Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

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George Ardrossan
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Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by George Ardrossan »

In response to Meg's Think Tank request for memories, I would like to post some photos with information on places in Ardrossan that no longer exist or have changed in the past fifteen years or so. The intention is that folk see through pictures how Ardrossan has changed and can share recollections.

CENTRAL GARAGE

The first post is of Central Garage in Princes Street.
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I don't know when it was built, but Central Garage closed in early February 2005 and was demolished between 5 and 7 August 2005. The building in the background was the Harbour Pump House which opened as Cecchini's Bar, Restaurant and Bistro on 23 April 2008.
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This side of the street is no longer called Princes Street but Dockers Gardens which was built between November 2007 and July 2009. The flats in the photo below were built on the site of the Eglinton Hotel and Central Garage was at the extreme right.
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It would be good to know when the Central Garage was built and to share memories of this part of what was Princes Street.

I hope this wee contribution is of interest.

George
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brian f
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by brian f »

Thanks, George i will look forward to photos of the harbour and of course the ferry :D
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by Hughie »

Wasn't the Central Garage known as Hogarths, through the fifties and sixties. I remember big ads in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald for car sales.
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by canfactory »

Thanks for the pictures George. The new flats look great and I well remember the garage. Have to admit though that I did like the architecture of the Eglinton Hotel plus its history and still find it odd that it's gone.

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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by sheenaj »

'Dockers Gardens' I don't see any gardens or was it named for the past? Interesting photos. Hogarth I think was a name that married into my Seggie line I think-I need to check! The old grey cells are not like they used to be:-)
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by Penny Tray »

Hughie wrote:Wasn't the Central Garage known as Hogarths, through the fifties and sixties. I remember big ads in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald for car sales.
Hogarth's was called 'The Pier Garage' in Harbour Street (facing right up Glasgow Street), whilst, around that time, Kerr and Linney, had the Central Garage.
Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by Penny Tray »

Those of us born in the 40s will recall that this particular part of Princes Street, albeit Ardrossan had other exceptionally wide streets, was, I think, the only one where motor vehicles parked in the centre of the road at right angles to the kerbs. I’m not sure why this was the case because it didn’t happen on the other side of the ‘Cross’ or in Harbour Street, Glasgow Street, Barr Street, Winton Street or Seton Street.

Many boys would also get their hair cut in that part of town, originally by Bertie Miller, Seamus Cunningham and then Kenny Brown, all of whom occupied the same premises in turn.

Climie’s cycle shop was another popular business that few boys in the town wouldn’t visit at some time or other for puncture kits, brake blocks, tyre valves, etc.

The other daft thing I remember at the end of the street was a 6 foot high boundary fence in which the dockers had a moveable spar which they pivoted this way or that, creating a space which allowed them speedy access to the pubs, bookies, barbers and bus stops.
Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
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George Ardrossan
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by George Ardrossan »

Thanks for your responses to this new topic.
canfactory wrote:Have to admit though that I did like the architecture of the Eglinton Hotel plus its history and still find it odd that it's gone.
Here is a photo of the Eglinton Hotel taken in the 1960s.
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Penny Tray wrote:Hogarth's was called 'The Pier Garage' in Harbour Street (facing right up Glasgow Street), whilst, around that time, Kerr and Linney, had the Central Garage.
The Harbour Street garage became Kerr Baillie's. It was demolished between 27 February and 5 April 2007 and its site is now part of Asda's car park. I will upload photos of it in a later post.
Penny Tray wrote:Those of us born in the 40s will recall this particular part of Princes Street. Many boys would also get their hair cut in that part of town, originally by Bertie Miller, Seamus Cunningham and then Kenny Brown, all of whom occupied the same premises in turn. Climie’s cycle shop was another popular business that few boys in the town wouldn’t visit at some time or other for puncture kits, brake blocks, tyre valves, etc.
This photo, taken in 1974, shows Princes Street opposite the Eglinton Hotel and some of the premises mentioned by Penny Tray.
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George
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by Hughie »

Penny Tray wrote:I think, the only one where motor vehicles parked in the centre of the road at right angles to the kerbs. I’m not sure why this was the case because it didn’t happen on the other side of the ‘Cross’ or in Harbour Street, Glasgow Street, Barr Street, Winton Street or Seton Street.
Penny, I wonder if Princes Street was made wide for the reason that it might have been originally meant as an exit point from the Earl of Eglinton's newly constructed Eglinton Dock to Glasgow Street - the end of Princes Street leads right into Eglinton Docks from what I remember, though in our time there has been a fence there.

I remember a much respected teacher, Tammy Roy, telling us at Eglinton School that Glasgow Street was made nice and wide by Hugh The Earl of Eglinton because of the expected traffic from the port.
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by George Ardrossan »

KERR BAILLIE'S GARAGE

The second building in this post to have disappeared from Ardrossan since the early 2000s is Kerr Baillie's Garage in Harbour Street, shown below in 2002.
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It was demolished between 27 February and 5 April 2007 and its site is now part of Asda's car park. Photos of the demolition are shown below.
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As mentioned previously, this is now the site of Asda's car park.
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Kerr Baillie continues to trade from this garage in Glasgow Street.
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I hope these photos stir some memories.

George
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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by Robert Cook »

The photo of Princess street across from where the Eglinton Hotel was is where I used to go for a haircut in the 50's. I have forgotten the barbers name. Does anyone remember?

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Re: Changes in Ardrossan in Recent Years

Post by meekan »

Penny Tray wrote: Hogarth's was called 'The Pier Garage' in Harbour Street (facing right up Glasgow Street), whilst, around that time, Kerr and Linney, had the Central Garage.
Yes Kerr and Linney did have the Central Garage and were part of the the A1 bus owners group. Before it was demolished it was owned by McMenemy who were also A1 bus owners.
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