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History of Blackburn History of Blackburn aims to research, gather, preserve, enhance and protect our village history, Info, articles, stories, Images & photos.

We Believe Blackburn's entire history & historical items should be back into our ancient village, no exceptions.

The travelling History of Blackburn photograph boards are now up in the Partnership Centre. Why not pop in and see all t...
14/10/2026

The travelling History of Blackburn photograph boards are now up in the Partnership Centre. Why not pop in and see all the old areas going back over 100 years. The boards are positioned straight across from the Library.

On 23 October 1981, the West Lothian Courier was saying farewell to a man who had spent 27 years helping run Blackburn G...
14/10/2026

On 23 October 1981, the West Lothian Courier was saying farewell to a man who had spent 27 years helping run Blackburn Gala. James Wallace was stepping down from the committee, but not before leaving behind plenty of memories

James “Jim” Wallace had been a member of the Blackburn Gala Committee for 27 years, joining in 1954. For 20 of those years he had served as President, and although he was stepping down in 1981 because of increasing pressure from his business interests, it was clear that the Gala was still very close to his heart.

Jim had originally been given the job of Sports Convener, a role that suited him rather well. His own athletics career included two close second place finishes in the famous Powderhall Sprint, and during his years organising the Gala sports he received plenty of praise from both Blackburn locals and visitors. But after nearly three decades on the committee, Jim had also accumulated something else... a fund of stories.

One involved the late Jocky Rankine, who had himself been president of the Gala Committee. Jocky was trying to get some clarification about an incident from the 1911 Gala and turned to Jim with the words: “You'll remember the 1911 Gala, Jim.” There was just one thing… Jim hadn't even been born in 1911. 😂

Another involved Jim refereeing a five a side football match when the losing team claimed their opponents had fielded players who were over age. The winning side denied it, but Jim investigated and discovered that the supposed age difference between two of the brothers was… a mere four months.

Then the best one, there was one year the committee hired a horse and coach for the Gala procession. At the time the Gala dance had been held the night before, meaning it was the wee small hours before the committee finally got to bed. At 6am, Jim was woken by the police thundering on his door. Outside stood the coachman, along with the horse and coach, looking for somewhere to be stabled until it was time for the procession. Imagine answering the door at 6am and finding out your first job of Gala Day is finding a horse somewhere to sleep. 🐴😂

As he stepped down in 1981, Jim took the opportunity to thank the people who had given years of service to the Gala, including Jocky Rankine, George Motman, Charlie Murphy, Tom and Mrs Robertson, and Eddy and Mrs Woods. He also remembered the Businessmen's Club, who stepped in to help when the Gala Committee was struggling financially.

On paper, it’s simply a report about a man resigning from a committee. But look a little closer and suddenly we have Blackburn Gala in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and early 80s, the sports, the dances, the committee members, the local businesses helping out, the characters remembered with affection and even the practical problems nobody seems to have thought about until a horse and coach turned up at 6am! Jim Wallace had given 27 years to the Gala, and although he was stepping away from the committee in 1981, the memories he left behind were clearly part of something much bigger. Thankfully, the Courier captured some of them for us, giving us a wee glimpse of what Gala life in Blackburn was really like.
Blackburn Galaday

The Bay City Rollers: A Sell Out Night in Blackburn 1969Following on from the advert we’ve just shared for the Bay City ...
12/10/2026

The Bay City Rollers: A Sell Out Night in Blackburn 1969

Following on from the advert we’ve just shared for the Bay City Rollers appearing at Blackburn Community Centre, we’ve found out what happened when the big night arrived!

The West Lothian Courier of 18 April 1969 reported on the success of the previous Friday’s dance at the centre, describing it as an “enormous success”, with a capacity attendance.

The entertainment was provided by two groups: “the Poets” and “the Bay City Rollers”. Clearly, there was no shortage of interest, with the community centre packed out for the occasion!

It’s a brilliant wee piece of Blackburn’s history. Long before the Bay City Rollers became international pop sensations and sparked Rollermania in the 1970s, they were playing dances like this one right here in our own village.

🎸 THE BAY CITY ROLLERS IN BLACKBURN - APRIL 1969! We’ve covered the Bay City Rollers playing in Blackburn before, but no...
12/10/2026

🎸 THE BAY CITY ROLLERS IN BLACKBURN - APRIL 1969!

