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 »

My father went on using the factory train for years after he got a car, because South Beach Station was so convenient to our house. He only stopped I think when they closed off the shortcut that went directly from the station platform past St Andrew's Church to the seafront: you probably made good use of that one too, Mike.

Thanks, PT, for your memories of the station, and making it clear that the stationmaster lived on site in those days. A bit different from today when so many stations are left unmanned even when they're open. As to the posters; if people had thought of saving them, then they wouldn't be rare and valuable !

Advertising posters were also a feature of the outside fence round the forecourt; something to look at while waiting for the bus. In the late sixties or thereabouts, a special glass-fronted case was also constructed at the opposite end from the stationmaster's house; around where the fence met the red sandstone wall that ran along past the goods yard, or it may even have been cut into the wall.

It had adverts in it most of the time, but every year at Christmas a Nativity scene would be set up inside; there may have been " special features " at other times too sometimes, I don't know. Most people will remember the big Christmas tree that used to be put up above the public conveniences, but I wonder if anyone else remembers this .

Susan
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by maggie T »

Susan, I used to get the factory train,at Saltcoats Station,6-10am.every morning on early shift.
There was a big roaring fire in the waiting room.Not many people got on at Saltcoats most used the factory bus,
I think it was a lot busier with the day shift,that was the back of seven a think?
I remember the big Xmas Tree..
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by Penny Tray »

Susan,

I remember the Christmas tree and the navity scene too. And as for the railway posters, this is from today's morning paper.

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/192 ... golden-age" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by down south »

I'll have a look at Vernon St later, when we get to the top of Green St. But for now let's cross back to the other corner of Countess St , and the Jubilee Bar. This picture of it has been recently seen in another topic, but as such a great view of how that corner looked in the sixties, and for the benefit of later readers, let's link to it again here:
A1SER4.jpg
I'll briefly note too the famous and recently-told story of how bus passengers used to get a grandstand view of the Jubilee's toilets ,which can be found several times on site.

The Jubilee looks to have already been pulled down to widen Vernon St by the time of this picture, which shows the top of Countess St just after the public conveniences had also been removed, in I suppose the late seventies/early eighties :
countess street.jpg
( Picture from the collection of Bill Tulloch, contributed by Gerv, and hosted by Hughie. )

On the left you can see Munro Wallpapers, Veronica's, and the Garden Grill. On the right, I'm reminded that there was a housefront next to the Jubilee then , before the first shop.

This was a big place, quite impressive-looking, with its windows filled with furniture, pictures and china. Most impressive of all was the gold lettering in the upper windows; " Established for over a quarter of a century. " Which seemed a very long time indeed to me as a child, almost half a century ago.

I was quite surprised at that age that we never visited this splendid shop. But I was still too young then of course to have learned the sad meaning of the three brass balls that hung above the door. :(

Susan
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by aland »

was doon the toon today and noticed the old John Collier menswear projecting sign is still there on dockhead street, just down from woolworths and opposite the kandy bar, when did that shop shut, guessing a fair few years ago
call me alan or al, labels are for tins of beans or soup not people. We are all Jock Tamson's bairns
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by down south »

Wonder how many interesting old survivals like that sign are lingering unnoticed around the town centre, Alan. I don't know how long that shop survived but it was flourishing in and around the sixties, under that name and also as Claude Alexander, as mentioned elsewhere in the Stroll.

Just past the pawnbroker's meanwhile was a little shop, that in the later part of the sixties sold wood of all sizes, shapes and kinds, cut on the premises to the customer's specifications; somewhere I visited quite a few times out shopping with my Dad, who often sought their wares for his DIY activities. It was mentioned earlier on pages 24/25 of the Stroll as one of the businesses owned by Claude Dunn the hairdresser.

This shop was right beside the Town Steeple , and was actually entered by way of that big front door. And in this suitably prominent spot, on the wall somewhere outside the door, was a map for the benefit of visitors. It was inside a glass case, and there were buttons on the front to press which lighted up the locations of all the landmarks and attractions of the town.

I took great delight in this as a young child; had to be gently persuaded by my parents that it would get worn out if we kept pressing the buttons. And it sparked a fondness for maps in me that I've had ever since.

One of the buttons of course, read You Are Here. And here the Town Steeple is, in a picture by Anne Westwater from the 1958 Ardrossan Academy magazine :
Town Steeple 1958 by Anne Westwater.jpg



What more suitable landmark to arrive at today; the Stroll's first birthday . I did say it would be leisurely...but I never expected it to turn out quite THIS leisurely. But there's only one Saltcoats to stroll round, so we might as well make the most of it.

Susan
Last edited by down south on Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:37 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by wellparkno9 »

Hi Susan , I remember the DIY shop that you mention.Did a chap called Young not take it over after Claude Dunn.I cant mind his first name but he worked at Hunterston,he lived on your street Ardrossan Rd in Dr Cambell's old house .He then moved to Blackpool to run a boarding house.He had a nick name "Mr Fixit", Sam.
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by Meg »

down south wrote: What more suitable landmark to arrive at today; the Stroll's first birthday . Susan
Susan - many happy returns - this has been a real walk down memory lane (and along duckegg street as my dad called it) - there has been so much I had forgotten and you and the rest of the forum have reminded me - thanks for all your efforts - they have been really appreciated.

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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by morag »

Susan, you are a gem. your memorabilia and your actual memory, are beyond match..I just wish you'd lived in Stevenston! Has it really been a year?? But the stroll has more to go....!
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by John Donnelly »

wellparkno9 wrote:Hi Susan , I remember the DIY shop that you mention.Did a chap called Young not take it over after Claude Dunn.I cant mind his first name but he worked at Hunterston,he lived on your street Ardrossan Rd in Dr Cambell's old house .He then moved to Blackpool to run a boarding house.He had a nick name "Mr Fixit", Sam.
Hi Sam,

That would be Ian Young, originally from Stevenston. His wife Rene is a 3T's member.

JD.
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by wellparkno9 »

Hi JD,your right ,Rene's maiden name was Cassiday I think, Sam.
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Re: A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

Post by down south »

Thanks for the information, Sam ( and JD ); that would all have been after my time I expect.

And thanks for the " birthday " good wishes, Meg and Morag. Hope the journey back will turn up as many interesting contributions as we've had so far.

Here meanwhile is an unusual picture of the Town Steeple; a view from the back of it. I must admit I'd never even considered what it might be like round there; Penny Tray would probably be most familiar with those parts, since it more or less backed onto the police station.

http://www.ayrshireroots.co.uk/Towns/Sa ... _Clock.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's very clear from that view how the two small shops beside it were part of the same building. Don't know whether the one on the other side from the DIY shop was also entered through the main door or had its own door; that was a barber's shop, I expect Sam will know whose.

I also don't know that much about the Steeple itself. I've read in the Town Trail about the old lockup upstairs, but were there any other special features ? Was it open for the public to look round ? And was there a way through from this building to other parts of the Town Hall ? This last in particular because on the occasion of my only visit there I thought I went in this way; but I may be wrong .

Susan
Last edited by down south on Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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