A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

[down south]

One thing I can tell you, PT, is that Richard Hofmeyr had been a pupil, or just possibly a teacher, of Ardrossan Academy; his name also appears on their war memorial plaque, which was ( and hopefully still is ) on the wall of the school Assembly Hall.

It was originally unveiled in 1922, in the same week in fact as the Saltcoats War Memorial. That would be in the original school building on the seafront of course, and they must have taken it with them when they moved to Sorbie Road. A bigger plaque was created after the Second World War by adding a surround with the names of that conflict's fallen.

He seems unlikely to be the Richard Hofmeyr listed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, because he belonged to a Yorkshire regiment.

Susan

[peterm1711]

You know, Susan, I used to go to St. Mary's during lent. It was the only church locally that had an early enough mass that you could get to school in time after.There was often a lit candle by the 'priest's door' I was told it meant that the Eucharist was on the altar.

Tsk, tsk, Morag. I'm surprised at this post from a Stevenston lassie

I can tell you for a fact that St John's had Lent Masses, or at least, certainly during MY time there. (1963-70)

We used to go to St John's Chapel in the morning, then be allowed to take our breakfast and have it in the class before school started.

This would be around 1967ish.

[morag]

They didn't have an early enough mass in my day Peter. At that time we'd to get a bus to Irvine to St. Mike's, early 60's, so that had to be factored in. It wiz miserable! Getting up extra early in cold, rainy weather, walking to the bus stop, getting the bus to Saltcoats, attending mass, huddling together afterwards and on the bus to Irvine. The only highlight was if one or more of us had some spare change for the wee 'window round the corner' and could share a roll and some hot chocolate. It made for a very long school day.

[geomacintyre]

PT, further to your comments on the names on Saltcoats War Memorial I came across a vague reference from the Institute of Chemistry referring to a registered student Lt Richard Hofmeyr. This was his obit:

LIEUT. Richard Hofmeyr, a Registered Student, died of wounds
on September 11th, 1917, in his twenty-sixth year. Born in Cape Colony,
he received his general education at Woodstock, S. Africa, and afterwards
entered the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, for his scientific training. At
the time of his death he held a Commission in the King's Own Yorkshire
Light Infantry and was attached to the Royal Flying Corps.

[Penny Tray]

George,

That's interesting and ties in with several items I now see in the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald BDM Archives. They also list Richard as having died on 11/9/17. Other references include that he died at sea on HM Hospital Ship Vasna in the Persian Gulf; that he was a comrade of Major R Wheelwright; and one of the entries is attributed to a parent and another lists the address Annickvale, Saltcoats.

http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Ships/HMHSVasna.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Penny Tray]

Susan,

Your photograph of the 'War Memorial' also reminds me that in the early 70s, from one of the background houses in Manse Street, around twice or three times a week, an elderly lady, always supported on the arm of her son, emerged around 2 o'clock in the morning. The hustle and bustle of the period, coupled with the increase in vehiclular traffic, had become too much for the old lady and she liked to "STROLL" in the early hours. Their preferred route was along Ardrossan Road, South Crescent, Princes Street, Glasgow Street, and back home along Parkhouse Road, Sorbie Road and Caledonia Road - a fair hike in anybody's book!

It was a standing joke that they were actually 'undercover' polis.

The family name, unfortunately, now escapes me. I wonder if anyone can recall them?

Finally, and I hope I don't offend anyone, O'Connor Court, also in your photo, will never feature in my favourite outline of Saltcoats, although I have to say that as high-rise flats go they seem to have worn very well.

[wellparkno9]

P.T. I dont remember the couple you mention walking about at that time in the morning,but I do remember an old lady in a wheel chair getting pushed about the town( and I'm no talking about Annie Gunner) by her son.They lived about 57 manse St.The name was Timmons.They were no relation to the Timmons family that ran the Regal.I used to drive St Mary's mini bus in the '80's and the guy that pushed the wheel chair was a parishoner,thats how I know his name ,he is dead now .

[Penny Tray]

Sam,

Not for the first time, I think you're spot on. The name Timmons rings a very loud bell. I remember from conversation that the lady was very apprehensive about walking amongst crowds or through vehiclular traffic. I wonder if she was pushed around in a wheelchair during daylight hours because of this and yet confident enough to walk through the night; or maybe our respective experiences of her are just at different times.

I was thinking the time I saw the couple most was during mid-1971 to mid-1972.

[John Donnelly]

Sam,

I'm surprised a Saltcoats lad knows about the Gunners. They were Stevenston personalities.

Their name wasn't Gunner by the way, and I can't think of their real name right now.

JD.

[peterm1711]

Sam,

I'm surprised a Saltcoats lad knows about the Gunners. They were Stevenston personalities.

Their name wasn't Gunner by the way, and I can't think of their real name right now.

JD.

Aggie and her son, Wullie Paterson.

[Penny Tray]

Why were the called 'The Gunners'?

[peterm1711]

Why were the called 'The Gunners'?

The story I was told years ago was that Wullie's auld man was a gunner during the war.

He was called Wullie the Gunner, and the nickname stuck.

Can't say how true that is, but that's the story I got.

Jim McCub will probably know better than me, but he's away on holiday right now.