[Enlarged View]

Snapshot taken in its industrial heyday.

An old fuzzy photographic print of the Bathgate townscape discovered in a charity shop. It has been deduced that the photograph was taken at 12.25 pm on Saturday 5th October c1912 from the "waterworks filters" by an unknown photographer. The sun shadows suggest the "toon knock" is actually accurate!

By scrutiny with a magnifying glass the following points of interest were found.

• On the far left horizon the chimney stacks of the Atlas steelworks the brickyard at Bathville. (now gone)

• Just above St David's Church and to the right, the Drummond's place - Boghead House.

• Moving right again, the houses in Hardhill road face on to a wide expanse of field - no sign of present day Falside & Windyknowes: no Creamery: no Cemetery: no football park! (the Creamery came & went).

• The Meadowhead Tavern at the bottom of Hardhill Rd where it joins the Glasgow Rd. can be clearly seen. It was demolished sometime between then and 1933 to make way for the Bridgend Co-operative shops.

• Moving further right still, past the two storey houses in the "back" road stand proud the bings of Easton pit. Houses and pit are gone. However, Middlerig farm, just glimpsed behind the bing remains today.

• At the base of the second bing, a string bead of railway wagons wait to be loaded with coal at the pit.

• On the extreme right is Easton row just beyond Renton and Fisher's Steelworks (now also gone).

• Cast your eyes back to St David's; where on its left Menzies steelworks now lately gone and giving way to a re-incarnated rail line to Airdrie & all points west. (2010)

• Moving centre stage can be seen Wolfe's shovel works and Dougal's iron foundry complete with chimney stacks. (All gone).

• Glasgow Rd. at Bridgend is standing on end behind Dougal's. On the left of the road only the marsh waters of the Boghead Burn are to be seen, waiting for Wolfe's houses to spring up and the English Kirk to be built beyond in (1916).

• A train pulling wagons, heading it seems for the level crossing in Glasgow Rd, but more likely about to divert into Dougal's yard. That'll be where the South Loch houses are now.

• The Gas works with its gas holder and chimney sits between St Mary's RC Church and the High Kirk. (Just a whiff of a memory)

• To the left of the High Kirk; the Co-operative Halls where many a function was held. Tragically they went up in smoke on 2nd February 1996 taking the shops below with them. Their demise leaves a gap in more ways than one; seemingly, never to be filled!

• The Drumcross Rd and its junction with Marjoribanks St. have changed somewhat over the years.

• In the foreground, Athol Terrace has a rustic look as yet awaiting the arrival of more houses.

• Balbardie Road and Glenmavis Drive are still just a glint in the planner's eye.

• But where is Torphichen St? It's not very clear.

• The washing's on the line and the hens are in the run; everyone enjoying the early October sun.

I feel sure that the unknown photographer was well aware that he was recording an industrial archaeological gem.