SECTION III: PAST AND PRESENT
41) Shettleston Cross – about 1915. Compared with No. 15, the foundry on the left of what is now the Darleith Street/Shettleston Road corner is replaced by a red sandstone tenement. The shop on the corner of this building was occupied for many years by Guthries the chemists, and now by A. Blackburn, Newsagents.
43) Shettleston
Cross – looking east – 1986.
44) Shettleston
Police Station in Chester Street built in 1900 replacing the original Police
Station in Firpark Street (now Darlieth Street).
45)
The new Strathclyde Police Sub-Divisional Headquarters, Shettleston, at the
corner of Chester Street – Shettleston Road, officially opened on 10th August,
1983.
46)
The Old Drum – 1900. The building
at the Shettleston Road – Etive Street corner, nearing completion.
The ground floor of this building became the new Drum public house when
the hatched roof building was removed and a billiard hall built on the site.
47)
Mair’s Billiard Hall, 1061 Shettleston Road, about 1925.
This building replaced the old thatched-roofed Old Drum.
48)
More recently the old billiard hall underwent conversion to, on one half of the
building, the Bank of Scotland, and on the other half a modernised lounge for
the Drum public house.
49)
Eastbank Academy. Looking westward
along Main Street, Shettleston about 1905, with the frontage of the school
building and Academy Street on the left, and on the right Station Road (now
Annick Street).
EASTBANK ACADEMY
In
the middle of last century educational provision in the east—end of Shettleston
consisted of a small school opposite the parish church in Eastmuir
and a small seminary run by two ladies
in a small cottage in Gartocher Road.
The
Shettleston School Board built Eastmuir School
at the junction of Gartocher Road and Eastmuir Street in 1863, but within thirty
years, due to the rapid rise in the
population by 1890 Eastmuir School was proving to be inadequate for the needs of
the parish.
Shettleston
School Board under its chairman Dr Alexander Scott of Tollcross proposed in
November 1892 that a new school be
erected on a site on the main road opposite Station Road (now Annick Street).
The
foundation stone of the new school was laid on 13th May, 1893 and one year later
on 15th May 1894 the pupils of Eastmuir School, led by the
headmaster, Mr Duncan Rodger, marched down Eastmuir Street to the new school
premises. At
this time the school was often referred to as “Scott’s Folly” (Dr
Scott being the chairman of the School Board responsible for building the
school) as many residents were of the opinion that the new school was too large
and grandiose for the village of Shettleston.
However,
in the years that lay ahead, Dr Scott’s vision was amply justified as, by
session 1901, there was a total of 1127 pupils on the school roll and within
another decade a new primary department was built on the west side of Academy
Street.
50)
Eastbank Academy – about 1937.
51)
Eastbank Academy. The new school
– 1986
Over
the years the demand for places outstripped accommodation and in the thirties Eastmuir
School was again in use for primary pupils and
temporary accommodation built in the area between Academy
Street and Amulree Street.
Proposals
for a new school were first mooted about 1938 but were abandoned due to the war,
and after the war were again proposed on several occasions but just as rapidly
postponed due to changes in educational policy or the financial stringency of
successive governments.
It
was only after considerable agitation by such local bodies as the Parent
Teachers Association, Community Council, local churches, ably supported by both
District and Regional Councillors and the local Member of Parliament that a
final decision was made to proceed with the building of
a new school. Building commenced on a site west of Academy Lane in the autumn of
1984 and was completed by the late spring of 1986, enabling the transfer of
pupils from the old to the new school to take place during the month of May,
1986.
52)
Eastbank Academy. The new school
– 1986
53) Shettleston
Station and Staff – about 1920.
54) Shettleston
Station as an open unmanned station – 1986.
55)
The Kirk House – about 1903.
Old
residents of Shettleston claim the Kirk House to be the oldest hostelry in Glasgow. but there is some doubt as to
the date when it was first established. After
recent renovation an establishment date of 1717 appeared on the new frontage,
whereas prior to renovation, the date had been 1770
As the old inn took its name from the adjacent “Auld Kirk” of
Shettleston built in 1751. the latter date would seem to be the more accurate.
Dan
McAleer in his memoirs of Shettleston in 1860 records that “Blin Bookings”
were held there. When the young
people of the village desired an evening’s entertainment, two were selected or
volunteered to “get married”, hence the “Blin Booking”.
Small presents were given and the young people cleared all the expenses
of the evening’s entertainment
56)
The Kirk House – 1939.
Upstairs,
Fiddler Stinson sat in a chair on the top of a table with his head almost
touching the roof. Then the dancing
started and the men paid a penny for each reel and when the had danced 12, got
the 13th free and were then ready for a pint of beer brought from
downstairs. The dancing went on all
evening, but everyone had to clear out at eleven o’clock.
57)
The Kirk House – 1985.
58) Shettleston
Tram Terminus – 1939.
59)
Shettleston Tram Terminus – 1939.
The electric tramway system was extended to Shettleston about 1905. The Shettleston terminus was for a period located in Eastmuir Street (now Shettleston Road) adjacent to Eastmuir School at Gartocher Road. It was in the mid-thirties re-located a few hundred yards westwards near Culross Street. The photograph on the left clearly shows the delays that could occur in tramcar operations at termini with tramcars held up in both directions until the turning tramcar changed track. The photograph on the right shows tramcar changing track to proceed westward into the city.
60)
Pat of Shettleston Road – 1986. Same section of road as in views of terminus above, but some
forty-seven years later. Changes to
note here are the new Sheiling public house behind the shops on right and the
industrial estate buildings on what was previously waste ground to the north of Shettleston
Road.
61)
David Inglis – Motor Hirer, James Brown – Joinery Works, Shettleston. Waugh
– Plumber. 1666-1682 Shettleston
Road – 1931.
62)
Bob Rae Ltd., Shettleston Motors Car Showroom – 1985. 1682 Shettleston Road.
