I love Clarkston

I was over in the west today doing family stuff, and often go through Clarkston on my way to Newton Mearns. In need of a blip, I stopped and photographed one of the many colourful 'I Love Clarkston' benches.

Here is a brief history of Clarkston:

When a new road from Paisley to East Kilbride was built through the area in the 1790s, a toll point was set up where it crossed what was then the main route from Glasgow to Kilmarnock. A man named John Clark built a house at the toll, and the name 'Clarkston' came to be used for the locality.

Unfortunately, the most important piece of Clarkston history is not good. On 21 October 1971, the shopping centre was the scene of the Clarkston gas explosion, which killed 22 people and injured around 100.

As a little kid, I only vaguely remember the disaster happening at the time, however, it is rightly remembered with a plaque at where it happened and a memorial in the local hall.

I hope everyone has a good weekend.