FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

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bobnetau
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by bobnetau »

Meekan, you have solved a puzzle that I have been thinking about for years, the man called McCartney. I couldn't come up with the name and we got several budgies from him over the years, so thanks. He also had an old style car, sorry guys, not good with makes, which my Dad borrowed on occassions.
In the close where the McManus' lived, Hugh and Betty's friend, Kate also lived there on the ground floor.
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

I wonder how many folk kept budgies and canaries in the Three Towns in those days?

There was always a beautiful display in the back garden of the first house in Montfode Drive, Ardossan. You got right up against the aviary as you walked down the lane that joined Dalry Road and Rowanside Terrace. And I don't remember a boy - good, bad or indifferent causing them a penny worth of harm.
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

I determined a few weeks ago, for some daft reason, to end this walk up and doon Glasgow Street on the anniversary of my first complete year as a Threetowner, which is, of course, today.

And the spot I want to finish is, in a wee sense, a cheat, which l may come back to. It's Mr. Muir's 'sweetie shop'. An establishment which must have been known to most folk in the town, and certainly by everyone who went to either Winton or Eglinton Schools;, the former weans dropping in whilst walking to and from the primary; and the latter whilst attending the secondary. If you were lucky enough to have a ha'penny or a penny to spend too, or maybe a thruppenny bit you would wait anxiously for Mr. Muir, who always seemed to be attired in a brown dustcoat, to exit his shop door and cross the road to the school railing with a bread board full of confectionery delights, many of which are currently being described and drooled over in another post. How may times did those of us who got involved in the subsequent panic buying get our heids bashed between two railings by those pushing from behind? Still, it was good to be in the scrum from time to time because having a ha'penny or a penny to spend, or a thrupenny bit certainly wasn't an everyday occurrence - and most of those who did have something didn't get it from their mother or faither - they had milk rounds, paper rounds or pedalled about the toon on message bikes; delivered Lee's Lemonade; howked tatties; carried cases doon the harbour; collected empty beer and lemonade bottles; etc, etc.

Daft as it may seem however, two abiding memories of Mr. Muir's Shop, which, incidentally, in a 'twisted' sort of way, is now a dental surgery, are (1) that you could never sit on any of the window sills to enjoy your purchases because every one had a horizontal metal bar affixed to it with rising metal spikes. I can't remember seeing these anywhere else in the three towns but they were certainly effective; and (2) every week that the Winton Rovers were playing at home, the details of the match were prominently displayed in the shop window, sometimes on yellow paper, sometimes blue, aye, even pink. This ensured you never missed a match, which, in those days, provided you could climb a wa', was free entertainment.

As many Threetown topics, often conclude - HAPPY, HAPPY DAYS!

And the cheat, by the way, is that Mr. Muir's shop was actually No. 1 Eglinton Road, albeit two of his spiked window sills faced on to Glasgow Street - but for me the shop was always at the top of Glasgow Street, not the start of Eglinton Road.

Thanks to everyone who contributed - I never thought when I set off this notion to have a walk would generate over 360 posts and attract over six and a half thousand viewings. I learned a lot. Thanks.
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Meg »

Thanks for this PT - I learned a lot too. Funnily enough, I was talking about Mr Muir's son David this week. He was a pal of my pal's big brother Bertie Ferrol. I would have finished our walk off there too - good planning.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

I think David had a sister Margaret. I wonder if some local kids ever realise how 'famous' their mothers and faithers actually were?
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Meg »

Penny Tray wrote:I think David had a sister Margaret. I wonder if some local kids ever realise how 'famous' their mothers and faithers actually were?
Yes he did have a big sister, lovely girl with blond hair.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by Penny Tray »

Meg,

Sometimes, because of my background, I ask a question I already know the answer to - that was a pretty fair description of Margaret. They eventually moved from the sweetie shop/house to Cunninghame Drive? - off Queen's Drive.
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by down south »

I'd like to thank Penny Tray for the walk too. As someone who had rarely if ever set foot in the upper reaches of Glasgow Street, though passing along it often enough in other ways, I was particularly interested to learn about all the details of that part, and the side streets off it, that I'd never really noticed, or just forgotten about. And all the fascinating stories of people and places up and down the street.

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by sweet caroline »

Hughie wrote:From what I recall the garage was for petrol and car repairs, though I also o recall they did a bit of welding too. There was an area behind the garage reached by a ramp alongside the Plaza from Glasgow Street. I can't recall there being a car sales section being there prior to 1964 when we migrated.
Was the Car Showroom not round the corner ,and became the Painting and Picture Framers?

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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by morag »

Here it is Unicornheart :)
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by unicornheart »

thanks morag.
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Re: FANCY GAUN FOR A WALK? Ardrossan

Post by little plum »

The other night while partaking in a light refreshment, a foot soldier of the Salvation Army entered rattling her tin. For some strange reason it brought back memories of more than 40 years ago, an older friend of mine asked me if I would accompany him to Ardrossan. I hadn't a clue what his business was but was up for the adventure, he visited a sandstone house in Montgomerie St. where he was greeted by a uniformed Salvation Army officer. This house and it's purpose might have been touched on previously in the walk, if so, I apologise for failing memory but would like it refreshed. :D
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