Ardrossan Academy Primary building

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down south
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Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by down south »

Here's a picture of the old Ardrossan Academy primary building as it looked just before it was demolished in March 1970. :(
phpHLhUieAM.jpg
I showed some photos I took myself of it some time ago, but this is a much superior professionally-taken one that appeared in the A&S Herald. It shows the side of the building that faced across the playground towards the main building of the Academy.

The bell hanging above the middle windows ( where the primary building's hall was ) was still in use , tolled every morning by the janitor to warn us it was time we were lined up ready to go into school.

To the left the ground sloped quite steeply down to the block housing the primary toilets and bike sheds, which explains why there's a room under the main level of the building on that side and not the other. That was where the janitor tended the furnace ; you can see the chimney beside it, and the coal-hole was round the corner.

Susan
Last edited by down south on Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by Milda »

Yes Susan,I do like to see the primary again.I was always sorry to see that building go and that monstrosity put up in its place.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by down south »

Here's my attempt at a little plan that I hope gives some reminder of the inside of the building.
phpy6No59AM.jpg
Five main classrooms on each side. CL are the cloakrooms, all with washbasins; I can smell the green carbolic soap now.

Along the front facing the main school, was the primary hall; there was a partition between that and room 6, which in my day at least was used as a music room; for morning assemblies it was opened so the piano in the room could be used to accompany the hymns. The two doors in the hall were marked 7 and 8, and maybe there was once another partition so that room could be divided for classes as well ?

The quadrangle in the middle of the school had windows all round and a door at each corner; it wasn't used much in my day, I think I only set foot in it about once.

Along the front facing Parkhouse Road were three or four little rooms used for storage, staffrooms etc, and above them halfway along the corridor was a big clock.

The front doors on that side were double doors; there was a front step, a stout green-painted outside door, and then an inner door with a glass upper part, with a quite big porch in between. Nearly twenty of us girls once concealed ourselves , in costume, in one of them , to emerge and surprise the boys of our class with a play we'd been rehearsing while they went to Woodwork classes...

Above the two doors were carved " Boys " and " Girls " respectively. That plan of the two entering separately was long out of date by my day, but on my first day at school I didn't know that and almost refused to go in with the others at the " BOYS Door " !

Susan
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by maryl »

That's a pretty good plan. I remember in my day boys and girls had to play separately - or at least were supposed to; but we tended to come together at the toilets' side of the building and played a game called Leavo if I remember right. A rather elaborate and fairly vicious team form of tag. (I don't know if anyone used the toilets - I certainly avoided them as much as possible.) We also used to go down to the burn and cross it on a pipe that ran across - again forbidden but no one seemed to bother much. No Health and Safety police then! The old Primary building was a pretty cold and draughtly place - my mother used to say it had been built as a temporary structure and never replaced. Does anyone remember the crate of milk arriving in winter with the caps raised because the milk had frozen? Maryl
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by morag »

I think we called it 'Eleevo' in Stevenston, and yes, the frozen milk bottles were first pick! We tried to be first in line to get them!
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by bobnetau »

when I was at the Academy the quadrangle was where we went to have our school photographs taken. I think that was the only time I was ever in it.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by down south »

We played the same game in the same place, Maryl; at about Primary 4 stage. There was something irresistible about having that slope for one side to all sweep down while trying to dodge the others.I think from something I read once about playground games that its " proper" name may have been Relievo; there's a certain logic about that if I'm right in remembering that you swapped sides when you were caught.

But WE were different, in that our leading spirits who said what went on in the playground world gave it instead the grand name of Detectives and Criminals. And yes, I think the boys did get involved, though never the twain would meet usually; not because of any official disapproval, just that we we saw each other as semi-alien species living in our own little worlds...

Talking of Health and Safety..as well as the wall of the school and the toilets, we also developed the game to use another base nearby; a small open-topped brick structure which we called the Castle. It was used by the janitors as a would-be " safe ", out-of-the-way place to deposit broken glass and the like; we scrambled merrily in among this stuff without a thought in our heads about why it was there or that it might not be a good idea ...!

Susan
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by maryl »

I remember photographs in the quadrangle too and the time it took to get us all sitting/standing suitably. I don't remember the Castle though - too scary for me perhaps. And those school uniforms - we seemed to wear so many layers in those days. Or was that just my mother? Vest, liberty bodice (does anyone remember those? The name was hardly appropriate.) Then there was the blouse/shirt, gym slip/skirt/pinafore, knitted jumper, school tie and on top of it all a blazer. Help! And then she insisted on a coat on top! I must have rolled to school like a little ball.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by Milda »

Jings Maryl,I can see that libery bodice as plainly and I was dressed like that as well.How we ever moved I'll never know.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by bobnetau »

I had a liberty bodice as well, didn't you hate the suspenders to hold up the school stockings. Also the school hat, have a vague recollection that the girls had a choice of two styles. Can't picture them though.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by down south »

I've always been glad to be of a young enough generation to avoid such weird garments as suspenders. And school hats had gone out by my day as well; though I do remember one girl in another class who was in the habit of wearing one. It was a sort of bowler-shaped thing held on by elastic under the chin, not a very flattering look. I've got pictures of my sister in an Academy-blue school beret, which seems like a more attractive alternative.

I'm sorry to say that I was often to be seen in a dreadful hat with pom-poms that was one of our early school knitting tasks; I expect you all knitted one too, because there was an identical one at home made by my sister nine years earlier.

I notice that in spite of complaining about all those layers of clothes, you still remark that the school was " cold and draughty "; so you obviously NEEDED them all ... We forget quite how cold life could be in the days before modern central heating !

By the way, Maryl, there's a topic on this site all about that pipe you daringly crossed, complete with pictures and reminiscences, at

http://www.threetowners.net/forum/viewt ... 087#p71087

( Never went near it myself ! )

Susan
Last edited by down south on Fri Apr 15, 2016 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Ardrossan Academy Primary building

Post by Meg »

I never had a school hat (or beret thank goodness) but I DID have a scooter scarf - anyone remember them? Mine was brown and gold to go with my Winton uniform. Believe it or not - there are more children now wearing school uniforms than ever - and it is lovely to see - no fancy, expensive sports clothes, just sweatshirts, polo shirts and grey trousers.

Meg
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