Govan, Did you come from there ? Options

[*Johan Wallace nee*]

Indeed what has happened to Govan. I was Born in 1948 and stayed in 7 Sharp Street. My Auntie Jessie and Uncle Frank Traynor stayed in McKechnie Street. My Parents were married in Govan Old Parish Church in 14th January 1944. I also worked in the shipyard offices from 1967 -1970. My husband and I went down memory lane recently what a shock no Sharp Street and there was no way through to Sharp Street where the swing park used to be. McKechnie Street is all new houses. As for the Church I had never been in it until recently what a beautiful church. And of course Alexander Steven's shipyard gone. I would like to thank Bobby and his wife etc. (Govan Old Parish Church) who brought back so many memories of how good life used to be in Govan. How sad to see a place go like this.

[Boydy]

I lived in Greenfield Street then moved to 55 Harmony row. I started school at Harmony Row then Hills Trust. My best pals were David Canavan and David McClure. Mrs Canavan, Davids Mum is one of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I went to Sunday school and the Lifeboys in a church in Golspie street the minister was a great guy called Mr Orr. I left Govan 43 years ago aged 10 but I have always visited frequently and i'm not far fom Govan now.
Who was it that called the pub "the black man" Brechins in an earlier post? lol. If ma da wiz alive he'd turn in his grave.lpl.

[enrique]

If you were going to another school during your primary years it would have been saint Saviours school off Summerton road, the cafe spoke about was Coias, and this is the Coias of Paul Coia, the tv personality, i new him when i was in the BBs at Clynder street and we used to go to his dads cafe for hot drinks , he was only about 3 or 4 then and i am sure he had a twin brother, the wine alley as it was called i would think would go to the chippie at the top of Neptune Street, Polinis was the other one in the middle of the street but it was a tiny wee shop, other Cafes were the Black Cat , and Ameys next to Hillstrust school on Langlands road, also Jeans round the corner from Broomloan Road school, we also had the famous Cassidys Grocery shops all over Govan, and about 3 Rag merchants and they all were good going concerns with most of the folk in the area depending on a few pennies to see them through until pay day, the pawns , there was one at the bottom of Southcroft Street and one in Kintra Street , been there many a time but always managed to redeem my ticket for the articles pawned, usually our sheets or blankets , the coats kept us warm until we got them back again , and yes it was hard , but eveybody was in the same boat, at my school Broomy Road it was never unusual to step over the Meths and wine drinkers as they lay against the school wall, some times they would be drinking the liquid from the top of the Brasso cans ,and folk moan about hard times noo, in oor day one of your highlights as you got older and maybe married was to SAVE for a nice bit of furniture and show it off to your pals with pride, it was a scandal if you got into debt, nae rich bankers robbing you in those days.i will stop now as i could go on and on

[*Peggy MavKinnon*]

I`ll beat you all I was born in 1933 I started school at copeland rd then went on to Govan High been over here in USA since 1971where is Rena MacLintock Nancy Watt Anna Bradley,Nancy mac Roberts John Macaffrey Would love to get in touch with anyone who remebers me I lived on Copeland RD way back then it was a nice quiet place to live

[Jim D]

Peggy, you went to Govan High in the 40's! Your family must have had a few bob! lol

I remember my dad telling me he qualified for Govan High and my grand parents couldn't affort to send him cos they could not afford the uniform. lol

[auldbutcher]

hi enrique yep they wis hard times ,i came tae fairfield street in 48 fae anderson an we used the clutchin haun as ma da called the pawn ,ncle jimmy in elder street .

guy looked like lee j cobb the actor an iwies gied you a fair deal wance said tae me here son rerr thrupence get yersel a comic , there was another pawn shop couple o dorrs doon owner was tighter than a crabs erse.

ah went tae the connies in usit street it was a modern building in those days , winos an drunks yep ,here wis many o them there was a kick called a gas milkshake seemingly you poured a hauf pint o milk intae a container an then turned the stairheed gas intae it , do know if thats true or no, govan was great tae grow up in entertainment ? guys fae the shipyards stripped tae the waist at dinner time an at clocking aff time gien itb laldy tell you sumpkin av seen guys blood pissin oota them turning the tide wie tenacity . didgies you could search fer beer bottles ,jam jars , rags tae take tae the rag store these wer usually found in linthoose or cardonald where the so called toffs stayed or if ye wanted tae range a wee bit further the far end o paisley rd. govan tae me is where my heart is ,left at 16 ,came back tae work ther in my 30s the govan o my youth was torn doon,fairfield st ,elderpark street ,langlands road , etc ,o doon there noo an as elvis wance sang am a stranger in ma ain home
toon.