We’ve covered the Bay City Rollers playing in Blackburn before, but now we came across this advert in the West Lothian Courier from Friday 4 April 1969. We haven’t really shared the advert itself or looked at the prices, so it’s a great wee find to bring back out

The advert announced a late night dance at The Centre, Blackburn, for the following Friday, 11 April. The dance was due to run from 8 pm until 1 am, with two acts on the bill: The Poets and the Bay City Rollers. Admission was 7 shillings and 6 pence (7/6), and the advert even mentioned late transport for those heading home afterwards.

Back in 1969, 7/6 was nearly the price of a gallon of petrol, which cost around 6s 6d. It was also about the cost of a pint of b**r and a packet of 20 ci******es together. But for the Blackburn bairns heading to The Centre that Friday night, 7/6 bought something a bit more exciting, live music from two bands and a dance that went on until 1 am

Back in April 1969, Bay City Rollers were still in the early stages of their career, playing gigs and building their following. They were a Scottish band from the Edinburgh area, but the huge success that lay ahead was still to come.

During the 1970s, they would become one of Scotland’s best known pop exports, with hits such as “Shang-A-Lang,” “Summerlove Sensation,” “Bye Bye Baby,” “Give a Little Love,” “Saturday Night” and “I Only Wanna Be with You.” They scored two UK number one singles and two number one albums, and their popularity grew into the phenomenon known as Rollermania. (Before Rollermania… there was Blackburn lol)

The band’s official website now claims worldwide sales of more than 300 million albums. It’s quite something to think that a group advertised for a dance in Blackburn in 1969 would go on to achieve that level of fame.

And what about the Blackburn folk who might have gone along to The Centre in April 1969? Imagine getting ready for a Friday night out, meeting your pals, paying your 7/6 at the door and dancing to live bands in your own village. No need to travel to elsewhere for a night out, the music was coming to Blackburn.

The Rollers in Blackburn for 7/6? Get us a ticket!

Does anyone remember dances at The Centre in Blackburn? Who seen the Bay City Rollers here?

THE 14 MAGICIANS OF BLACKBURN – 1968 You don't necessarily expect to find a story about magic when digging through the ...
10/10/2026

THE 14 MAGICIANS OF BLACKBURN – 1968

You don't necessarily expect to find a story about magic when digging through the West Lothian Courier… but on Friday, 2 February 1968, we found exactly that. And this wasnnt somebody simply doing the odd card trick at a children's party. Blackburn had its very own Magic Circle. The newspaper opens with a favourite song of the time, “It's Magic”, before explaining that there was another kind of magic happening in Blackburn every Wednesday evening. The man behind it was Mr George Humphries of Rowan Street, who, with the help of a few friends, had formed the Lothians Magic Circle. The club had begun in November 1967 and already had 14 enthusiastic members, with George believing it was the only club of its kind in the Lothians. Every Wednesday night the members gathered at the Miners' Institute, where they learned magical tricks using all sorts of equipment. George was happy to teach anyone who wanted to learn, explaining that he did it “just for the fun of things.”

George himself was certainly no beginner. He told the Courier that he had been fascinated by magic since he was seven years old, nearly 35 years earlier, and was already a member of both the London Magic Circle and the Institute of Magicians. He had attended magic conventions around the country with well known magicians including David Nixon and Tommy Cooper. Since moving to Blackburn around 18 months earlier, he had already performed locally to raise money for church funds, old folks' associations and the social club at Bangour Hospital. There was even a family connection, George had persuaded his father, Mr Bert Humphries, to join the club, making the 73 year old the oldest member. Among the younger members was 18 year old James Forrest of Rowan Street, who had joined in December and hadn't missed a single meeting. James was taking his new hobby very seriously, he told the newspaper that if he became good enough, he was prepared to give up his job and make magic his career. The members weren't simply copying tricks either. George said they invented their own tricks, had their own club badge, and he confidently believed that within a couple of years they could become “the biggest club in Scotland.”

This is where we'd love to know what happened next. Did George's prediction come true? Did the Lothians Magic Circle grow from those first 14 members into one of Scotland's biggest magic clubs, or did it quietly disappear? Did the Wednesday night meetings continue at the Miners' Institute? Did James Forrest ever leave his job and become a professional magician? What happened to George and his father Bert?

