http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/springburn/spring007.htm



(Above)

Photo of The Caley as it was around 1955 when it employed around 4000 – 5000 people. The houses in the top right hand corner were the remnants of the old Garngad tenements which were demolished in the 60's and the current multi-storey flats now stand.

The houses at the bottom of the picture are the old tenements on Springburn Road opposite the main factory gate. The railway line running from bottom left to top left was the old line into Buchanan Street station and there was a station called St Rolloxopposite where The Cawder Bar used to stand.

The Caley itself had a phenomenal number of trades working in the factory. Apart from the usual fitters, electricians and painters, there were sawyers, millwrights, sign-writers, coachbuilders, wheel turners, glaziers, blacksmiths etc..

There was also a roaring trade in “homers” – anything you needed for your home that could be purloined or manufactured in the factory like coffee tables etc.. would me made to order and they did a home delivery service long before Argos, using the fleet of railway vans and lorries ! From memory, it cost a bottle of whiskey for the tradesman and a fiver to the van driver. Most people would consider this outright theft but we took our lead from the top of the tree where the Works Manager had no qualms about using painters, joiners,
electricians etc.. to work on his house using railway materials and railway time.

I keep promising myself to get my Caley memories down on paper before alcohol rots what is left of my brain cells and old age kicks in with a vengeance. One day !