My dad was usually nightshift Christmas Eve, so when he came in at 7 o'clock on Christmas morning from the Shell Mex, I had already been up for what seemed like hours - ate my (Canadian?) McIntosh's apple and my tangerine (which was wrapped in silver paper) and had taken the Oor Wullie or the Broons...

Ellen, you are such a treasure of great links - thanks for this - I never knew so much about St Andrew - I feel even prouder of him now:-)

Thanks
Meg

Ellen

You always manage to find really interesting titbits - thanks for this

Meg

Hi Tom

Thanks for this - makes the super fast boats that now do the run from Stranraer and Cairnryan look a bit silly - I think it is still around 3 hours from Troon in the HSS - so further up the coast in an old timer only took an hour longer!

Meg

Tom/Hugh

Can you remember how long the the daylight boat crossing between Ardrossan and Belfast took - my sister Norma was home last week and we got on to talking about this. She thought the crossing took about three hours, I thought it would be more - does anyone remember?

Meg

A recent poll showed that the number most people over 50 use as their "pin" numbers for all their various cards, is their mother's co-operative number (how come it was always your mothers co number and never your fathers?) One "cool" saying I remember from my childhood was "...

I remember Stuart Cunninghame - if I remember correctly he had an old AJS that ran like clockwork. As for Chalmers, he was married to Gloria, daughter of old man Tortolani. The old guy had two sons - Luigi and Aldo and a daughter (Gloria). Mrs Tortolani couldn't speak much english even when I worked...

My dad Jimmie Gordon, worked as a shift fitter at the Shell Mex in Ardrossan - although he served his time on the railway as a steam locomotive fitter. He used to have an old red bike that he cycled to work every day - until someone stole it out of the close in Clyde Terrace, he walked to work after...

Yes, I remember Jennifer Jack and Joy Kirkwood - they were in the year above me - and Miss MacKelvie was quite something on the old country dancing. I remember she used to pick a poor boy to demonstrate dancing steps and whoever it was was wasted for the rest of the day!! Wonder if a teacher would b...

Hi Jane

You aren't Jane Gunn by any chance? I went to Ardrossan Academy in 1967 and left in 1971 - I was a member of Mrs Mcdougal's gaelic choir.

Meg Gordon

Dont know if anyone saw the recent announcement that Ken Stott was taking over as Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus. John Hannah looked far too young and fresh faced to play this auld, wise cynical cop. Really looking forward to watching it. Loved all the books.

Meg

One of the main things that I remember as a child was the smell on the old Glen Sannox boat - I believe it was refitted and is went somewhere in the middle east to ferry passengers around. The smell was unique - it had a hot oil/grease smoky wooden painted leathery type smell. It is difficult to exp...