What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

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KevinReid
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What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by KevinReid »

I'm originally from Stevenston and I'm intending to write a series of poems about characters who frequented the streets of the 3 toons in the 60s/70s/80s. I remember the woman who used to pick up lollipop sticks, her woollen hats and her hunched stature, I didn't know her name. I also recall Eric O'Rourke, who was innocently, but perhaps unfairly referred to as "The Stevenston Dummy'. Another character was a man known as 'Popeye', again, no doubt, an unfair title. Others I remember are: my uncle Josie, who was street sweeper in the 60s/70s, Josie Wales, drinker who used to sing in the streets of Saltcoats in the 80s and of course Aggie and Wullie Gunner, whom I have already written of and included below. If you have any anecdotal stories of these people or others I haven't mentioned I'd be very interested and grateful to hear/read them. Thank you, Kevin Reid


Ballad of Aggie and Willie Gunner

This loyal son an' a crippilt mither
wheeled an' shuffled pub tae pub
singin' an drinkin' like nae ither,
a double act yae could only love.

He wis six-fit three an' ginger
ayewiz wore a velvet bowtie,
tae say he wis an affae braw singer
is nuthin' mare than a blatant lie.

She wis hampert in a wheelchair
tartan blankit thran ower her knees,
ayewiz sang like her throat wis sair
an' took a braith wae a helluva wheez.

Welcome Home by Peters an' Lee
went doon weel whin a'body wis fu',
Wullie wore shades so yi couldnae see
thi tears in eez een wir true.

Kevin Reid
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Re: What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by Penny Tray »

Kevin,

Somebody has previously referred to the lady who collected the lollipop sticks as "Alice". Some of your other characters have also been mentioned, I think. Try the search facility.
Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
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Re: What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by stivis »

Another character was a man known as 'Popeye', again, no doubt, an unfair title
His first name was John, stayed in Wallace Avenue
Second name? I'd be guessing
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Re: What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by Hughie »

When I was courting the wife in the early 60s he and Olive-oil as she was known lived in Morris Moodie.
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Re: What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by stivis »

Yes I knew it was around there Ardoch Crescent or there abouts
I think they got shifted as the house got burned down or was set on fire

Aggie and Wullie Gunner, Did he play the harmonic?
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Re: What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by John Donnelly »

Aggie and Wullie were mother and son. They lived in Hawthorn Drive. Gunner was not their real name.
I will leave the rest to your imagination, or that of other people. The harmonica doesn't ring any bells.

JD.
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Re: What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by stivis »

The story I heard was the mother was in a wheelchair and they appeared at the Bar One/Vernon at the Station in Saltcoats,as they were going upstairs , 4 gents got around the wheelchair and lifted and carried the chair with mother up the stair, struggling and peching as they went.
Once at the top they sat the chair down .......And the Mother got up and walked to the bar
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Re: What was the woman's name who used to go around Stevenston picking up lollipop sticks in the 60s /70s?

Post by brian f »

Loved that stivis :lol:
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Fearless from Saltcoats ?

Post by cadoganman »

I can recall a chap named Fearless from Saltcoats who was an avid Saltcoats Vics supporter and who in the early 60's attended most home matches, mainly to pick up the discarded empty beer bottles for the returns value(3d each as I recall) His favourite refrain after "C'omm the Vics" was allegedly to offer "I'll fight any man in three Toons except Veronica"
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Re: Fearless from Saltcoats ?

Post by bonzo »

cadoganman wrote: Wed Nov 25, 2020 11:32 pm I can recall a chap named Fearless from Saltcoats who was an avid Saltcoats Vics supporter and who in the early 60's attended most home matches, mainly to pick up the discarded empty beer bottles for the returns value(3d each as I recall) His favourite refrain after "C'omm the Vics" was allegedly to offer "I'll fight any man in three Toons except Veronica"
If you put Fearless into search you'll find he has a thread of his own :good:
Those wimin were in the nip.
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