Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre
@scotco-ophistory.bsky.social
Project based in the old bake house in West Calder to create a new home for the history of the Scottish Co-operative Movement.
It might be cold outside today in West Calder but not in 1973 if you bought a fan heater from the co - then you could lounge around in your swimsuit anytime of year.
October 30, 2025 at 11:12 AM
It might be cold outside today in West Calder but not in 1973 if you bought a fan heater from the co - then you could lounge around in your swimsuit anytime of year.
How to display your goods 1920s style- West Calder Co-op. Faithful as always to their SCWS brand.
October 28, 2025 at 10:31 AM
How to display your goods 1920s style- West Calder Co-op. Faithful as always to their SCWS brand.
We've a timeline up in West Calder Scotmid to celebrate 150 years of West Calder Co-operative Society. A lot of the customers remember it well before it became part of Scotmid in the 80s. It was one of the largest regional co-ops in Scotland. A great way to put names to the faces in the photographs.
October 2, 2025 at 8:36 AM
We've a timeline up in West Calder Scotmid to celebrate 150 years of West Calder Co-operative Society. A lot of the customers remember it well before it became part of Scotmid in the 80s. It was one of the largest regional co-ops in Scotland. A great way to put names to the faces in the photographs.
1975- West Calder Co-op show off their tiny TVs. You could buy a bagged up Mr Man along with your transistor radios and calculators.
August 5, 2025 at 4:03 PM
1975- West Calder Co-op show off their tiny TVs. You could buy a bagged up Mr Man along with your transistor radios and calculators.
Summer seaside fun for the West Calder Co-op Society -1949.
July 30, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Summer seaside fun for the West Calder Co-op Society -1949.
We are delighted to be hosting The Co band for our 150th Jubilee concert to help us celebrate 150 years of West Calder Co-operative Society.
You can get tickets online now on the link below.
www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...
The Concert is at West Calder High School on Friday 20th June from 6.30pm.
You can get tickets online now on the link below.
www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...
The Concert is at West Calder High School on Friday 20th June from 6.30pm.
May 12, 2025 at 2:52 PM
We are delighted to be hosting The Co band for our 150th Jubilee concert to help us celebrate 150 years of West Calder Co-operative Society.
You can get tickets online now on the link below.
www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...
The Concert is at West Calder High School on Friday 20th June from 6.30pm.
You can get tickets online now on the link below.
www.trybooking.com/uk/events/la...
The Concert is at West Calder High School on Friday 20th June from 6.30pm.
Heinz promotion to win a Mini at the Leith Provident Co-operative, North Fort Street c 1965.
Photo courtesy of The Living Memory Museum, Leith.
Photo courtesy of The Living Memory Museum, Leith.
April 22, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Heinz promotion to win a Mini at the Leith Provident Co-operative, North Fort Street c 1965.
Photo courtesy of The Living Memory Museum, Leith.
Photo courtesy of The Living Memory Museum, Leith.
Broxburn Co-ops Fleshing Department's award winning gala day float. There's a lot going on in this photo - from a sheep's head in the basket to the monkey on the front of the van. Not one for the squeamish or the vegetarians
April 10, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Broxburn Co-ops Fleshing Department's award winning gala day float. There's a lot going on in this photo - from a sheep's head in the basket to the monkey on the front of the van. Not one for the squeamish or the vegetarians
Let's celebrate Autism Awareness day. Here at the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre Project we have been lucky to work with partners such as Autism Scotland and Carers of West Lothian so that autistic people have had input into the design and development of our project from the start.
April 2, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Let's celebrate Autism Awareness day. Here at the Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre Project we have been lucky to work with partners such as Autism Scotland and Carers of West Lothian so that autistic people have had input into the design and development of our project from the start.
1970s divi stamp milk delivery promotion in Pumpherston West Lothian. Featuring Gerry Pickett the milkman and Co-op promo girl Cathy Carroll
April 1, 2025 at 12:39 PM
1970s divi stamp milk delivery promotion in Pumpherston West Lothian. Featuring Gerry Pickett the milkman and Co-op promo girl Cathy Carroll
A queue inside the co-op in Stoneyburn sometime in the 1950s. Well turned out ladies with their headscarves and a good thick long coat.
February 26, 2025 at 12:05 PM
A queue inside the co-op in Stoneyburn sometime in the 1950s. Well turned out ladies with their headscarves and a good thick long coat.
Good to see Co-operative trousers could give pleasure, profit and comfort to a peer of the realm. As featured in The Co-operator 1890.
February 25, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Good to see Co-operative trousers could give pleasure, profit and comfort to a peer of the realm. As featured in The Co-operator 1890.
Bo'ness Co-op promotional shots c 1971. The idea seemed to be leave cute kids in a trolley beside the SCWS tinned goods and catch the shoppers reactions.
February 17, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Bo'ness Co-op promotional shots c 1971. The idea seemed to be leave cute kids in a trolley beside the SCWS tinned goods and catch the shoppers reactions.
