A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

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down south
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by down south »

I'm sure you're right Morag; something that seems rather like a shop of some sort is faintly coming back to me now. But I don't think I ever knew much about it and certainly never went in there, so it'll need some expert local like Sam to perhaps tell us something about it.

Susan
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by wellparkno9 »

Hi, There was a wee shop ,I think its still there ,owned by Mrs Murry ,when I was wee it sold pails and spades ,fishing nets ,beach balls and rock and candy floss.It lay empty for years but has been opened by umpteen folk over the years,I can mind it selling hotdogs tea etc.And a guy called Peter Grey had it as a fishing tackle shop.
The Mrs Murry I mentioned lived in the house after the shop ,nearest the shore.She owned the amusements in Windmill St. where the Non Such is, hope this helps , Sam.
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by down south »

Thanks a lot Sam. I've just had a look at the satellite view, which I should have done before, and it looks as though there are a number of new building on that side of Winton St since I was there, as well as the one put up by Hanlon's that I mentioned above. But the houses further down seem to be still there, and I think that must have been where the little shop was.

Susan
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by wellparkno9 »

Hi Susan , the shop is still there .There is the lane ,the Undertakers, a hairdressers, then the shop we are talking about.Its right opposite the Hip Flask that used to be the Marina Cafe. Sam.
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by meekan »

I'm pretty sure the larger building we are talking about became a DIY shop at one time, with possibly Shedden the joiner involved with it somehow?
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by down south »

Crossing the road now we come to the Marina Cafe; another place I'd managed to forget, as I discovered when the subject came up recently after the reunioners visited it in its modern guise of the Hip Flask pub. This is quite an old advert, from 1956:
phpp9YlhFAM.jpg
Trawling through some old posts I came across some that seemed to suggest there was another cafe here called the Eglinton. But others describe the Eglinton as being in Windmill St, in the building that was later the Castlewirock. Since I've never heard of the Eglinton cafe until now I certainly can't sort this one out; the Marina was always the Marina as far as I know ( which isn't saying much.. )

Turning back up Winton St from the Marina Cafe towards Hamilton St, we come next to the lane called Park Road; though since this is the West End it should really be Park Lane ! Directly opposite Montgomerie Road, it had a similar back-lane function, in this case for Hamilton St, and on the other side for Melbourne Terrace/ Eglinton St. The walls, at least at this end, were pleasantly whitewashed, or was it pale-blue-washed; I often cut through here by way of the side lane ( Eglinton Place ) to Eglinton St, but I never went all the way up to the far end, which was nearly to the back of the Regal. So if anyone knows of anything interesting that was up there, now's the time to mention it.

Susan
Last edited by down south on Sun May 30, 2010 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by Penny Tray »

Susan,

The Eglinton Cafe, as far as I'm concerned, was Windmill Street. I think it may have been run by a family called Donald?

My recollection of Park Road is that Mr. Willie Shields, one of the Clyde Coast co-owners, had a garage there. Just on the left as you entered the lane. I remember it had a pit in which mechanics stood to work on the underside of the 'buses.

I'm beginning to wonder how on earth the drivers manoeuvred the buses in and out?
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by morag »

The Eglinton was in Windmill St and was owned by the Donalds.It did become the Castlewirock and might be the Flask now? I worked in the Eglinton in the 60's, my sister worked in the Marina. The old Italian lady owner?, started calling 'Basta, basta,' when my sis was filling some sugar bowls or something, sis thought she was calling her something else!

Park pl is what I think local boys called 'Penny lane', when I asked why they said 'it's where we go to 'spend a penny', i.e being caught short and not near a bathroom. :roll:
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by Hughie »

down south wrote:the building that was later the Castlewirock. Since I've never heard of the Eglinton cafe until now I certainly can't sort this one out
In the mid-fifties up the stairs above the Eglinton was Benaldies (Sp) snooker hall, it's now all part of "The Flask".
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by Alexmac442 »

I remember being a "regular" in the Eglinton cafe in the late 50's along with many school friends. If I remember right it was a very large cafe. Wasn't there a slaughterhouse nearby?
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by Penny Tray »

Alex,

I'm not sure about a slaughterhouse but did Robertson the Ham Curer not have premises just along from the cafe?
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by down south »

Yes Pt, I don't know if there was an actual slaughterhouse but Robertsons pork butchers certainly had their processing plant in Windmill St. And that street as a result had always a strong aroma of pork; I can almost smell it now.

But we'll be visiting Windmill St at a later date; I only went there to try to resolve the confusion about the Eglinton Cafe. Not a lot clearer so far, unless " the Flask " has two premises ???

Susan
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