carfin

Carfin

Carfin is situated about 3 miles from Motherwell and 13 miles from Glasgow.
It was originally a small village inhabited, mostly, by miners of Irish descent. Thousands of people from all over the world visit it each year because of the Lourdes Shrine there.
As we were growing up in the 1950s, the coalmines were gradually closing but there was still employment for the men in the local steelworks and related businesses.
The local miners were often involved, first with whippet racing, then with racing greyhounds at a number of tracks. Prominent among these was Glenburn Grounds.
Shopping and most entertainment was found in Motherwell especially "the Baths" which were situated behind the old Town Hall. On the site now is the Motherwell Heritage Centre.
We were greatly influenced by and spent a lot of time in "The Grotto"
For more information on the history of Carfin visit:
http://www.carfin.org.uk/churchhistory.htm

Ravenscraig one of the local steelworks

We spent many hours waiting outside the Motherwell Baths the building with the tall chimney. At the time many famous British swimmers trained there.

Map of Carfin area 1864

Click here to see enlarged map

The house we grew up in at 19 Glenburn Terrace as it is today. The windows and door have been replaced. We spent many happy hours playing in this cul-de-sac. There were very few cars about so ball games, hide-and-seek and KDRF were all safe to play.	Our block in Glenburn Terrace. The O'Dowds were top left, the Doaks top right, the McTaggarts bottom right and the Reillys bottom left. Altogether there were 20 children in the four houses. Earlier the McIvors lived in the flat at the top right and the McMahons inthe bottom right
In 1960 we moved to this house at 81 Loanhead, Newarthill My brother planted a chestnut at Cubs which turned into the huge horse chestnut tree to the side of the house	My parents lived here for the rest of their lives.
Up to Date Map of Carfin and Newartill Click here to see enlarged Map
First Communions were a big occasion
The house in the foreground used to have a number of glasshouses around it where they grew tomatoes. In the summer we used to walk there on a Sunday afternoon to buy some.

Growing up during the 1950s in Carfin

The children of Glenburn Terrace on 14 July 1954
Back row:Margaret McTaggart,Rosaleen Reilly, Cathie Reilly, Toni Canning Alan Hepburn, Therese Lees, Jane Shannon, Roni Power
Middle row: Gerald McTagggart(?), Patricia Doak, Monica Canning, Kathleen Doak, Peter Lees, Craig Hepburn, Eleanor Reilly
Front: Patrick McTaggart,John O'Dowd, Brian McTaggart, John Mc Manus, Tommy Doak, Charlie Stevenson. Gerard O'Dowd, George Stevenson.

0n the same day Jim who refused to have
his picture taken with the rest of us

A rare photograph taken inside a classroom in
Our lady and St Francis Xavier School, Carfin
in the late 1950s.
It is owned by Kathleen Nolan
who is in the second row by the window

Carfin Gala Day in June 1954 celebrating the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. I'm the little flower girl coming down the steps. My sister Clare Reilly is the Lady in Waiting. Isabel McCallum is the Queen. In the background on the left can be seen Mrs. Mc Dougall, the local doctor's wife who organized the pageant.

Clock making

As well as the steel and coal industries, another important employer in Carfin and the surrounding area was Smiths Clock Makers, later Smiths Industries.
From 1939 to 1945 the Smiths factories mainly worked for the Armed Forces but small quantities of clocks were still produced for the domestic market throughout the war.
After the war, with government encouragement, a factory was built at Carfin to make alarm clocks. By 1947 the one-millionth alarm clock had been produced and two years later a figure of 4 million was reached.
By the 1960s the factory had moved to Wishaw leaving only a skeleton staff in the factory at Carfin. In September 1964 the 38th million alarm clock was presented to Edward Heath. Many workers were employed in the factory from its opening until their retirement.

My aunt, Rose Tracey,
being presented with a watch
in recognition of having worked
for Smiths for 25 years

Sigvald's aunt
Maria Preston receiving her gold watch after 25 years working for Smiths

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Holidays

Emerald Princess 2008

The Baltic 2005

Significant Places

Glenburn Grounds