I Think Mr.Evans,name was George ,He was ,Dockhead St,Branch ,wee Mr Harris was the bike shop.Also was a
MR Carter.He worked up in the Hamilton Street.shop.Might have worked between them both at one time?
Harris of Saltcoats
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Penny Tray
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Re: Harris of Saltcoats
Avril,
I posed the question on 11/12/09 - ".....did he have upstairs offices in Barr Street, Ardrossan, at one time?" - which I see you have since answered in the affirmative. I see too that your Dad died in 1968 so the story I have to tell you definitely happened after this. However, I'm certain your Dad's name was still on the brass plate positioned, if I remember correctly, at a close mouth in Barr Street. And the reason I remembered the office was that I once obliged a Milngavie architect by dropping off a young Argentinian exchange-architect at a meeting there. The Argentinian, of course, spoke Spanish. He also had a smattering of English. I had no Spanish. There then began at that close mouth an exchange which clearly centred around the qualification 'ARIBA', which he pronounced 'ARE-EEBA', and the second qualification ARIAS. He seemed to be asking me if the architect he was about to visit only designed the top of buildings. I couldn't grasp what he was getting at and the conversation remained a mystery until years later when on a business trip to Spain I overheard 'ARE-EEBA' mentioned again and asked what this word meant. Apparently, spelt ARRIBA, it means "upstairs". The Argentinian immediately came back to mind. Clearly he thought Rennie/Watson were "upstairs Arias" or "upstairs architects" and had been trying to clairify if Ardrossan had separate upstairs and downstairs architects. Presumably someone at the meeting clarified the point for him.
I posed the question on 11/12/09 - ".....did he have upstairs offices in Barr Street, Ardrossan, at one time?" - which I see you have since answered in the affirmative. I see too that your Dad died in 1968 so the story I have to tell you definitely happened after this. However, I'm certain your Dad's name was still on the brass plate positioned, if I remember correctly, at a close mouth in Barr Street. And the reason I remembered the office was that I once obliged a Milngavie architect by dropping off a young Argentinian exchange-architect at a meeting there. The Argentinian, of course, spoke Spanish. He also had a smattering of English. I had no Spanish. There then began at that close mouth an exchange which clearly centred around the qualification 'ARIBA', which he pronounced 'ARE-EEBA', and the second qualification ARIAS. He seemed to be asking me if the architect he was about to visit only designed the top of buildings. I couldn't grasp what he was getting at and the conversation remained a mystery until years later when on a business trip to Spain I overheard 'ARE-EEBA' mentioned again and asked what this word meant. Apparently, spelt ARRIBA, it means "upstairs". The Argentinian immediately came back to mind. Clearly he thought Rennie/Watson were "upstairs Arias" or "upstairs architects" and had been trying to clairify if Ardrossan had separate upstairs and downstairs architects. Presumably someone at the meeting clarified the point for him.
Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
Penny
Many thanks! I'm a bit hazy as to the exact date when RR & W closed the Barr Street office. My father was in declining health during the 1960s. But he remained Senior Partner in the business he had founded, until the day he died in 1969.
It was the War, really, that shortened Daddy's life. All those months fighting behind enemy lines, in the malarial swamps of Burma - that really took its toll.
Stewart Hume tells me that my father was the person who designed the alterations to the Saltcoats War Memorial, adding the names of those who had died in WW2. His own name might so easily have been among them!
Daddy always enjoyed puns and "jeux de mot". So your story of the Argentinian exchange-architect, and the "upstairs/downstairs architects", would have amused him highly. He would have found a way of recounting the story to make everyone chuckle.
Thank you for telling me about it!
On the subject of Robert Harris, it's very sad for me to see the store my father designed looking just a shadow of its former self. However, 1960s architecture is becoming fashionable again (i.e. "retro"). So, you never know. There's always hope for a turnaround!
Kind regards, Avril
Many thanks! I'm a bit hazy as to the exact date when RR & W closed the Barr Street office. My father was in declining health during the 1960s. But he remained Senior Partner in the business he had founded, until the day he died in 1969.
It was the War, really, that shortened Daddy's life. All those months fighting behind enemy lines, in the malarial swamps of Burma - that really took its toll.
Stewart Hume tells me that my father was the person who designed the alterations to the Saltcoats War Memorial, adding the names of those who had died in WW2. His own name might so easily have been among them!
Daddy always enjoyed puns and "jeux de mot". So your story of the Argentinian exchange-architect, and the "upstairs/downstairs architects", would have amused him highly. He would have found a way of recounting the story to make everyone chuckle.
Thank you for telling me about it!
On the subject of Robert Harris, it's very sad for me to see the store my father designed looking just a shadow of its former self. However, 1960s architecture is becoming fashionable again (i.e. "retro"). So, you never know. There's always hope for a turnaround!
Kind regards, Avril
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
Hi there.
Have just joined this site and thought that I would look up Robert Harris in Saltcoats as we were related and I know the company history quite well.
The company started after the Second World War and there were 3 original owners/directors. Robert Harris,
Colin Evans, and George Fulwood. The first shop was in Green Street and Robert looked after it while Colin ( a qualified Electrician ), and George ( his mate ) attended to the electrical side of the business. The shop sold electrical appliances and later bicycles. Sales of, and repairs to, radios and televisions followed, and workshops were purchased at the rear of the Green Street shop as the business grew. The Dockhead Street shop opened in 1960 when my Mother and Father ( Dorothy and Bert Carter ) joined the company. ( my mother was Colin's sister )
My father worked for a short time in Green Street before moving to the "new shop" in Dockhead Street as Manager.
