The Hidden Glasgow Forums

This locally produced book is available at Glasgow Libraries and good book stores.

A friend sent me this photo taken from the houses on Linnhead Drive looking our to Ravenscraig Drive.

Re. Alex's photo of Linnhead/Ravenscraig Drive, Priesthill; an area I knew well.
This was before your time here Alex, but in the 1960s there used to be a mobile shop called Malky's which parked beside that bit of spare ground in the photo. I was only a wee boy at the time but I remember a rumour that he was exposed in the Evening Times or Citizen for taking payment 'in kind' from women who got their shopping on tick but couldn't pay at the end of the week.
Any truth in this story?

Hi Neil

I asked my wife about this van. She couldn't remember any news story but was not surprised at the possibility of it being true. The guy appeared to be a bit of a wideboy. He had a bit of a reputation and some people didn't like shopping at his van.

He only ever stopped at that site there was another van that covered the Glenmuir Road area. More people used this one.

Glad this photo jogged a memory. I will try and get a photo of this view as it is today.

Hi Alex: I remember the other van well. It was run by James Watt and his son, and was a proper mobile shop; a nice Austin/Morris 'FG' van painted chocolate brown and cream. One of his stops was outside my old close in Neilston Avenue. It must have been in use right into the 1980s, as I used to see it parked up outside a house on Paisley Road West, near the old Safeway. I guess by that time his son was running the show.

There used to be a mobile shop / bus (double-decker) that went round the Pollok area in the 60s/70s. A guy called Elrick (i think) owned it. IIRC it sold everything except booze, but then again I was only 9 at the time

neilmc wrote:Hi Alex: I remember the other van well. It was run by James Watt and his son, and was a proper mobile shop; a nice Austin/Morris 'FG' van painted chocolate brown and cream. One of his stops was outside my old close in Neilston Avenue. It must have been in use right into the 1980s, as I used to see it parked up outside a house on Paisley Road West, near the old Safeway. I guess by that time his son was running the show.

Hi Neil

You must know my wife's family! They lived on Glenmuir Drive near Neilston.

Alex Glass wrote:Hi Alex

Great photo. Do you have any more? The Pollok Kist would be interested as they are trying to collect images of Pollok. There was a book of photos which I launched a couple of years back with lots of photos from the 70's of Priesthill.

I will scan the front cover and post it up soon.

Just a wee ta much for that book..

I grew up in Priesthill and my wife bought it for me a couple of Christmases ago..
The girl on the cover in the pram is Shona kelly,she was in my class at Burnbrae and her mother worked in the Tennants hall,this i remember well as one winter the pipes burst at school and we had to take lessons there for a couple of weeks..
In the picture from Linhead,you can can see the house we stayed in on Ravenscraig (93) untill 76 till one bad winter (lots of them about then ) the water tanks burst flooding all the flats.We then moved to Muirshiel crescent.
The story of the grocery van owner is true,i remember my dad telling me this a few years ago.
Anyway the books pictures bought many a happy memory back,the wee clubhouse and day trips to Ayr and troon..Back in those days it was Margret Rankin that ran it (iirc) who lived in 226 Muirshiel (top left i think).
The Gala days were fun and lo and behold i am in one of those very pictures from 79 (where's my cheque )

Welcome to Hidden Glasgow John.

Glad to hear from you.

If you went to the club on Muirshiel you may also know my wife. Do you remember the Icecream Van - Willie Glass was the owner and my wife work on the van.

Do you know any of the other people in the book? I am sure the Kist would be interested in any information you have.

Where do you live now John? Have you seen the area recently? It has changed a lot since the 70's. There are other photos of some of the area on this site. If you have a look in the Urban Development section and look for the Tesco in Silverburn topic. I can't remember what its called.

Remember and post up in the Chatroom - Introduce Yourself.

If you have any old photos I would be interested in seeing them.

LO Alex


The ice ream van,wullies by any chance?