[Rab-oldname]

Being a Renfrewite with just the wee Regal for the flicks, a big treat for us was a tram ride to Govan and the Lyceum. It was a huge palace to us weans and the height of luxury - all that plush carpet after our linoleum! We went and saw Yul Brynner in The King and I there - the place was packed that week. Was there a big organ there? (No sick replies please)

[*Guest*]

Hi from Dublin

Am going back a bit, but my great great grandmother left Ireland in the early 1900's as a widow. She remarried in Scotland. Just came across a small newspaper cutting in my mother's missal - I wonder if any of your families would remember this it happened in 1936.
STREET COLLAPSE
While walking along Langlands Road, Govan lat night with a friend, Mrs. Frances 0'Laughlin aged 58 of 27 Nethan Street collapsed. She was taken into a nearby shop, and later removed to the Victoria Infirmary, where she found to be dead.
This is all news to me. I would love if someone's granny or grandad may remember (or have mentioned) this. Or even any information of what newspapers were published then. Thanks Betty.

[*James Strang*]

I used to live at 6 McKechnie Street in Govan but living in England now. Visit my website at: http://www.mygovan.com and see Govan past and present.

James Strang.

[**friend**]

i was brought up in the winnie
the school across from the PAWN SHOP WAS ST GERADS down from that was

ST SAVIOURS THATS THE SCHOOL I WENT TO AND ALSO ST GERADS SEC AND THE SCHOOL ALONG FROM THAT WAS BROOMLOAN ROAD.

[Dexter St. Clair]

Ben Cooper visited the Lyceum yesterday and took a superb series of photographs.
Ben Cooper on Flickr

[Jim D]

"Friend" my wee granny moved into 100 Kellas Street in the wine alley when it was just built. She stayed there until the mid 70's. A few years later, as an apprentice painter with the Corporation, I was sent to work in the wine alley when it was being modernised(?). One of the tradesmen knew my granny had stayed there for decades and ask the gaffer if I could work with him. Every decent house we went into he would remind me to tell the woman of the house about my granny. They always knew her and offered us a wee cup of tea. lol And I thought he wanted to work with me for my skills! lol

[Jim D]

What have they done to Govan?
Having got into this genealogy craze, two years ago when I was home in Glasgow, I went looking for all the old addresses of relatives to photograph the buildings for my files.

There's none of them left standing! The site of my great great grandparents house now has the approach road to the Clyde tunnel sitting on top of it. My great grannies tenement block in Wanlock street has been replaced with new housing. All the buildings where my great aunts & uncles lived are gone, replaced with grassy plots, big gaps between the buildings or flattened areas that look like bombsites. The annoying thing is, in most cases, the adjoining tenement blocks are still standing! Why me?

And the worse bit of all is, that the only descendant from my great great grandfather's children I've been able to trace, other than my own family, turns out to be one of the main culprits! He is a Glasgow architect, heavily involved as far as I can gather, in the redevelopment of Govan. I won't give you his name, as I wouldn't like him to be inundated with complaints from all the Govanite exiles!

My granny and grandad's tenement block in Purdon Street, Partick has disappeared, our house in Bernard Street, Bridgeton is no longer there, even our old house in Garthamlock is gone and that was only built about 1954. It's all very well saying 'I belong tae glesga', but there will soon be nae Glesga' tae belong tae!

Has anybody got a 'Tardis' I can borrow, so that I can go back 50 years and get ma photies?

Bernard Street was knocked down and they built houses on it in the mid-late 70's. Right across the road from London Road Police Office. I worked on the site at the time. I think the Street name was retained. We used to refer to the site as Bernard Street.

[Gallusbisom]

Really enjoyed Ben's pictures. Thank you for the direction to his site, Dexter. G B