Browns Shop in Glasgow Street

[Mitchy]

I remember this shop in the early 70's, before a lot of the street was demolished, and it seemed to sell everything! Did it just basically go out the game when the older buildings were knocked down? How were the owners compensated for this?

[Penny Tray]

Mitchy,

The TRADE NAME was actually LAWSON'S although in our time it was run by the Brown family. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were lovely people, I remember them well. There were two sons, and, I think a daughter. Innes was one of the boys. I met him about 6 years ago. I think he lives in Irvine now. I don't think there will be any 50's 60's wean that didn't stand with their nose pressed against the big toy shop window, especially approaching Christmas. There was a guitar hung there for years, on the left hand side of the window. I always wanted it but never managed to get it. It was a great newsagent/toy shop.

[meekan]

Hi guys,
I remember it as Cauldvilles (don't think that's how you spell it) But it was Mr and Mrs Brown who owned it.
Some one told me he was a great greyhound man and was so well known locally for making shrewd bets that he had to have others put his bets on for him. I don't know if that was true or not. But I remember saving up as it approached Guy Fawkes day to buy penny bangers and dearer fireworks at tuppence. I remember right in front of the main counter was stacks of fire lighter sticks and I could hardly stretch over them. There seemed to be every kind of paper and magazine on that counter.

Meekan

[Penny Tray]

Meekan,

Auld mother says you're right again - Mr. Brown was a "dug man". You're right too about his shop having every kind of paper and magazine you could imagine. I remember we used to get 'song books' that had the words of all the latest hits - Tommy Steele and "I never felt more like singing the blues" and all that. Did anybody else get these? The other thing I remember was the huge ledger from which you got a wee white slip when you paid your family's paper bill.

[oilers]

The Browns were a nice family. I lived directly behind the shop in Kilmahew St. and knew the family quite well aqnd delivered papers for the older son Neil when he was on holiday. Innes was the youngest and the middle daughter was Betty. Betty and I were schoolmates until she went to Ardrossan Academy. Hughie would remember her too.

[Hughie]

Yes Geordie, I do remember. Just across from the Post Office and next to the EAU? Church. I recall getting our fishing lines and hooks there on the way down to the harbour. That was were we got our penny bangers and all other sorts of fireworks.

[maggie]

My sister worked for the Brown's for
quite a few years Neil and Betty I believe
went to Canada .

[down south]

I still remember the visit to this shop to buy the tricycle that was my pride and joy when I was about four or five. I tried out a little red toy car as well and was secretly a little disappointed at the time not to get that instead, but the trike was much better really, much more practical; I loved it , used to ride it all round the house and the garden, and even ( strictly accompanied of course! ) along the seafront.The toys were all in a big room beside the main paper-shop.
Susan

[Mitchy]

Lots of good replies here folks, thanks for them all. The toys and the fireworks (well, just bangers) were my main memories of the shop. I was normally at my Grandparents in Ardrossan every Saturday, and my cousin and I used to head down to Browns with our pocket money. After that we'd sometimes head up to Winton Park to climb over the school wall into the game. We once let off a banger in the tunnel (purchased from Browns of course), and were promptly ejected from the ground

[meekan]

Mitchy,
We used to watch Winton Rovers games from the Cannon hill until half time when we could get in for free.

Back To Brown's you could buy a toy bomb there, it looked like a bomb and you would put keps in it throw it into the air and it would land with a load bang.
Great memories.
Meekan.

[morag]

I grew up thinking a bomb was a black ball with a fuse sticking out..

[Mitchy]

Mitchy,
We used to watch Winton Rovers games from the Cannon hill until half time when we could get in for free.

Back To Brown's you could buy a toy bomb there, it looked like a bomb and you would put keps in it throw it into the air and it would land with a load bang.
Great memories.
Meekan.

Meekan,

I remember the very thing. Another thing I remember was the toy cigarettes you could buy from Browns. They had a fine powder in them and if you blew them it looked like smoke coming out. Can you imagine any shop selling such a thing these days?

Regards,

Mitchy