Reel Lives

Comment by John Devanney, Carter

The queue of horses and carts would obstruct the traffic on the Clydeside – traffic couldn’t get by

Comment by "The Scottish Farmer" 1976

Each horse can haul between five and six tons a time in their short runs between the whisky distillers’ buildings in the city centre. It is in these short hauls that the horses prove their economy over the cumbersome, fuel-gorging lorries.

Comment by Walter McAllister

The local boys used to have ‘fun’ (to be fair when the coaches were empty) jumping on the back of the coaches and putting on the brakes, by winding a wheel at the rear of the coaches. This of course annoyed the drivers and you had to be smart to dodge a lash from the whips. I remember getting a bit of a fright being hoisted in the air (should have let go the reins) when holding a horse while Andrew (Grinlaw, the owner) was off somewhere.

Questions by Glasgow Museums

When did you last see horse drawn transport in Glasgow? Do you miss it? Did horses ever deliver your groceries - or your whisky?

Did you try to tease the horses when you were younger?

Question by kate

Was there a time during WW II that electric trams could not be used and horse drawn ones were used instead? Answer from Glasgow Museums: The electric trams ran throughout the Second World War, and we don't know of any ocassions when the horse-drawn trams were taken out of retirement. Does anyone remember extra horse-drawn vehicles during the Second World War?

Eyewitness by John Devanney, Carter

We would often pass feed for our horses onto the rag and bone men as their horses were in poor condition. In the 1960s it was normal practice to have up to nine horses and carts employed in transporting the cases to the bottling plant at Washington Street. This was quite cost-effective, as they often had to wait for long spells to be off-loaded – much cheaper than having petrol-driven transport tied up, waiting in a queue!

Eye Witness by Robert Dickie

I was brought up in Paisley and for several years after WW2, the horse and cart were still familiar sights. Families still went "Doon the Watter" on holiday and about a week before you set off, the horse and cart from British Rail would call to collect your hamper or trunk and send it off to your destination to await your arrival. One local milkman still used a horse which would stop at appropriate points without being told while the milk boys delivered the milk. When he passed his driving test the horse was retired.

Eye Witness by Raymond Innes

My father was the Senior Director in James Buchanan. He had argued at Board level to keep "his" horses as they were a great advert for the Company. He also arranged for the horses to go away on holiday for the Glasgow Fair! In the early '60s there was a Gymkhana at Falkirk Ice Rink and the 8 Clydesdales did a musical march during the evening. One of the Clydesdales spotted my father and broke ranks in search of a mint imperial!

Eye Witness by Gordon Mitchell

One day, a new horse was in the loading bay, the cart was being loaded with cases via a chute from upstairs. One case somehow struck the horse’s rear end and it took off, out of the factory entrance, down Lancefield Street and across Lancefield Quay into the area outside the sheds where the Burns-Laird steamers were berthed. These vessels carried cattle from Ireland and the cattle dung was stacked beside the sheds. The horse ended up in the dungheap and the unfortunate carter had to dig it out! Doubtless, he would have had plenty of space to travel in on his way home that evening!

Eye Witness by Gordon Mitchell

A sad occurrence was when a horse collapsed and died when it returned to the stables one evening. The carter was inconsolable.

Eye Witness by John Devanney

I worked mainly with two horses - Charlie and Harvey. We carters had strong emotional connections to our horses. Carters might carry three hats with them – one for driving in, one kept dry…and one for sitting on.