Most importantly, is anyone reading this who remembers it? Who were the other members? The newspaper only gives us George, Bert and James. There must have been 11 more Blackburn/Lothians magicians sitting in that room every Wednesday night. Maybe you went along to one of their shows or simply remember hearing about a magic club meeting in Blackburn.

George Humphries wasn't born in Blackburn, and at the moment this 1968 article is the main piece we've found about him. But what he did while he was here is enough to make him part of Blackburn's story, he added something completely unique to Blackburn life.

Pictured is Mr George Humphries.

“I don't want to forget the old village…” — from Egypt, 1916. What was happening in Blackburn 110 years ago? Blackburn's...
08/10/2026

“I don't want to forget the old village…” — from Egypt, 1916.

What was happening in Blackburn 110 years ago? Blackburn's Gala Day committee got a donation from Egypt. Now that's what you call community spirit lol.

While Blackburn was preparing for its annual Gala Day in June 1916, two young men from the village were thousands of miles away in Egypt, but they clearly hadn't forgotten home.

In the Midlothian Advertiser, published on Friday 30 June 1916, we found a wee letter sent to the Secretary of Blackburn Gala Day.

It came from Private Alex. M'Lachlan, 2562, 7th Royal Scots, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, who was serving in Egypt during the First World War.

Alex had heard that Blackburn was holding its Gala Day on 24 June 1916 and decided to send a contribution towards the celebrations. His letter explains that he had been brought up in Blackburn, went to school here and had attended many of the village's Gala Days himself. Even though he was now thousands of miles away, he didn't want to forget the “old village”.

And there's a nice wee detail. Alex explains that there were only two men from Blackburn in his regiment, himself and Corporal David Liddell. Together, they sent four shillings to help “cheer the children” and hoped they would enjoy their Gala Day.

Four shillings might sound like very little to us now, but it wasn't really about the amount. These two Blackburn men were away serving overseas during a world war, yet they had heard that the children back home were having their annual Gala Day and wanted to play a tiny part in it.

Just imagine Blackburn on 24 June 1916. Our village would have been very different from the Blackburn we know today. Families would have gathered for the Gala Day, children enjoying the celebrations, while many Blackburn men were away serving in the forces. Somewhere amongst all of that, money had arrived from two Blackburn men serving thousands of miles away in Egypt, sent specifically so the children at home could have a good day.

It is a great letter to find. But knowing what Alex. M'Lachlan (Dixie) had already been through makes it even more remarkable. Just over a year earlier, in May 1915, Dixie had been travelling south with nearly 500 fellow soldiers of the 7th Battalion, Royal Scots, on their way to the war. Their train stopped at Quintinshill, near Gretna Green. What happened next became the Gretna Rail Disaster, the worst railway disaster in British history.

A troop train carrying the Royal Scots collided with a stationary local train. Moments later, an express train crashed into the wreckage. The wooden carriages, lit by gas, caught fire and the scene became catastrophic. More than 220 people were killed, most of them soldiers from Dixie's own battalion, and hundreds more were injured. Dixie survived.

He had witnessed one of the most horrific railway disasters Britain had ever seen, involving men he had been travelling alongside only moments before. Yet after surviving the disaster, he continued on with his military service and eventually found himself serving on the front during the First World War. And then, in 1916, while serving in Egypt, as we’ve learned something else was on his mind. Blackburn Gala Day. Not the war. Not the journey ahead. Home.

Dixie's story didn't end when the First World War was over. He eventually returned home to Blackburn and went back to work in the coal mines, beginning a working life underground that would last an astonishing 52 years. He was also well known for his love of football, becoming a respected figure within the Scottish game.

Then came another war. When the Second World War broke out, Dixie once again answered the call, this time serving as a Sergeant Major in the Home Guard, helping train younger men and protect his community on the home front. And when his mining days were eventually behind him, he continued to serve Blackburn in a completely different way. He became a lollipop man and janitor at Redhouse Primary School, remaining part of everyday community life.

Even a world war couldn't stop him thinking about Blackburn.

The photographs we include show the Alexander (Dixie) unfortunately we have no photograph yet of Corporal David Liddell who he wrote with.

