Down Memory Lane

Fit for a queen: Lanark’s town steeple was decorated this week with the blue banners up the side of Wallace in preparation for the Lanimer celebrations. But our picture shows how it was decorated in 1953 for the coronation of the Queen. A portrait of the young queen hung above the head of Wallace and the panels at his sides spelled out ER, with the words God Save the Queen below his feet. Trees and benches make the area in front of St Nicholas Church an ideal place to sit and watch the world go by. But what will attract most local attention is probably the stonework - before the disastrous attempt in recent years to give it a more historic look with old-fashioned rendering which quickly streaked and the subsequent more recent attempts to fix that.

50 YEARS AGO

n Lanark was getting ready for another big Lanimer Week. Overall entries for the procession were the same as the previous year but with 170 fewer children taking part.

n Miss Moira White, of Bankhead, was one of 50 students who received an award to mark Commonwealth Technical Training Week. The awards were part of a programme arranged by the Lanarkshire Education Authority.

n Senior Aircraftman Swift (24), from Law was in the RAF Nicosia team which won the Near East Air Force Command small arms shot championships in Southern Cyprus.

n Lanarkshire’s workless figures fell by 149 to 7319. For the previous month Lanark and Carluke exchanges reported decreases of 44 and two respectively.

n A 23-year-old man pled guilty to taking away a car in Bannatyne Street while being under the influence of drink. He was fined £20 and banned for driving for 12 months.

n Lanark Cricket Club scored 162/7 against Leith. But the match was declared a draw after some tame batting from the home side.

100 YEARS AGO

n Two cyclists who were riding their bicycles without lights along Ladyacre Road one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset appeared at Lanark Sheriff Court. The pair, both miners, were fined 2s 6d.

n A man pledged to become teetotal after being found guilty of assaulting a woman while being under the influence of drink. He was fined 7s with the alternative of seven days imprisonment.

n A Socialist demonstration was due to be held at the Horse Market in Lanark. Mr George Lansbury, Socialist MP, was due to speak at it.

n A car and a motorcycle were involved in a collision as they were travelling in opposite directions at Kirkfieldbank Brae. The motorcyclist was taken to Lockhart Hospital but was in a critical condition.

n A Forth labourer was sentenced to three months hard labour after he was found guilty of stealing a purse and 2s 3d in cash from the home of a Tarbrax miner.

n A Carluke miner had a lucky escape at a Shotts pit. A piece of stone weighing half a tonne struck him but he escaped with internal injuries.