A Stroll round 1960s Saltcoats

[morag]

Interesting spelling of doillies!
That was fun, Susan! I don't remember ever using such a service. When I was just a wee thing we lived with my grandparents. Pre washer and drier days, gran had a 'boiler' and a mangle then the dutiful clothesline and stretcher. (hoping the laundry didn't come in wetter than it went out!)

[down south]

We had all that too when I was small, Morag; the wringer and the pull-down clothes-airer and a big clothes-horse by the fire. It was only the bigger stuff my mother sent to the laundry. But what a chore it all was even so, especially in the Saltcoats climate.

I would guess that Munro Wallpapers, next door at No 49, belonged to the same people as the laundry; especially since I've seen a picture from a few years after I left town, where the two shops had been knocked together. No 49 wasn't always a decorating shop; earlier in the sixties it was a place that sold ladies wear, called the Goodwear Shop. I'd have forgotten all about it if I hadn't had a receipt, which advertises them as Ayrshire's Leading Sportswear Specialists; but they had all the usual general knitwear and underwear as well.

And we come finally to the corner of the street , where there was and still is a pub. It's the Bar One today, and according to the phone book it was also the Bar One then, with upstairs above it the Station Hotel; I can still see the lettering attached to the wall that spelled that name out. Though I believe it may have had some name changes in the years in between ?

Susan

[Penny Tray]

Susan,

This photo shows, I think, a wee bit of the Goodwear shop, the Bar One, and upstairs The Vernon Hotel.

Was there a Station Hotel?

http://www.mikesbuspages.com/A1SER6.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Meg]

... and two fantastic Routemasters PT - wish they had held onto those buses the way that London Transport had.

Meg

[down south]

It's mysterious and interesting, PT. There WAS a Station Hotel; it's listed at No 57 Countess St, Saltcoats, in the 1970 Yellow Pages ( aha, you didn't know I had that as well, did you ? ). And I can see as clear as day, the lettering on a background of grey stone.

But every old picture I've seen of that corner, including another one that's in the A1 bus download ( available from the Members' Only area ), has the Hotel Vernon on the corner, with its name painted on a pale background. Something I had no memory of seeing; when I saw an advert for it in one of the A&S Heralds I had after I left town, I thought the place had changed its name.

Yet here it is, obviously back in the sixties since the Goodwear Shop is clear to be seen; and in fact I find it's listed in the 1967 phone book too.

My theory is that the Station Hotel can't have been on the corner as I remembered it, but further round, up above Munro Cleaners etc; maybe even a venture of Veronica's using her premises up there. And since it was one of the things always in view as I waited for a bus, I remembered it especially well.

Love the bus pictures, PT, by the way; and I see the generous-sized bus shelter at the top of Countess St has been immortalised in that one. More on waiting for the bus there when I've decided which topic to post it in...

Susan

[mike mccann]

Hi Susan,
the Vernon Hotel was run by the Monaghan Family and eventually became the Saltire . I don't know what it is called now l

[down south]

Moving over then to the middle of Countess Street's top end. Which was a fine wide open " square " at the start of the 20th century, as can be seen from Old Saltcoats pictures of those days. And it is again today, with greenery and benches. The bus stop I believe has been moved away to further along Vernon St, and once more the view of the Town Steeple can be seen to advantage.

http://www.ayrshireroots.co.uk/Towns/Sa ... ess_St.jpg

But back in mid-century it wasn't like that at all, but filled with utilitarian clutter . Two telephone boxes; the large bus-shelter I mentioned in my last post; and a big brick semi-underground public lavatory. Not a place I was often in, but I remember it as pretty well-kept; it was certainly a bit nicer than the ones at school.

Catching , missing, waiting for a bus at the top of Countess St is one of the defining memories of my Saltcoats life. All but a couple of the local services went down Ardrossan Road and stopped just outside our house, so we made plenty of use of them.

