Take a stroll Down Memory Lane in Clydesdale

10 years ago, Thursday, April 8, 2004

* TWO Clyde Valley horsewomen are about to become Wild West “cowgirls” in aid of a very good cause. Joyce Baillie and Jennie Dickson, of the Clyde Valley Trekking Centre at Crossford, both signed up for the fundraising venture, held in Montana, in aid of the International League for the Protection of Horses.

* A new fundraising appeal was launched by the parishioners of St Athanasius Church in Carluke. The appeal was to raise funds to build a new church hall on the site of the former primary school in Mount Stewart Street.

* Despite six months of internet auctioneering, the historic Lee Castle in the Clyde Valley and the title Barony of Lee was still without an owner. The mediaeval castle and over 260 acres of land remained unsold after Ebay buyers failed to match its £8.5 million price tag.

* An angry motorist described the new road set-up on the A73 at Braidwood as an accident waiting to happen. Lanark man David Herriott blasted the council for making the roads too narrow by building concrete islands next to bus stops.

* An innovative new healthy living project for rural Clydesdale was officially launched by Deputy Health Minister Tom McCabe. The Healthy Valleys project was set to work with local communities to provide healthy living opportunities for people living within the Douglas and Nethan Valley areas.

*Children at Braidwood Primary School staged a musical gems concert at the end of their term. Every class performed as part of the show.

* There was outrage as it was announced the Tom Scott Road Race would be forced to move from Clydesdale to Strathclyde Park over police safety fears.

25 years ago, Friday, April 7, 1989

* The Scottish Development Agency revealed that it wanted to build 16 new factory units in Lanark. The Agency had applied for planning permission for a new development at Caldwellside Industrial Estate consisting of four units of 1000 square feet and 12 of 500 square feet.

* With it being officially spring, Clydesdale District Council revealed plans for its annual spring clean. Householders throughout the district were given plenty of opportunity to clean out their cupboards and the rest of the house with the spring clean set to finish on Friday, May 12.

* A committee was set up to campaign for a rail link between Clydesdale and Edinburgh. The committee was formed following a public meeting, called by Councillor Dugald McDonald.

* Jill Murie jumped into the deep end when she was asked to receive a cheque for £1400 for Lanark YMCA – as she received it in Lanark Baths. Handing over the cheque was John McDonald who completed a one mile swim at the pool with all the money going to YMCA funds.

* A debt from New Lanark’s past was finally cleared as Clydesdale District Council’s finance director Don Anderson was delighted to announce that the final payment of a £100,000 loan made to the village from the Royal Burgh of Lanark had been paid off. Historic New Lanark had been in danger of demolition had the loan not been received.

* Ambulance officer George Paterson received a cheque for over £1600 from staff at Lanark’s St Mary’s Hospital towards the cost of a defibrallator machine for an ambulance at Law Hospital. The St Mary’s staff ran a number of events including a camp-out, knit-in and a bingo night to raise money for the hospital.

* A date for the first by-election to be held in the Clydesdale District for more than 10 years was to be announced by the district’s chief executive Peter Daniels. The by-election was forced due to the resignation, through ill health, of long serving Douglas councillor Sam Allan who had held the seat for Labour since the mid-1970s.

* Carluke High School’s Young Musician of the Year competition was held just before the Easter break. Accordionist Mary Young won the seniors title with Grant McConnell winning the junior section.

* Forth Wanderers lost 4-2 to Greenock at Kingshil lPark with manager Derek Brown slating his players and promising there would be changes for the next game.