Hi! got the site from an old friend in Canada.He said it was a great idea and he's not wrong.
We were classmates at Wellfield for a whole year when I moved to Barmulloch from Dennistoun in 1950.Lost touch in '51 when I went to Albert and he went off to Allan Glens.He dug me up on Friends Reunited in 2004 after I got Wellfield School added to the site and we had a few days together in July 2007 when he came over with his charming wife to visit his mother in Glasgow.
We spent a lot of time swapping tales about our days in Springburn.Oddly enough he came from Gourlay Street but left the area,for Drumchapel,before his teens.I spent my teenage years socialising in Springburn so we had different perspectives of it.However we are agreed that the vandals who destroyed it in favour of high rise flats and bypasses should have been drowned at birth! On a recent visit (June 2008) it was interesting to note that some of the "new" flats (1950's vintage) in Rye Rd ,Berryburn.Torryburn and Bucksburn Rd., admittedly Barmulloch and not Springburn,are now being replaced with something called "social"housing.Hope they last a bit longer than the aforementioned.
I was in the 264th Lifeboys and then the BB.Played fitba'for Albert on Sat mornings and the BB in the afternoon.When there was no game on in the morning we spent a lot of time in Kay Street baths doing depth charges off the dale.I passed my swimming badge for the BB there.Also have a bronze medal from the Royal life saving society due to big "Bob" Fyffe (a teacher at Albert)putting us in for it.I think he invented something called the "Fyffe Float"which was a forerunner of the armbands kids use today.
Our teenage years were "exciting" without the drugs and booze that seems to be the norm nowadays.Cash was in short supply but the Tuesday night hop at the Johnston,I think the name of the wee minister who encouraged it was Hutcheon (thanks go to MaisieP for the reminder and also for confirming that I wasn't hallucinating when I mentioned he used to play the trumpet at the Sunday night youth fellowship), to the beat of BILL HALEY & THE COMETS ELVIS,BUDDY HOLLY AND THE CRICKETS,THE EVERLY BROTHERS,LITTLE RICHARD,FATS DOMINO,MARTY ROBBINS,JOHNNY CASH AND THE "SLOW DANCES" TO JIM REEVES melodic strains. was always enjoyed.My pals Davy Mc Nab and Duncan Mc Condochie and I still have sore arms from carting my record player and records over from Barmulloch to the Johnston.
Many a "lumber" was treated to a night at the Astor,The Kinema aka "Coffin"or the Princes.
When we were skint,which was often,the Croft,Balgray,Princes or Davy Robertson's cafes were blessed with our patronage especially on a cauld wet night or Sunday afternoon when a hot orange was the limit our wallets could stand.We even used to go winchin' in the "hothoose" in Springburn Park in the winter months to keep warm and dry.Exciting or what????
Note;-It would be a bit wet and draughty in there now.It's a total disgrace that the once magnificent edifice is now a blight on an otherwise well maintained park.Those responsible ought to be ashamed,or better still get off their backsides and get it restored!!
I was on the Scottish Farmers milk delivery in Barmulloch when I was 11.Then when I got wise I accumulated paper rounds eventually delivering Times and Citizens around the scheme - I had 14 .5 dozen a night and suddenly was making some money.The tips were good too.You wouldn't be allowed to collect money nowadays - 'elf 'n safety laws and all that.
Happy days.
ps there's more on the "Tell your story thread" under "Springburn in the '50's."