Nostalgia

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scottyd
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Nostalgia

Post by scottyd »

As a guy called Peter de Vries once said "Nostalgia isn't what it used to be"

Why is it my memory recalls my growing up in the Threetowns with pleasure ?
Memories of a vibrant community, where the sun always shone, there was plenty of employment, and the local economy thrived with tourism, ICI, the Metallic, Shell Mex, Ardossan Harbour, Hunterston, boats to Isle of Man and Belfast etc etc.

I am not a frequent visitor back to my roots - once in the last 5 years - but from my distant perch it has become a shadow of these memories with widespread unemployment, depression etc etc.

Is it me that's the problem or "has time rewritten every line" as the song goes ?

Sorry to be so melancholy but what went wrong ?
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Meg
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by Meg »

scottyd wrote:the local economy thrived with tourism, ICI, the Metallic, Shell Mex, Ardossan Harbour, Hunterston, boats to Isle of Man and Belfast etc etc. Sorry to be so melancholy but what went wrong ?
Shell Mex shut down, ICI shut down, the Metallic shut down, Ardrossan harbour died, Hunterston B was eventually built, but Hunterston A shut down, the Belfast boat moved to Cairn Ryan or Stranraer, and the IOM boat sailed frm Ardrossan for the last time about 1978 - and the tourists found that it was cheaper to have two weeks in the sun in Spain than a sub let in Ardrossan for a week! It is sad, Scottyd - yet when I come along the High Road and pass the Academy, I am home. You can take the girl out of Ardrossan but .... well you know the rest.

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morag
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by morag »

I think it's human nature to block out the negatives and remember the positives. it helps us survive! But when we're talking to younger generations...'I had to walk 3 miles to school, rain hail or snow..'etc. But I have very fond memories of childhood / teen days , and I think, too, as adults and the responsibilities that come with that, we miss the carefree days of yore! The area was badly run for a while but, with some hope in my heart, things are looking better!
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abla43
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by abla43 »

Hi, scottyd, Sad to say that time has indeed rewritten every line and , of course, we can't go back to " The Way We Were". It's also true to say that we shouldn't try to live in the past. However, if we don't know where we've been how can we know where we're going?, to paraphrase an old saying.I wrote a daft wee song about what i call the rape of our birthright, a bit of which goes:-"They did away with all the businesses and industries that used to make us proud, and then they killed off our ambitions and they wrapped them up, forever, in a shroud" A lot of people will tell you it's all Maggie Thatcher's doing, and who can argue? Maggie, however, was merely the tool of the elite group who have been calling the shots for a long time now, just like her successors.I'd better stop now, as I'm getting into deep water and don't want to bore you to death,but you're dead right,mate. Cheers, A.B.
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Anne
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by Anne »

Yes ! it is very sad what has happened to the area. Yet I think the people on this site who were brought up when everything was going strong have lots of memories as can be seen from all the submissions to the forums. As for myself I think I was a happy child and there was no 'keeping up with the Jones' " who were they anyway !!! I think we had carefree childhoods playing in the streets in all sorts of weather. There were no playrooms full of toys and video games to keep us occupied, which I suppose is a sign of the times that the youngsters are in today. I Thank God I was brought up in Stevenston and was taught manners and respect for other people from Parents and Others (nameless souls) who let you know what you had just said or done was out of line. I think we are better People for having been brought up in the Three Towns.
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by calleytwo »

No its not fond imaginings of better times, though the specs are rosy. Our family did not have much money - Dad as a joiner, had to often travel out of the district to Glasgow to work though he was much in demand for odd jobs -fitting out chip vans, shop fitting for Veronica, home alterations for the Duguids and so on and we had to sublet one of our two big tenement rooms during the Fair to help make ends meet. But above all it was safe for we kids and we were all happy with our simple pleasures - sharing a bag of broken biscuits and a bottle of Irn Bru with oor few pennies of pocket money, playing all sorts of games at the Cuddy park or playing at Robin Hood at the big bent tree supposedly part of Sherwood Forrest at the top of Auchenharvie. I could be anywhere in Saltcoats up to 9.30 on a bright summer's night and my brother would be sent out to look for me, not because they thought it was dangerous for a seven year old to be wandering around, but simply because it was my bedtime. The only "drugs" we knew were cod-liver oil or the dreaded castor oil or milk of magnesia. Affluent it wasn't and the future was not great if we had all stayed and many of us not emigrated but it was a nice life. Alistair
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by abla43 »

Hi, calley2, Castor oil and milk of magnesia. Did you really have to remind us? Anyway, I'll add to everyone's disgust by mentioning stuff called"Agarol" which I THINK I've spelled correctly. It was my Granny's universal cure-all and was almost as revolting as the castor oil. Anyone else remember this or was it unique to the "wee(4' 11'')woman". cheers, A.B.
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brian f
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by brian f »

Abla 43 , hello , whats this castor oil and agarol all a boot had the dreaded cod liver oil that wis bad enough fill us in?
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bobnetau
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by bobnetau »

Yes, abla43, I remember the castor oil but not Agarol. I was "doped" up with vimaltal and syrup of figs. Was quite a healthy wee kid, apart from the usual mumps,measles, chicken pox with I seemed to get one after the other. Managed to survive the flu when nearly the whole class was laid up with it though.
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Anne
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by Anne »

Yes Abla43 I do remember the name Agarol in our house but for the life of me can't remember what it was used for. Probably stomache problems ????
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morag
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by morag »

brian f wrote:Abla 43 , hello , whats this castor oil and agarol all a boot had the dreaded cod liver oil that wis bad enough fill us in?
Can't remember Algarol but castor oil was the worst..I swear the metal spoon smelled of it...every Friday night whether needed or not we were lined up for a dose. Yuck! Cod liver oil was pleasant by comparison and Syrup of figs - Heaven! lol! Don't get me started on my gran's a poultice for every occasion.. :lol:
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Re: Nostalgia

Post by 5eulbdog7 »

Agarol was a very powerful laxative. It contained phenothaline and boy did it move you.However unlike syrup of figs it was painless.What i hated the most was the large spoonful of malt given every day to help with your growth totally disgusting.
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