FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

[Milda]

lemonade rock,iced caramels,coconut mushrooms or toadstools whatever they were called. My mum loved chocolate ginger and when I was older,I used to buy her a quarter for a surprise.All these sweets were out of the west end cafe.

[down south]

Here's a picture of the Barr St corner, admittedly not all that good a one, in 1972 ( the procession was for that year's Ardrossan Civic Week ). The shops in question had changed hands by then but won't have changed much in general appearance. May Haining's shop was still listed in 1967 as No 133; considering Glasgow St addresses went well over 200 there's a surprising distance still to go.

Susan

[Penny Tray]

Susan,

A good photo showing all three premises albeit as you point out, they've changed hands from the time of this walk.

Also, there are still a couple of features to mention between this junction and the top of the street but (technically) no more shops, unless, as I said earlier, someone corrects me.

[morag]

I wish I could add to this topic but I really didn't frequent the town that much, and I'm not even sure where we are now. I think Rowanside took me to, or pointed out, that the Eglinton Hotel was owned by Calum Kennedy, seem to remember it as being at the bottom of Glasgow St., a wee bit to the Saltcoats side? Where the A&S Herald had their plant and of course the ferry. Are we there yet or have I 'missed the boat'? ( I mean The A&S and Ferry were down at the bottom of Glasgow St. and not in Calum's hotel )...And the Union club. Other than that it was the Red Herring and the South Beach hotels, no' the Kilmenny, it was far too wild and woolly, the 'bad boys' went there! , and visiting my pals, Kirkhall Dr.,, Churchill Dr., and Witches Lynn, which seemed kind of posh.

[JammyDodger]

Also, there are still a couple of features to mention between this junction and the top of the street but (technically) no more shops, unless, as I said earlier, someone corrects me.

Hi PT, The only other shop I remember in that area was the DIT shop in Barr Street, I think it was called Focus. It was quite a big shop that sold wallpaper as well as the usual tools etc! JD

[JammyDodger]

The only other shop I remember in that area was the DIT shop in Barr Street, I think it was called Focus. It was quite a big shop that sold wallpaper as well as the usual tools etc! JD

Oops, it's too early in the morning! That should have been DIY! JD

[Meg]

The only other shop I remember in that area was the DIT shop in Barr Street, I think it was called Focus. It was quite a big shop that sold wallpaper as well as the usual tools etc! JD

Oops, it's too early in the morning! That should have been DIY! JD

JD - in the 60s I think that building would still have been the bakery - I think it became a diy shop in the late 70s I think. No doubt someone will have a better memory than I do.

Meg
(ps - if you make a mistake in a posting, you can go in and edit the posting - correcting any errors.)

[JammyDodger]

(ps - if you make a mistake in a posting, you can go in and edit the posting - correcting any errors.)

Thanks for the tip Meg, I'll try to remember that. JD

[meekan]

I'm not to sure when the bakery closed but I remember when I was sent for a loaf it was always unsliced, wrapped in tissue paper, hot and smelling good enough to eat. So much so that by the time I got home there would be a big hole in it. It would start by peeling off a wee bit that was hanging on, then another bit, and so on. It's a good job I stayed quite near or the loaf would have been devoured.
Morrison's was a branch of the Morrison' s the baker of Stevenston cross one of the ladies who served in it was called Etta Cook.
May Haining's shop I always thought was kind of sparsely stocked but I suppose she catered for her customers.
The close next to Haining's shop had some unpleasant memories for me as a milk boy. On a cold, wet and dark morning I rushed through the close up the outside stairs and put the full bottle down and stuck my fingers into several empty bottles sitting in the shadows, Ahhh!! -------The bottle my thumb was going into had no top on it and was razor sharp. It cut me to the bone and I still bear the scar till this day. We were a wee bit late that day and I wrapped a hankie round it and went to school. Later at the doctors I was told it was too late to do anything with it. Dr Eric McDonald never took many prisoners or gave out much sympathy.

[canfactory]

Focus DIY was owned and operated by a Mr McKenzie who ran (owned?) the small shop at the bottom of Dalry Road where Alpine Stores is now. That shop faced onto Eglinton Road whereas Alpine looks onto Dalry Road. Not sure of the year Focus opened though but Meg could be right.

[wellparkno9]

Hi, was the DIY shop in Barr St. not called the FOBEL or was that some where else, Sam.

[JammyDodger]

Hi, was the DIY shop in Barr St. not called the FOBEL or was that some where else, Sam.

Yip, you're right Wellpark, it was the Fobel, I knew it began with an F! JD