Street Views - Richmond Lane

Looking along Gilmour Street towards Gibb's Entry

2005

Thank you to Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, for sending me the photograph above. Brian sent me this photo after seeing this 1920s view of the buildings in Gibb's Entry and Simon Square:

Bryan wrote:

Streets

"Attached is a photo I took about three years ago of Gilmour Street looking to the west to Gibbs Entry. It's difficult to get a long shot nowadays without cars or wheelie bins. However, you can see the lamplight you mention that looks remarkably like the original.

It’s interesting, that while they replaced the buildings, the original two hundred year-old road surface of granite causeys (or sets) is still there.

Residents

What never ceases to amaze me is that 276 people lived in the short distance of Gibb's Entry in the 1881 census – 92 of them in No 8 where my great grandfather grew up. I can’t imagine what type of building it was.

560 people lived in South Richmond Street – a little bit less cramped – but 76 were in No 26, the tenement where my great grandmother lived.

Gibb's Entry

While the buildings in Simon Square were knocked down in the late-1920s, the ones at the west end of Gibbs Entry that face on to Nicolson Street weren’t. I can remember them being totally refurbished some time in the mid- to late-1960s.

This photo taken in 1961-63 shows the original Nicolson Street buildings including the other side of Gibbs Entry. Gibbs Entry is up past where the white car is.

I don’t know the name of the other entry in the middle of the picture.

Bryan Gourlay, Biggar, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Rebuilt 1931

The buildings that Bryan mentions having been demolished at the west end of Gibb's entry in the late 1920s were replaced by new buildings. These new buildings can be seen on either side of the 'No Entry' signs on this 2005 photo.

These new buildings have the date '1931' inscribed on stone plaques above their front doors.

Peter Stubbs: July 12, 2008