Three Pals Circa1958

[Hughie]

Taken on the Saltcoats foreshore around 1958. Left to right: Donald Keyes one of my bestest pals formerly of Stanley Road in Ardrossan - last met Donald at his home in Kilwinning in 1978, he has since passed on. Hooker Reid one of my regular Stevenston pals - last met in 1992 at Ardeer Golf Club. Then me Hughie McCallum. Sorry about the quality my girlfriend handled it a lot in the early days and used the back of it to practice writing her wished for married name - she got her wish.

[maggie T]

Hi,Hugh.Did hooker Reid have a sister ,her name was Katherine.The man sitting on the summer seat ,I wonder who he was .Its nice to see your old pals .Cheers Maggie.T.

[Hughie]

Yes Maggie T, he did have a sister who also used to go to the Rec dancing. Can't recall if her name was Katherine. There wasn't much difference in their ages from what I remember.

[maggie]

Hi Hughie was Donald Keye's a brother
of Annie and Betty and there was another sister
which I cannot remember her name
Margaret

[maggie T]

Hello,Hugh.Thats right,Katherine was like a twin sister,maybe they where twins? I think If I remember they lived up the top end of Stevenston right near the fields.Cheers for that Hugh. Maggie.T.

[Hughie]

Hi Hughie was Donald Keye's a brother of Annie and Betty and there was another sister which I cannot remember her name Margaret

Yes Margaret,
There is Sadie Keyes who now lives in Melbourne and is married to a Thompson from Saltcoats. His brother, Billy was a piper in the Ardrossan Burgh Pipe Band and married one of the McCracken girls from Beggs Terrace - the McCrackens all came to Oz in the early 1960s. Alfie Martin was another Beggs Terrace man who came to Melbourne.

Donald Keyes also had an older brother who was a merchant seaman and married a Canadian lady named Patsy who went to live in Ardrossan. Sad to say I saw she died not long ago. She and Mrs McNamara a few doors down took pity on me and were always good for a meal - my dad was no cook. Mrs Mcnamara knew my mother before she died and must have felt sorry for me. Happy memories there!

[little plum]

hewmac
I attended Patsy Keyes funeral , I worked with her daughter Catherine, it was a sad day for all and more so for the family as there had been an accident on the by pass delaying the service for 1 hour. Catherine had told me her dad likes a refreshment in the tap shop maybe rowanside knows him.

[Hughie]

Hi little plum,
Yes, Patsy was a lovely lady. Funny thing when I first returned home in 1978 after an absence of fourteen years I knocked on their door in Stanley Road only to find another family I knew living there. It was the Gribben family who were our neighbours in Whitlees Crescent all those years before. Their original home faced down the gas works lane - next door to Jockey Robertson who once made the front page of the Daily Record when his boat went missing in the Firth of Clyde.

[maggie]

I was sorry to hear about Patsy I used to visit
her when we moved back to Scotland in th 70's
she lived down near the bottom of Dalry Road as
you come down the hill on the left.
Annie is in Australia i spoke to her a few year's ago
and I think sadie is in Oz as well. I think Betty passed away a
few year's ago they were a lovely family I used to
work in Murchie's tearoom with annie and her
mother before going to business college
Margaret

[danmac]

Hi Hugh

I can't remember when you started 'Threetowners' but I do remember as soon as I learned about it I joined without hesitation. I rummaged through my old photgraphs and came up with one I had taken of you and a couple of friends (one of them I believe was Donald Keyes). The photo was taken at the 'Waltzer' on one of the many occassions that the fairground visited Saltcoats and set upThe Braes. I beleive you uploaded the photograph and used it on the front oage of 'Threetowners'.Whatever happened to Donald? Is he still with us? I do hope so. At the time I was with my best friend ever, the late Jack Millar/Miller then of Dalry Road in Ardrossan. I heard that poor Jack died at the young age of 50 of an heart a.ttck. I believe you also knew him? It was also him that Introduced me to Donald Keyes and his sister.

Tony McGuire
Denmark
p.s. It's good to get back into the *flock again.

[danmac]

Hi again Hugh,

I obviously didn't read you 'introductory' letter properly or I would never have asked that stupi question about the late Donald Keyes. Please for give me. It must be age.
Tony McGuire

[Hughie]

Hi Hugh
I can't remember when you started 'Threetowners' but I do remember as soon as I learned about it I joined without hesitation. I rummaged through my old photgraphs and came up with one I had taken of you and a couple of friends (one of them I believe was Donald Keyes). The photo was taken at the 'Waltzer'

Great to hear from you again Tony. Here's the photo you sent me out of the blue little realising I was in it. It's taken next to White's Walzer around 1957 - magic getting such a thing from the past and I don't even remember you taking it. From left to right Donald Keyes, Eddie MacIntyre and me, Hughie McCallum. I know Donald died some years ago and I think Eddie also not long ago - might be wrong on that though.
Nae laughin'

Yes Tony, Jack Miller was a dear friend of mine too, at school and in our teenage years. His dad ( Sodjer Miller ) was my dad's best man.

Welcome back to the flock Tony!