Changes in the Village 1949-2003

When I married in 1949, and came to the village of Gartcosh, it was with some trepidation as we didn't have a home of our own and had to rent a room in Bungalow Square from a steel worker. We stayed there for nine months then for a further three months at Lochend Farm, near Easterhouse.

A steel works house became available in 'the Buildings' at 13 Bishop Place and we moved there.

Gartcosh was a busy, thriving village with many social activities related to the steelworks and the Churches. Most of the menfolks worked in Smith & McLean's so it was close-knit community with many families being related.We were well-served by shops. The Co-operative had three departments : butcher, grocery and drapery, so most of our needs were met there. On 'Brown's Land' there were four shops : Dinardo's ice cream parlour, a fish and chip shop, a butcher's shop ( David Naismith ), and lastly, a shoe repair and small general goods store, (Joe Lowe). Above these shops were houses.On the other side of the street there was a Post Office, managed by the Cairns family. The other (north) side of the village had another two shops - a small grocery shop run by Polly Laidlaw and another shop belonging to the Cairns family.Additionally, a number of vans serviced Gartcosh- bakers, butchers, greengrocers, and Dinardo's ice cream van. the villagers enjoyed excellent bus services to both Glasgow and Coatbridge.A new mill for processing steel from Ravenscraig was built by Colvilles. It provided work for men and women living in the village and the wider area. New council housing in Moodiesburn was built in the early Sixties and a fair number of families moved out of Gartcosh. It was the beginning of change for the village.

The railway station was lost under the Beeching Cuts and the building of M73 cut through the eastern edge. Prior to this the brickworks had closed down and its dwelling housing demolished. With the coming of the motorway, 'Brown's Land' and the post office disappeared- the latter moving over the hill .

A small housing estate was built between the 'Work's Road' and Johnston Road to house residents from the 'Buildings', which stood derelict and were finally demolished. A much needed by-pass was built, followed by more new private houses between Johnston Road and Mount Ellen Golf Course.

Many of the villagers I knew have passed away and many new people have settled in the village. A large number of new houses have started to be built on the site of the old brickworks. More will follow soon in Lochend Road on the site of 'the Buildings'.

In 53 years I have seen a lot of change. Much of the character of Gartcosh has gone .............and characters!

adapted from a piece ,written in 2003 by M. Laing.