Broxburn Co-op Furnishing Department van all fancied up for the Gala day parade. c 1930s Photo courtesy West Lothian Council
February 12, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Broxburn Co-op Furnishing Department van all fancied up for the Gala day parade. c 1930s Photo courtesy West Lothian Council
The SCWS advertising department liked a play on words when it came to naming their products. Here we have Rubitof - the cleaner- for everything but clothes.
February 5, 2025 at 12:52 PM
The SCWS advertising department liked a play on words when it came to naming their products. Here we have Rubitof - the cleaner- for everything but clothes.
West Calder staff dance c 1973. It took us a while to work out who the special guests were. It's two of The Wombles. Remarkable costume work.
February 4, 2025 at 11:54 AM
West Calder staff dance c 1973. It took us a while to work out who the special guests were. It's two of The Wombles. Remarkable costume work.
As it's National Pie Day in the US we are using it as an excuse to post our favourite bakery line up. West Calder Co-op Society, Addiewell bakery 1898. Addiewell was a new town established in the 1860s to house the workers of 'Paraffin' Young's chemical works. The floury footprints make this photo.
January 23, 2025 at 10:37 AM
As it's National Pie Day in the US we are using it as an excuse to post our favourite bakery line up. West Calder Co-op Society, Addiewell bakery 1898. Addiewell was a new town established in the 1860s to house the workers of 'Paraffin' Young's chemical works. The floury footprints make this photo.
United Co-operative Baking Society supplied the bread and baked goods needs for a lot of the Glasgow Co-operative Societies. Before protein for fitness there were carbs. This was part of the post war healthy eating and fitness campaigns.
January 15, 2025 at 4:19 PM
United Co-operative Baking Society supplied the bread and baked goods needs for a lot of the Glasgow Co-operative Societies. Before protein for fitness there were carbs. This was part of the post war healthy eating and fitness campaigns.
Bo'ness Co-operative Society float for a Bo'ness Infirmary Pageant. Advertising both the ethos of co-operation and co-operative goods.
January 9, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Bo'ness Co-operative Society float for a Bo'ness Infirmary Pageant. Advertising both the ethos of co-operation and co-operative goods.
From the days when you rented your telly from the store
January 7, 2025 at 4:50 PM
From the days when you rented your telly from the store
Happy New Year!
2025 is the UN's International Year of Co-operatives- 'Co-operatives Build a Better World'. It's also our own West Calder Co-operative Society's sesquicentennial. So we'll raise a glass to a year of co-operative celebrations. Photo- West Calder Co-op staff c 1971
2025 is the UN's International Year of Co-operatives- 'Co-operatives Build a Better World'. It's also our own West Calder Co-operative Society's sesquicentennial. So we'll raise a glass to a year of co-operative celebrations. Photo- West Calder Co-op staff c 1971
January 2, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Happy New Year!
2025 is the UN's International Year of Co-operatives- 'Co-operatives Build a Better World'. It's also our own West Calder Co-operative Society's sesquicentennial. So we'll raise a glass to a year of co-operative celebrations. Photo- West Calder Co-op staff c 1971
2025 is the UN's International Year of Co-operatives- 'Co-operatives Build a Better World'. It's also our own West Calder Co-operative Society's sesquicentennial. So we'll raise a glass to a year of co-operative celebrations. Photo- West Calder Co-op staff c 1971
The scaffolding is going up! The building works are starting in January. We are super excited to see the works starting at last after a lot of hard work. The Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre is aiming to be open in 2026.
December 11, 2024 at 4:39 PM
The scaffolding is going up! The building works are starting in January. We are super excited to see the works starting at last after a lot of hard work. The Scottish Co-operative Discovery Centre is aiming to be open in 2026.
Looks chilly outside the Alva Co-operative Bazaar Society. Alva Bazaar was formed in 1845. After over 120 years of independent trading it merged with Alloa Co-operative Society in 1968 to form Alloa and District.
December 4, 2024 at 3:50 PM
Looks chilly outside the Alva Co-operative Bazaar Society. Alva Bazaar was formed in 1845. After over 120 years of independent trading it merged with Alloa Co-operative Society in 1968 to form Alloa and District.
First of an occasional series of staff outside co-ops photos. Usually they are showing off their splendid window displays. Here are the staff of Cambusnethan and Newmains Co-operative Society Est 1885, merged first with Wishaw 1955, and then Dalziel 1971. From 1981 part of the Scotmid group.
December 3, 2024 at 1:37 PM
First of an occasional series of staff outside co-ops photos. Usually they are showing off their splendid window displays. Here are the staff of Cambusnethan and Newmains Co-operative Society Est 1885, merged first with Wishaw 1955, and then Dalziel 1971. From 1981 part of the Scotmid group.
In the days before the NHS community ambulances were commonplace. In 1903 West Calder Co-op Society paid to provide an Ambulance Waggon for the use of their members. It was used regularly as the locality had 3 mines and the nearest hospital was the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh. Courtesy of AVHT
November 28, 2024 at 4:20 PM
In the days before the NHS community ambulances were commonplace. In 1903 West Calder Co-op Society paid to provide an Ambulance Waggon for the use of their members. It was used regularly as the locality had 3 mines and the nearest hospital was the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh. Courtesy of AVHT