A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

[hahaya2004]

The census records of 1891, 1901 and 1911 (and possibly after that) show if a person spoke Gaelic or not.

[down south]

Thanks, Irene. That's probably where they got some of the statistics from.

According to the Herald's " Looking back at 1970 " feature, the old North Church was pulled down in January of that year. And it was on Thursday 20th May 1971 that the new supermarket that was built in its place opened. Here's another picture from the Herald, with the War Memorial soldier now guarding it instead of the church :

Which probably sums up social changes in Britain only too neatly !

Templeton's, for whom it was built, had already had a smaller supermarket in Dockhead Street for nearly ten years. But this was bigger and better by far, and intended I'm sure to trump the more recent one put up by their rivals Low's, on the site of the old Wilkie's grocery. This new Templeton's even, in those early days, featured a cafe upstairs.

It certainly seemed an impressively big space inside; even without the extension that's been built since on the site of the old surgery.

And because of the shape of the piece of land at the junction of the two streets, it wasn't the usual rectangle; I seem to remember some quite non-standard arrangements of the shelves when it first opened, as they tried to make best use of the space. You get a good idea of the shape in this aerial photo from not long after it was built, where the shop is clear to be seen by the roundabout , in the right-hand half of the picture :

There have been quite a few changes in ownership since then. I'm indebted to an earlier post by Mitchy for the information that the supermarket since it was Templeton's has successively been Presto's, Safeway, Morrison's, and Somerfield, before becoming Sainsbury's as it still is today.

Susan

[down south]

The War Memorial wasn't always there of course; and once upon a time, up till just before the First World War,on that tongue of land at the junction of Hamilton and Manse Streets used to stand Saltcoats Jail.

There are a couple of other pictures of it with this post:

http://www.threetowners.net/forum/viewt ... 178#p24178

But this colour one is perhaps the most interesting, because I would guess it may have been taken after 1906 and show the newly built doctor's surgery :

You can see the pinnacle of the North Church sticking up behind ; it must have spent much of the early part of its life rather hidden behind there, instead of being shown off to advantage as it was later once the jail was gone.You can also see what I think must be the horse-trough that's marked on old maps,beside that row of vehicles which looks like it may be a horse-era cab-rank.

It's not clear when that substantial jail building was put up; " Saltcoats Old and New ", chapter 11, speaks of the jail as starting out in some houses on the site. It's really quite handsome,if a bit grim, but I suppose having a jail in such a prominent spot began to seem not so good for the town's image once it began to be so popular as a seaside resort. And that's why the Police Station in out-of-the-way Green Street was built in 1908 to replace it , after which it was demolished.

Susan

[down south]

The place where the carriages are sitting in that old photo is where the Clyde Coast buses used to wait back in the sixties, as mentioned in the early stages of this topic; and as shown in this terrific picture by James Fullarton from the 1965 Ardrossan Academy magazine; yes, we've seen it before, but it's well worth seeing again:

I realise now that they probably ceased to do that once the roundabout had been created, and that's why I remembered them not there, but sitting down in Winton Street . And I'm delighted to say I've now found a photo dated 1971 of one doing just that, with the new supermarket also visible in the background:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/guy_arab_uf/5396446868" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There also used to be a bus stop for the other services on the other side of the War Memorial, in Manse Street; and I think I remember that around the same time was when that too moved over to outside St Mary's Church where it is now.

Susan

[meekan]

Susan,
bus stops
Saltcoats to Ardrossan ----- Saltcoats station, then at the Kirkgate, then at Sainsbury's, then the Iron bridge.
Ardrossan to Saltcoats -------Iron bridge, then opposite St Mary's, then Studio, then the station.

[down south]

Thanks, Meekan. Serves me right for not checking on that one. Had some idea in the back of my mind that I remembered it being changed, but obviously not the case.

