared. Suspicion fell on the young Blantyre postman and he was convicted by a jury of having stolen the item.

In sentencing, Sheriff Thomson noted that the usual punishment of that nature was nine months and upwards, and that he had been lenient.

THE maximum penalty of £2 and £3 expenses, or 20 days’ imprisonment, was imposed upon a Cambuslang man at Hamilton Sheriff Court for trespassing with the intent of poaching on land belonging to the late Duke of Hamilton at Flemington Farm.

A MOTHERWELL man was sentenced to 22 days’ jail, without option of a fine, for ill-treating his four children by failing to provide adequate food. The man had lifted 31s at the Employment Exchange and failed to return home, forcing his wife to borrow money and get an emergency food line.

MANY were surprised to learn that throwing salt on snow was deemed dangerous and a criminal offence. The reason given was that the salt melting the snow set up an extreme cold that was hazardous to the public health.

THREE possible sites for a county airport were submitted by the county architect to the County Council, who forwarded them to the Scottish National Development Council for consideration.

WILSON Humphries, a former Hamilton Accies and Motherwell footballer, joined the English department teaching staff at Dalziel High, succeeding James Connor, who had taken up an appointment in Glasgow.

THE new Cartland Bridge neared completion, a move that would be welcomed by countless drivers on the busy A73 south road, approaching Lanark from Carluke, and by pedestrians who previously had only a 2ft. strip of footpath on which to walk. The new bridge had a 5ft. path.

A HAMILTON newsagent, confectioner and chemist were all given bad news that when the Burgh Police buildings were to come down, their premises on Quarry Street would likely disappear too. None of the shopkeepers was offered alternative accommodation.

NEARLY 3000 poultry birds reared on five county farms for the Christmas table had to be destroyed because of a fowl pest outbreak. But the loss was described as a comparative ‘drop in the bucket’ and wouldn’t affect the price of birds. Fowl pest virus struck at farms in Lesmahagow, Law, Glassford and Coulter. Glassford was worst hit with 2500, compared to 175 at two farms in Lesmahagow, 94 in Law and 82 at Coulter.

TWELVE Blantyre Victoria supporters were injured when the double-deck bus taking them to a junior match at Kilsyth on Saturday struck a low bridge at the entrance to Glenboig.

THEFT of copper proved expensive for a 31-year-old Hamilton labourer, after he was fined £5 for stealing 15s-worth of the metal from a toilet at Hamilton Central Station.

TWO old comrades of the First World War were to get together in a Lanarkshire hospital on Christmas Eve... their first meeting in over 60 years. The nostalgic reunion was to take place at the Roadmeetings Hospital in Carluke, where John Isaac Farrell was a patient. Through a newspaper report on John’s 83rd birthday party, Joseph Cook of Dumfries recognised his war-time trench buddy. He immediately got in touch with the hospital and the reunion was set up.

John joined the KOSB at age 18 and won the Military Medal against the Turks in the Dardanelles. He also saw service in Palestine and the Western Front, where he sustained a mustard gas burn.

A HOST of Old Firm stars were united at Victoria Park, Viewpark, to play in a charity game in aid of little Julie Williams who suffered from cystic fibrosis. Cash was being raised to give her a morale-boosting trip to Disneyland in America. Through her treatment she became friends with Natasha Innes of Uddingston, whose parents were involved with Calderbraes Boys’ Club. Parents and friends of the club formed a team to play against a celebrity squad and it was estimated that the match raised about £600.

Players involved included Danny McGrain, Jim Duffy, Gordon Smith, Tony Higgins, Jimmy Johnstone, Harry Hood, Alex Willoughby and Chic Young. The ‘Crocks’ thumped Calderbraes 6-1 in the match, which was watched by Celtic fan Julie and Rangers-daft Natasha.

FOUR staff, one of them a nursing manager, were suspended at Bothwell’s Kirklands Hospital. The action followed an investigation that uncovered “unacceptable” standards of care at one of the hospital’s residential wards for adults with severe learning difficulties. Complaints included verbal abuse of patients and intimidation of staff, and a patient having his shoes removed and dragged by the arms and legs in the day room.

HEALTH Trust bosses were blasted after solving a staffing problem by taxi-ing a nurse between hospitals at a cost of £32. The nurse was taken on a 40-mile round trip from Udston Hospital to Hartwoodhill Hospital for absence cover.