FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Wildfowler Lounge »

I never did understand what FOBEL was supposed to mean. Anyone shed any light on it? It had the same name when it was in smaller premises at the corner of Glasgow Street and Prince's Street.
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by morag »

There's still one in Carnoustie so maybe it was a chain like Home Depot or Lowe's?
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

I've read with interest George Fleming's war time 'recollections' elsewhere on Threetowners:

"The town had a siren. This was to warn of an impending Air Raid by German Bombers. This siren would be tested from time but always during the Day. On one occasion it went off in the middle of the night. This was the real thing. My brother and I were told to wake up and get out of bed, but we were already awake {that siren was loud enough to awaken the dead}.

Mother got us into our siren suits. This was a one-piece suit that buttoned or zipped up the front and also had a hood to cover our heads. These suits were probably the forerunner of the Tracksuits the athletes wear today. Now dressed and clutching our Gas masks we headed for the Air Raid Shelter in our back yard.

As we lived up stairs we had to descend an outside staircase, the other neighbours had hesitated on the stair head and were all looking up. Although I was very young I clearly remember looking up and seeing the silhouette of big Planes passing overhead. There was a lot of noise from the drone of the planes, and Gunfire from the Navy Ships in the harbour, and away to the South the sky was all lit up. The bombers having Bombed ICI at Ardeer caused this, we found out later. I don’t remember anything else of that night, but the memory of those bombers is still very clear."

The is similar to the Auld Yin's recollection of this same night. At this time she and my faither lived in the sublet attic, ourside toilet and all, at 169 Glasgow Street, the close before the Coal Ree. She in my father's absence ran from this location, across the street, and all the way up the left hand side to the very top of Winton Street to ensure that my Auntie and older cousins (I wasn't born at this time) were OK. She found them safe for the time being in a cupboard situated under the common stairway. She then ran back home. Both legs of her journey were interupted by dives into various closes, determined apparently by loud bangs and flashes. She swears too that she heard things rattling off the roofs, possibly empty shell of bullet cases?

I can never pass No. 169 without visualising the Auld yin on this errand of mercy.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Meg »

Penny Tray wrote: She swears too that she heard things rattling off the roofs, possibly empty shell of bullet cases?
I can never pass No. 169 without visualising the Auld yin on this errand of mercy. I lift my hat again to this generation.
I remember my dad talking about my brothers finding red hot bits of metal out the backdoor of their house in 20 Winton Street after a similar (if not the same) night - perhaps Jimbo will expand (wish my memory was a bit better and could remember my dad's stories) but PT - like you I wonder how we would manage now with circumstances experienced by our folks during those hard hard war years. I hope I never have to be challenged with times like those experienced by our parents - I just feel that although I would want to be courageous - I could never be as brave.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

The Glasgow Street entrance to the Coal Ree merits a mention at this point. For some reason it seems to have been a focal part of the town. I think there was a bus stop at this location too? Personally, my knowledge of the place was mainy gained from looking down from the Montgomerie Street/Landsborough Place Brae. I think I was always wary of being accused of going to steal coal if anyone in authority had ever stopped me between the two entrances. I wonder how much of that went on, especially with a great escape route along the old Caley LIne? And how many local coalmen would operate out of this location?
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by little plum »

P.T. will slag me for this interjection. The image might not be of the coal ree, but at a guess the era could be about right.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

Little Plum,

The coal ree would definitely be there when that photo was taken. It's a cracker. Lots of memories there. McGregor's the Chemist on the corner. The old bus. The 'Give Way' sign. The lampposts. And look at the old attics. I don't think they'll still be there but I would need to look the next time I'm back down that way to make sure.

Incidentaly, the photo looks as if its been smudged by coal stained fingers. You werenae oan that bus making your getaway to Stevenston wi Peter Milne's coal were you? :wink:
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by georgersweir »

Penny Tray wrote:Little Plum,

The coal ree would definitely be there when that photo was taken. It's a cracker. Lots of memories there. McGregor's the Chemist on the corner. The old bus. The 'Give Way' sign. The lampposts. And look at the old attics. I don't think they'll still be there but I would need to look the next time I'm back down that way to make sure.

Incidentaly, the photo looks as if its been smudged by coal stained fingers. You werenae oan that bus making your getaway to Stevenston wi Peter Milne's coal were you? :wink:
By chance, I have a copy of the postcard original of LP's Glasgow Street picture. It dates from 1951. Also, for contrast, here is a recent picture from (almost) the same position... and the old attics are still there.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by morag »

Though I didn't spend much time in the actual town, these photos are making me awfy homesick! :(
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

I mentioned some considerable time back that I had seen a photograph somewhere of faithers/grandfaithers enjoying a pint in Jocks Lodge but couldn't remember where. I came across this photograph again in this wee presentation. It's between 2.02 and 2.06 minutes in. I find if I move the the wee circle along to anywhere in this time span and hold it there I can study the photo. Someone more technically aware might know how to isolate the actual photo and reproduce it. Somebody's might recognise a family member.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

I'm now drifting towards a Christmas end to this particular walk; - from the Coal Ree up to the Seamans Mission and a good bit beyond that was tenemental housing and the only person I'm aware that lived on this stretch was Alex McCulloch the cycling chimney sweep, of whom quite a lot was said lately in another topic.

I'm not sure if anyone answered a query I had - Was Mr. McCulloch a leading light in the Gospel Hall at the same time as Jock Trodden?

Also, what was the Seaman's Mission. I was never in the building. Was it a Sunday School sort of thing?
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by meekan »

PT,
can't help with information on Alex McCulloch, but Provost McManus stayed in a flat in the last close going up Glasgow Street before the Seamans Mission. Regarding the Seaman Mission (or was it the Seaman's Bethal) I was never in it but I believe it was a wee meeting place. Further up in the last building before the railway line, through the back stayed a wee man, I think his name was McCartney, who sold budgies.
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