Dont think he stopped at my bit,Tam's stopped there and when he was on holiday wullie covered him.I do remember him though,moustache and glasses..

I now stay in Barrhead,moved here from Kennishead about 10 years ago and moved there from Priesthill around 1993.
I've driven through Priesthill several times and dont know what to make of the place..saddened by the loss of the park and clubhouse and the view has changed slightly with the m77 and now silverburn being eyesores,was also told Burnbrae may be the next to go .
I'm half sorry half glad the water tower is gone,it was an eyesore but also a landmark.Without it Priesthill just looks like another toytown Barret/wimpey development and seeing what other places have did with there's in the east end makes me wonder why a similar approach wasn't taken...meh just nostalgia

Old photos i have none,my dad did have a few but during his last house move the photos have either been left behind or thrown away with the rubbish.We only found this out when i asked after my old school photos

Hi John

Burnbrae and St Robert's will be away within the next couple of years. They will be replaced by two new schools following merger with other schools. The two new schools will one on the grounds of Househillmuir PS and the other on the site of St Bernard's.

I understand what you mean about the changes. It is hard when you know how an area was before the new houses are built. I have a similar feeling toward Ruchazie but having seen how the area deteriorated there was a need to renew the area. Unfortunately for Ruchazie it is a bit behind Priesthill where the work is almost completed.

Although the old Muirshiel park has now been built on there is more green space up where the old water tower was. This has been designated as part of the Stirling Maxwell Forrest and will not be built on.

Prior to the water tower being demolished there was a plan submitted to light it up. It was badly located and I think it was for the better that is was demolished.

As far as the new Silverburn is concerned. Local people have been calling for a better shopping centre. I believe that Silverburn will deliver that aspiration and provide many local jobs. Tesco has proven that local people are up for the challenge employing a substantial number of Pollok people. Hopefully the outlook will improve when the building work has finished.

Yeah i'm sure the park will be missed by mine and previous generations,sad to think that todays and tomorrows kids will not know the joys of rolling down the hill in the park in a barrel or scuffing their knees as they fly off a spinning spiders web

With everything getting knocked down i'll start sounding like my da when he goes on about Govan...ehhh i remember when it was all houses here
I already do it up near the dams when i tell my kids that it used to be all fields when i was a kid:D

I understand the need for a new shopping centre,it did start to die a death several years back.jobs are always good too but its still a bloody eyesore

Both Burnbrae and St Roberts will be gone,i suppose the 10 bob church will be all that left soon...Have you checked the http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk website,there's a few photos there from years gone past and if you post a message in the board people may offer more pictures.

Alex Glass wrote:

neilmc wrote:Hi Alex: I remember the other van well. It was run by James Watt and his son, and was a proper mobile shop; a nice Austin/Morris 'FG' van painted chocolate brown and cream. One of his stops was outside my old close in Neilston Avenue. It must have been in use right into the 1980s, as I used to see it parked up outside a house on Paisley Road West, near the old Safeway. I guess by that time his son was running the show.

Hi Neil

You must know my wife's family! They lived on Glenmuir Drive near Neilston.

Hi Alex; I lived in Neilston Ave. from 1965 to 1968, so I may have known the family, although I spent most of my time then hanging about my aunt's house in Ravenscraig Drive (visible in your Linnhead Drive photo), or around our old house in Lunderston Drive, so I didn't get to know too many folk around Neilston Ave.
I understand you're looking for old photos of the area. I've recently unearthed a colour neg of a photo I took of Peat Road circa 1971, where we moved to after Neilston Ave. An initial scan shows that it is in a reasonable state, so when I've restored it I'll post it on this thread.

Hi Neil

Look forward to seeing your photo of Peat Road. It would be good to get a present shot for the Past Present thread.

Hi John

The 50p Church has had a new hall added recently. I have a couple of photos of the new building I will post when I get some time.

The Evening Times tonight has an article with some photos of the new Silverburn.

Perfect Day; Peat Road near Priesthill Road, 1971