Susan

[down south]

Turning our attention back now to the War Memorial itself. One of the most important landmarks of the town since it was erected, as with those in so many other communities up and down the country, soon after the First World War.

The decision as to where to put it can't have been a hard one, with the old jail site being available in such a prominent spot . And the statue, and the memorial plinth on which it stands, were duly commissioned and constructed . I'm not sure if I've read somewhere who the sculptor was, but if so I haven't so far rediscovered the information.

It was unveiled in May 1922, and the story of that day is told here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44850481@N05/4547310871" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here's a terrific picture showing the huge crowds that attended:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nayesterdays/6302821574/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And there's a short extract here from a film of the event, showing the actual unveiling...the Marchioness of Ailsa in fact having an unsuccessful struggle to remove the flags that are draping it, and having to be assisted by a man with a long ladder ( who was probably the one who put them up in the first place ! )

http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=1329" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Susan

[down south]

One more photo, taken by me this time, featuring the War Memorial and the new supermarket :

It's a lovely evening in September 1971, and as I knew by then , my time living in the Three Towns was almost done; which is why I was going round taking photos, and in this case trying to get as many local landmarks as possible into one picture; with the tower of St Cuthbert's Church, and the new flats at the Glebe beside it, also visible in the background.

You might say too that the sun was also setting by that time on the world of 1960s Saltcoats. And , we're just about back where we started this Stroll. But, don't despair; I'm not ready to finish just yet !

And in the next post I'll pursue that distant view up Caledonia Brae, taking the long way home to take in a few more important landmarks.

But before I do, I'll remedy an omission. On the way into town, knowing it only in passing myself, I passed by St Mary's Church, or to give it its proper full title Our Lady Star of the Sea, with only a glance. But there is some additional material well worth a look. First a picture from Threetowners itself: showing the church and the priest's house beside it in its very earliest days, back when it was new in 1856; built to replace a small meeting hall in Bradshaw Street which had been the only place of worship previously for Saltcoats Catholics:

http://i.imgur.com/7Zoh08E.jpg

And here by contrast are some views from today, by Seoirse and Mafleen on Flickr; in particular showing some of the new stained glass and other features of the interior, which has had quite a few alterations apparently in recent years.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/re_teacher/20945485/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/re_teacher/20767794/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/re_teacher/16049342/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mafleen/854373341/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mafleen/855240376/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/re_teacher/282177944/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Susan

[morag]

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.

[down south]

Morag, it never occurred to me when you mentioned that before to think about the lengths you were going to do that ( our splendid bus services in those days notwithstanding ), or for that matter to wonder why you weren't going to the church in Stevenston . I suppose that's what Lent is all about.

Susan

[morag]

I suppose it was a kind of 'badge of honour' though I can look back upon it and laugh now! There was a core group of us Stevenstonians, and once you started, well! The wee open window 'round the corner that supplied a hot drink and a roll was heartily appreciated. It's usually freezing in that spot during lent! Then straight on the bus to St. Micks..if I don't have a special place in heaven...

[Penny Tray]

Susan,

Your 1971 photograph stirred one or two thoughts and memories. This one first.

It would be remiss of us to drift away from the 'War Memorial', particularly with the month of remembrance fast approaching, without acknowledging those whose names appear on the monument and who sacrificed all.

Each time I look at the list, five names leave me with questions in my mind - Carlo Cavani, Hulio Marchetti, Revento Piacentini, Richard Hofmeyr and Richard Pontifex. The first three were clearly members of now locally well established and respected Italian families. I often wonder though if the young men were British Citizens by 1914 (their families couldn't have been resident in Saltcoats too long?) and whether they joined British regiments or were somehow drafted back to Italy. I've searched for their names amongst British casualties and can't find them.

Anyone know any more detail?

Similarly, Hofmeyr and Pontifex are not names that naturally trip off the tongue locally and don't currently appear in West of Scotland telephone directories.

Anyone know anything about the background of these two casualties of war?