Ardrossan Co-op

[little plum]

Please excuse me if this has been posted before. I did try a search but it failed to produced any results.
On the photo it refers to new premises, looking at the art deco style of the upstairs windows I would hazard a guess that it opened in late 30's to mid 40's . Can anyone shed any light or be more accurate on the date when it opened and when it closed.
One other question, as it refers to new premises and not new shop, does this suggest that there was a co-op at some other location prior to this.

[brian f]

LP , your postings with images is excellent , for the benefit of new members previous, mentions are irrelevant .
Sorry i cant help you out with this post , Keep on recycling .

[Penny Tray]

Little Plum,

Firstly, that's a great photograph which brings back many happy memories of visiting the various shops the in the building shown.

There are several reference elsewhere which suggest that the Ardrossan Co-operative Society was established in 1870 but I don't know when the building in Glasgow Street was occupied and vacated.

[margb]

Is that where there was a bakery/tea room in the sixties?

[Meg]

for the benefit of new members previous, mentions are irrelevant .

Actually brianf, Little Plum, a long time member and experienced poster was following Board Rules and Guidelines ( in the pink banner above). By following these guidelines, previous discussions can be enjoyed and added to if the member has something new to contribute. This is a simple courtesy to all members, both new and those who have been contributing for up to 15 years.

Meg

[Retsum]

LP I tried zooming in but I cannot identify the different 'shops' in the block. Can you see on the original photograph what these were. I seem to recall that the first shop (left) was a general grocer. It had the overhead system of sending money to a central station with change returning by the same method. For some reason we did not use the Co-Op very much, preferring Lipton which was further down Glasgow St.

[Penny Tray]

Retsum,

In the 50s/60s there was, as you point out, the Grocery Department; to the right, I think was the Shoe, Chemist, Fruit and Vegetable, and Fish shops - all Co-operative. There may also have been a Drapery. Upstairs was always referred to as "the offices".

[brian f]

for the benefit of new members previous, mentions are irrelevant .

Actually brianf, Little Plum, a long time member and experienced poster was following Board Rules and Guidelines ( in the pink banner above). By following these guidelines, previous discussions can be enjoyed and added to if the member has something new to contribute. This is a simple courtesy to all members, both new and those who have been contributing for up to 15 years.

Meg

Sorry about that Meg and Lp i had good intentions.

[sweet caroline]

It's mentioned in the 1893 Directory .68-70 Glasgow St.

http://archive.org/details/ayrshiredumfries1893dire


SC

[Meg]

Retsum,

In the 50s/60s there was, as you point out, the Grocery Department; to the right, I think was the Shoe, Chemist, Fruit and Vegetable, and Fish shops - all Co-operative. There may also have been a Drapery. Upstairs was always referred to as "the offices".

Like you PT, I remember the grocers, then the shoe shop, then the Teenage Shop, then ladies fashions, then butcher I think, then fish shop, gents outfitters and then the furniture shop. I think most of them (we weren't customers of the butchers or fish shop) had that overhead payment system, fascinating for weans.

Meg

[Hughie]

My earliest memory of the Co-op in Glasgow Street was the fishmongers shop next to the butchers - just a wee bit down from the right side of that photo. Member, Bobnetau's (Netta) Dad was the fishmonger there and when I look at Netta when she's smiling there's her faither smiling back at me - talking around 1946/47 when I was in short troosers.

Last time I was back they'd moved the Post Office bus stop down to the Co-op's tiled close - wonder what was significant about the tiled close?

[bobnetau]

From my memory,which does fail me sometimes, the chemist was next to the fish shop.And it is nice to notice that I do smile occasionally. Lol