I never realised until I read the A1 bus download just how well-served we were with buses in those days, and how frequent the timings of the services were. But there are still as many memories of waiting for buses as catching them; because they so often seemed to come along in batches.

How many times did my Mum and I come out of a shop and see several sitting at the top of the street, and just fail to catch any of them. Or if we did get there, have to frantically dash along looking at the destination boards if they were blue A1 buses , to make sure we weren't getting on a Springvale or a New England; while meanwhile hoping the right one arriving at the back of the queue didn't just decide to pull round the others and go ?

And if we did have to wait, what an age it always seemed to me as a small child; especially if it was raining and we had to crowd into the big grey bus shelter. The windows steamed up so you couldn't see out; an unpleasant smell lingered. But at least it kept us DRY.

PS Some information since discovered from the Herald Files; the bus shelter was first put up in February 1961.

Susan

[mike mccann]

Pino ( Joe ) Cavani alas died relatively young. He was a good footballer and captained Irvine Vics . The family all took part in the running of the shop . Setty , Carlo , Mary and Albertina ( Babs ) . Now the next generation run it .

[down south]

Let's go and have a look now at the Saltcoats Town station opposite. You can get a really good look at it from outside these days, because it's virtually wide open to the street :

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/12922805" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

But back then the view of the station itself was closed off by a high wooden fence that surrounded the forecourt , ( which was cobbled with setts ) , and also ran up the hill to the Nineyard St bridge. Thanks to another bus enthusiast , you can see what the fence looked like here, along with a bonus view of an SMT cream single-decker :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31375337@N ... 4/lightbox" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Both pictures show that fine old building the stationmaster's office ( still sadly disused and awaiting restoration at present ).Outside it in those days were a pillarbox; a bus stop used I think only by SMT buses, usually in such a hurry they barely paused to let you off; and a zebra crossing to the Hotel Vernon side.

The office itself was entered by way of the station platform. I remember a visit to it when I was quite young, with my Dad, who was sending a parcel by rail for some reason. An official in a big room not only solemnly weighed and docketed it, but impressively stuck it up with red sealing wax to prevent tampering; something that was still in common use in those days.

But I rarely set foot in this station on the whole. My main experience of it was from passing through on the train; a hidden backstage Saltcoats view that I always rather enjoyed.

Susan

[Penny Tray]

Susan,

I, as you know, was a frequent visitor to the Station and up until 1963 can't remember any of the rooms having electricity. They were illuminated by gas mantles. There was always a variety of luggage trolleys for boys to play on too whilst awaiting the arrival of the 5.30 p.m. from Glasgow ('Pea Soupers', which weren't uncommon in these days, permitting) with the evening newspapers, Times and Citizen. It was 6.20 pm on a Saturday to accommodate the sports editions, pink and green respectively.

The 'Factory' train always preceded the 'Paper' train and I was fascinated by the number of workers who were packed into it, hundreds alighting at Saltcoats with South Beach, West Kilbride and Largs still ahead.

The Station Master, incidentally, lived above the booking office on the Countess Street side.

And every time I watch the Antiques Roadshow and similar type programmes I curse never have secured (by fair means or foul) any of the posters which adorned all the public waiting rooms and which were regularly refreshed or updated.

[mike mccann]

Leading on from the sports editions of the papers , I used to queue outside Robertsons newsagents in Chapelwell Street every Saturday evening with about 20 others waiting for the collection and delivery of the papers from the station . As soon as the papers were were dumped on the counter and the bundles cut open they were dished out . Times , News and Citizen all for the princely sum of sixpence .

[Penny Tray]

Mike,

You're giving your age away with mention of the Evening News. I have no recollection of it. However, I do remember when the Saturday evening newspaper were desperately sought.

Whilst, I don't bet on football matches with the exception of my treble chance coupon on a Saturday, I have the following link on my FAVOURITES BAR. You'll note that it gives up to the minute scores from all over the World.

Changed days indeed.

http://www.flashscores.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;