Cathcart Street in the 1930s

A while ago I wrote a post about Cathcart Street in Greenock - at one time the main commercial street in the town.  Apart from some remaining buildings and the cobbled road, it is difficult to conjure up exactly what a wonderful street this was.  There are of course many old photographs, but I was absolutely delighted to come across some old film of the busy street from the 1930s.  You can view it here at the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive site - it really is a remarkable piece of local history.

Cathcart Street 2016

The film was taken looking along Cathcart Street.  You can just see the dock cranes on the right of the picture.  The footage also shows along the west part of the street towards Cathcart Square.  Much of the east end of Cathcart Street was destroyed in the Blitz of 1941.

Cathcart Street 2017

Filmed by Thomas Stuart Black, it also shows the interior of Thomas Black's sail loft in the town.  The original Thomas Black started business as a ship chandler and sail maker in Greenock round about 1861.  He had business premises at Dock Breast and  Brymner Street, not far from Cathcart Street.  The firm Blacks of Greenock is still going strong today.

Black's rented out tents and marquees for various local and national events back in the early 1900s. They received many government and war office contracts for various pieces of army equipment and tents.

Take a look at the film - even if it is just to see what Greenock looked like back in the 1930s.