At the time the new shop totally dominated the street as the architecture was so different, it was the first department store in Saltcoats selling a variety of electrical products as well as toys, records, gifts, sports goods.
Have just joined this site and thought that I would look up Robert Harris in Saltcoats as we were related and I know the company history quite well.
The company started after the Second World War and there were 3 original owners/directors. Robert Harris,
Colin Evans, and George Fulwood. The first shop was in Green Street and Robert looked after it while Colin ( a qualified Electrician ), and George ( his mate ) attended to the electrical side of the business. The shop sold electrical appliances and later bicycles. Sales of, and repairs to, radios and televisions followed, and workshops were purchased at the rear of the Green Street shop as the business grew. The Dockhead Street shop opened in 1960 when my Mother and Father ( Dorothy and Bert Carter ) joined the company. ( my mother was Colin's sister )
My father worked for a short time in Green Street before moving to the "new shop" in Dockhead Street as Manager.
At the time the new shop totally dominated the street as the architecture was so different, it was the first department store in Saltcoats selling a variety of electrical products as well as toys, records, gifts, sports goods.
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
scarter Remember your Mother and Father well from Harris of Saltcoats .I rented my first Tv from there,and bought the cot and high pram when my son was born.
That was 1962,I remember later Hamilton Street,shop.Nursery Land,think it was called did your mother work in there?Nearly 50 years now.They are still going Harris Of Saltcoats.
That was 1962,I remember later Hamilton Street,shop.Nursery Land,think it was called did your mother work in there?Nearly 50 years now.They are still going Harris Of Saltcoats.
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Penny Tray
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Re: Harris of Saltcoats
Scarter,
I see that was your first post, so welcome. I hope you have much more to contribute.
I see that was your first post, so welcome. I hope you have much more to contribute.
Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
little plum wrote:I seem to remember going upstairs to the music counter, where the assistant would play your request, and you stood in a cubical to listen to your selection, I think there was 2 or 3 of these. Then again I might be getting mixed up with Underwoods shop in Hamilton St or maybe both had them ?
In 1964 I was in the RAF based at High Wycombe, as was our want off shift days and nights were spent in London as often as possible. One night in Soho, I was in a club called the Flamingo where Georgie Flame and the Blue Flames were playing. On my first leave back in Stinston I nipped into Salcoats and to Harris's great shop in Dockhead Street, did they have the latest Georgie Fame EP? Who's he? Erm, well have you? NO! But we'll get it don't you worry, what's their name again? And they did, a couple of days later. I still have that EP today in its original sleave. Great shop, nothing to compare these days, not by a mile.
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
Harris's Green Street shop did indeed sell bikes etc back then. I bought my first bike there in 1952-- It was a Phillips Jaguar 3-speed. My pride and joy!Wee Shuggie wrote:Harris of Saltcoats originally traded out of premises in Green Street and did so for a fair number of years before the Dockhead Street shop opened.The Green Street outlet sold Bicycles,Tv's etc and was situated as Hughie says across the road from the Polis and Town Hall's back door.From memory the Dockhead Street outlet was at one time the SSEB shop,I think. If I'm wrong some other Forum member will correct me.
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
David Young wrote:I seem to remember taking the acumulator for the radio to Harris when they were at the bottom of Raise Street, just opposite the Railway Station. This would be in the 1940's.
Hi David, I recall the shop at the bottom of Raise Street in the 40's. I think it was Harry Donaldson's shop then. I took our "wireless accumulator" all the way from Anderson Drive for recharging. I was told to be very careful when carrying it home because if I shook it it would " mix up the BBC stations on the wireless".
Can you imagine anyone allowing a small boy to carry lead-acid batteries around that distance these days?
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unicornheart
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Re: Harris of Saltcoats
i mind i used to get ma kids bikes from same shop in green street!! his shop was always chalk a block with every bike under the sun and the wee man was always good at letting you pick the ones you wanted and pay them up till christmas,(me having 4 weans)?? he ran a wee club that let you pay each week not like now when you can buy outright.
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
Got my first "grown up" racing bike with 5 gears from Harris, I went everywhere on that thing, loved it! Almost ended up in Ardrossan Harbour still on it one day when I hit an icey patch on the way down fishing, pooped my pants I can tell you!
Re: Harris of Saltcoats
A wee postscript.Sad to say, the relay has now closed and the mast has been recently been removed. Not sure about the building that housed the equipment though. Used to enjoy the then cable only Sky Channel (October 1985 replacing Ulster TV) as well as Super Channel (1987) and from 1990,the BSB five channel service, Galaxy, Now, The Movie Channel, The Sports channel and The Power Station. Also occasionally (if you had a wee search), a selection of foreign channels were available such as Rai Uno (Italy),Sat1,3Sat,RTL+,Pro7 (all from Germany), TV5 Europe (France),MTV Europe to name but a few. Not forgetting TCC (The Children's channel).Sadly, the age of the system meant it was unable to compete with the new digital services and also the loss of analogue terrestrial services meant the loss of Nicam stereo availability as well as the inability to include interactive services. The first programme shown on Sky Channel in Saltcoats was kids programme "Fun Factory", the first day of service being a Saturday. The picture initially has an odd white cast over it. This was due to the incorrect setting of the Oak Orion decoder box that restricted viewing to cable operators in Europe and Scandinavia only. The large 1.5 metre dish was then pointed at the Eutelsat ECS 1-F4 Satellite at 13 degrees east of south. Had many happy hours watching some good stuff on the Relay and sad it has now ended. Hope you find the above information interesting.