Ardrossan Academy

[jane]

Can anyone remember the primary school, there was a separate entrance for the girls at the front and boys at the back of the school.
In this icy weather, we had lovely slides on the front playground (till the janitor put ash on them!!) and in the summer large skipping ropes for everyone to join in.
Our teachers were:
Miss Miller
Miss Taylor
Mrs Reid
Miss Christie
Mrs Connell
Miss Gaul
Miss Munro
Mrs McDougal - music teacher

[Meg]

Hi Jane

You aren't Jane Gunn by any chance? I went to Ardrossan Academy in 1967 and left in 1971 - I was a member of Mrs Mcdougal's gaelic choir.

Meg Gordon

[jane]

Hello
No my maiden name was Jane Ramsay.
I remember Mrs McDougal well, every year she entered the choirs at Ayr and usually we came 1st or nearly. I used to love all the singing in the choir and wanted to the Gaelic choir which she was holding but my father was against it as I was probably still a little too young at the time and maybe he couldn't spare the time to take me. I was also in the recorder group which she started up, first playing the descant and then the treble. We played in the concert one year and the main tune was Z Cars which was on the TV at the time.
There was also Miss McKelvie teaching us the country dancing all ready for the Christmas parties, there was alternate country dancing, then the twist or the shake which was out at the time. This give my age away, doesn't it?
In seniors we had Mr Hethrington and another man for music. I did so enjoy the choir, but left scotland at the age of 14, life was never the same in the english school.
Regards Jane

[jane]

Hello Meg again
Just thought I'd say when I was at the school.
Started primary in 1958, then went through to senior school, leaving to move to england in 1967, so I was leaving as you were arriving.
In my year in seniors, the girls who may of been in the Gaelic choir were Jennifer Jack and Joy Kirkwood (she used to play in the orchestra as she was very good on the violin).

[Meg]

Yes, I remember Jennifer Jack and Joy Kirkwood - they were in the year above me - and Miss MacKelvie was quite something on the old country dancing. I remember she used to pick a poor boy to demonstrate dancing steps and whoever it was was wasted for the rest of the day!! Wonder if a teacher would be allowed to dance with a half naked boy these days - well at least in public:-)

Meg

[jane]

Hello Meg again
Yes there was some funny times in the Country Dancing. She used to wind the old fashioned record player up and off we went. Of course there was the regulation gym knickers to wear when we actually had PE (awful things). Hockey was good. There was another lady teacher who joined and she liked netball.

My friends were Louise Rorie, she now lives in Ayr and another girl Elaine Robertson, she lives in Largs. She was in the year above. I keep in touch with them. Also friends with Christine Ewing, she still lives in Ardrossan and is a teacher at the Winton School, her father was the local minister for the Barony and for the academy.

Best wishes Jane

[jane]

If anyone would like to read about Miss McKelvie and her life, which is very interesting. She had a sister at the academy who was a primary school teacher and they lived together with their old mother at the top of Seafield Drive in Ardrossan. I noticed that she died in 1998 and there is a web site you can view which is very interesting http://www.atlanticnetworks/jessie.htm

[Hughie]

Hi Jane,

Unfortunately that link isn't working. I vaguely remember a Miss McKelvie at Winton or it could have been at Eglinton School.

Also at Seafield Drive lived Eglinton's headmaster Mr Morrison and Dusty Miller the Gym teacher. .. Hughie in Oz

[jane]

Hello Hugh
Sorry not quite right try this one
http://www.atlanticnetworks.com/jessie.htm

[triphazard]

We lived at the bottom of Seafield Drive (my Dad still does) I used to deliver Miss McKelvies Papers and on a thursday night (herald night) she always left a shilling then 5p for me
Have very fond memories of Living there as a child and swimming down the beach or building big fires and cooking mussles and clabbydoos or fishing of the harbour

Martin

[jane]

Hello Martin

Just read your letter about living at the bottom of Seafield Drive. I lived at 73 Eglinton Road which was just opposite the bottom of Seafield Drive facing it. My friend Elaine Robertson lived half way up Seafield Drive on the right hand side, it was a chalet bunglaw called "Marlaine".They lived next door to the Moultrie family they had 2 boys. Also down on Eglinton Road if you turned left part way along was another boy called Gordon McKillop, he was still living there. What is your surname? Elaine and myself were always going down the drive on our roller skates. We also had good fun on the beach.

Regards Jane

[triphazard]

Hello jane

My surname is Bannatyne. My father and mother still live in No 4 Elaines mum and dad were our next door neighbours.

It was us then chatty and davie robertson then jimmy and betty moultrie.

The moultries had 4 boys Brian, Colin, Alan and Paul lol I hung about with Alan and spent lots of my youth hanging round with him his wee brother Paul, Gordon Mcleod from Eglinton road and Nigel bishop from Seafield court. Whats ur surname? Oh Ramsay i see it now lol.

Think u girls were a wee bit older than us lol

If you went to the Academy u'll remember my Uncle Archie (maths) from Stanley Drive and maybe my cousins Scott or John his sons, or maybe even my big brother Ian who's 13years older than me?

Martin