Blackburn Galaday

08/10/2026

A great supporter of so much that happens in Blackburn across the year. JP's Inflatables has the full support of the History of Blackburn. Come on who wouldn't love one of these at Christmas, time, bouncing around It's a wonderful Life.🎄🎅🔔☃

WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN BLACKBURN ON 5 OCTOBER 1928? 98 years ago...WHEN THE STREETS FIRST LIT UP Imagine it’s a Monday ev...
05/10/2026

WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN BLACKBURN ON 5 OCTOBER 1928?

98 years ago...WHEN THE STREETS FIRST LIT UP

Imagine it’s a Monday evening in Blackburn, 5 October 1928. The sun has gone down, the shops are closing, people are making their way home and the village is settling into the darkness. But this evening is a little different, because Blackburn has just gained something we probably wouldn't give a second thought to today... street lighting. Not with the electric streetlights we know today. Not LEDs. Not anything that switches itself on at the flick of a button.

In the West Lothian Courier published on Friday 5 October 1928, we found this tiny report:

“On Monday gas a street illuminant was introduced into Blackburn. The gas is brought in from Armadale Gasworks.”

This wasnt an electric lamp like the ones we know today. Blackburn was being supplied with gas, brought over from Armadale Gasworks, where gas was produced from coal. Gas lighting was quite an impressive bit of technology for its time. Gas was produced at a gasworks by heating coal and extracting coal gas, which was then stored and carried through underground pipes to buildings and street lamps. The gas could be burned to produce a bright flame, giving people a much better source of light after dark than candles or oil lamps.

Gas lighting itself wasn't new by then. Britain's first public gas street lighting had appeared more than a century earlier, so Blackburn was rather late to the party! But that doesn't make its arrival here any less interesting. What matters is that 1928 gives us a definite date for Blackburn joining that network of street lighting. Just imagine Blackburn after dark before this arrived. No modern streetlights stretching along every road. No bright LED lamps lighting the pavement. No glow from screens, shop signs and traffic that we're surrounded by today. Once the daylight disappeared, dark really meant dark.

Today, street lighting is so normal that we only really notice it when a lamp isn't working. In 1928, however, having light in the street after dark was something worth reporting in the newspaper.

04/10/2026

ON THIS DAY IN BLACKBURN - 4 OCTOBER 1940

On Friday, 4 October 1940, Blackburn was firmly in the middle of the Second World War, and the pages of the West Lothian Courier give us a little glimpse of village life at the time.

One of the stories that caught our eye was about the Blackburn War Comforts Committee. That week, the committee had sent 65 parcels to local men serving in the armed forces.

Each parcel contained a pair of socks, 50 ci******es and a postal order for 7 shillings and 6 pence. That's 65 pairs of socks, 3,250 ci******es and £24 7s 6d in postal orders heading out from Blackburn to local servicemen. It might seem like a small thing today, but these parcels were one way that people back home could remind the men serving overseas that they hadn't been forgotten.

And then, tucked underneath that little report, comes an even more unexpected Blackburn story…

FROM CANADA - A SURPRISE VISIT

The newspaper reported that Mrs O. Stein of West End, Blackburn, had received a rather special surprise. Her son, William S. Stein, simply walked through the door on the Friday. William had arrived back in Britain with the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The newspaper tells us that William had left Blackburn for Canada during the miners' strike of 1926.

Fourteen years later, the Blackburn man who had emigrated to Canada had returned, not as the young man who had left during the industrial unrest of the 1920s, but as a member of the Canadian forces serving during another enormous upheaval. You can almost imagine the scene at West End, Blackburn, when his mother opened the door. After all those years, her son was suddenly standing there.

And the same little newspaper column tells us both stories: Blackburn men away at war being sent parcels from home, and one Blackburn man coming home from Canada with the Canadian forces.

It's easy to think of wartime history in terms of battles, dates and famous names, but this is the sort of thing that brings it down to village level.

In October 1940, people in Blackburn were doing what communities everywhere were doing, sending comforts to their men, keeping family connections going, and getting on with everyday life in the middle of a world at war. And somewhere in Blackburn that day, 65 servicemen were receiving a parcel that had come from home. Meanwhile, at West End, Mrs Stein had her son William back on the doorstep.

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