What Happened to Anderston?

In the 19th century, and for much of the 20th century, Anderston was a place of great industry. Close proximity to the River Clyde to the west of Glasgow meant it was ideally situated to export goods afar, and every available space was built on and put to good use in doing just that. Today, those streets that once bustled with life are part of a vast derelict wasteland. So what happened? What on earth actually happened to Anderston? While there is no doubt that the construction of the M8 motorway and Kingston Bridge destroyed much of the area, was that the only reason for the total and utter decline in Anderston's fortunes? There are other factors at play here, everything from post-war industrial decline in all of Scotland to a reduction in use of the River Clyde to build the ships once used to transport all these manufactured goods. Then there's the importation of cheap foreign goods, and governments shutting down major industries like coal-mining and iron-founding. All of these factors came together to effectively wipe Anderston off the face of the earth. Don't get me wrong; Anderston's still there, but it consists mainly of modern housing, with very little in the way of industry. Using old maps and photographs we look at the growth of Anderston and the street layout during its industrial peak, and try to picture how it might once have looked in the not-so-distant past. In wandering the deserted streets we find remnants of a bygone era, and pause awhile in Cheapside Street, where on 28th March 1960 nineteen men - firefighters and salvage men - died during a catastrophic fire and explosion.