I was born in Bellshill Maternity along with my twin brother Robert.
The hospital was built as a poor law hospital in the 1870s. It became an infectious diseases hospital in 1892 and a maternity hospital in 1917, after maternity services transferred to Wishaw General Hospital in 2001, the buildings were demolished in 2003 and the site was subsequently redeveloped for residential use.
We never stayed long in Bellshill, my family moved to a town in Fife called Glenrothes, there was more work for my Father over there with him being a coalminer
We visited Bellshill as much as we could & I loved going there to play with my cousins, but the older we got the less visits we made.
Glenrothes was a new town and a lot of people from the west ( Glasgow area ) moved there for the work.
We lived in a house, in the same street as our Gran and Grandad – they were only 3 houses up from us, and we spent a lot of time there, where my grandad a die hard Glasgow Rangers Fan – learned us all the Rangers songs, and he wouldn’t let me and my brother go home until we learned the song to the end – my gran used to say to him ” Let the boys go home !!!! ”
My Grandad even painted his fence, Blue, red and white – he made sure the neighbors knew he was a Rangers supporter.
I still have fond memories of that street and the little Woodside school we went to, but a huge life decision was on the cards and was just around the corner
We were going to immigrate to Australia
I was 7 year old and we were going to go to a different country – leave all my family and friends for a venture, this was so exciting for me and my brother, because we were going to get there in a ship- a ship that would take about 7 weeks to get to Australia, this was going to be a journey we will never to forget.
My Uncle John had settled in Australia after meeting a lovely women when he was in the Army, and he often talked to my Father how wonderful this country was and that we should move over to the land of the Kangaroos – must have been a really hard decision for my Mum and Dad, leaving their Mother & Father, sisters and brothers to go to another so so far away.
I don’t know how long it took us to get every thing packed -I know we were packing all our belongings in tea chests, can not remember how many we had – but before you knew it – the house was empty- we said our goodbyes and began our long sea voyage to Australia.
Ten Pound Poms a colloquial term used in Australia to describe British subjects who migrated to Australia after the Second World War under an assisted passage scheme created by the Australian Government.
I could write a whole book about our time on that boat, it was just like a huge adventure for me and my brother, visiting so many different countries – there was always some thing to keep the children amused, fancy dress parties, competitions & so many memories I will cherish and so many stories to tell.
After a 7 week journey on a ship, we arrived in Australia and a new life for this Scottish family is just beginning.
