Trip down memory lane
Family visit old home before it’s demolished
NIKI TENNANT
poignant last visit to their former home before the bulldozers move in.
Janice Ross, who presents the Monday evening Celtic Music Radio show on CamGlen Radio, and mum Jessie Kielty, were given access by South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) to their old flat in Aron Terrace where Janice and her five siblings grew up in the 1970s.
The flat is among 380 East Whitlawburn properties, the first of which are expected to be razed to the ground next week to make way for 330 new homes in a £42million regeneration project.
SLC and West Whitlawburn Housing Cooperative will make 230 of the homes available for rent, with a further 100 for private sale.
The moment when the mum and daughter stepped back into the close where Janice once played was recorded by the radio presenter and broadcast during her show this month.
Mounting the stairs they climbed every day and opening the door to number 27, Janice said: “My goodness, it just feels so incredibly tiny.”
Jessie and husband Rob were the first tenants in the block when they moved with their six children into the new-build housing scheme, known as Whitlawburn, nearly five decades ago.
The family’s furniture and belongings were strapped on to a friend’s milk float.
“You were lucky if you had enough furniture to fill a van,” recalled Jessie, who moved in in 1971 and returned as the last person to set foot in it.
As they wandered from room to room, Jessie said: “When we came in here, we thought they were great. It is all changed now. It is different looking, but they have not changed the layout.” Returning to the property rekindled memories of a sense of community, bus trips with neighbours to Peebles and Berwick, and Jessie’s time working at the Hoover plant
In the Scots’ Speak part of the radio show, Jessie reminisces about her life in the 1970s and the vibrant community that existed then.
Her choice of music during the show reflected the popular tracks of the time and those loved by her and husband, who is suffering from dementia and has no recollection of ever living there.
“We had a lot of really happy times here in Whitlawburn,” said Jessie.
Paul Farrell, West Whitlawburn Housing Cooperative director, promised that “the project will substantially and significantly improve the residential environment for all concerned.”
He said: “The vision South Lanarkshire Council is displaying for the future of Whitlawburn is very impressive.
“We have been enthused by the council’s drive, ability and commitment to make this mammoth partnership project work successfully.”
As part of the regeneration, Cambuslang-based contractor CCG (Scotland) will also undertake a series of community initiatives including jobs, training and apprenticeship opportunities as well as providing a series of contributions to the local community.
Calum Murray, CCG Director, said: “The CCG Group is delighted to have taken the next step forward in the transformation of Whitlawburn where we will ensure that all of the new homes for rent and sale will be delivered to the highest standards of quality and environmental efficiency.
“The opportunity to create a lasting legacy in our hometown is a hugely exciting prospect where we will complement the housing delivery with £50,000 of community investment as well as providing job and training opportunities.”
To register your interest in the Whitlawburn development visit the CCG Homes website.