Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

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Hughie
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Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Hughie »

Ross’s Dairy in Parkhouse Road Ardrossan stood on the site where until a few years ago the High Tide pub stood. Those from Saltcoats and Stevenston who are old enough will remember the building if they used the High Road going into Ardrossan - it was on the left and perhaps a quarter of a mile beyond Ardrossan Academy.

The dairy had that classic farmhouse look about it, including whitewashed walls and a large courtyard. I can’t recall any other entrance to it other than via its own road off Parkhouse Road where you could then enter the courtyard. Anyone know the original name of the farm?

The dairy’s horses were kept in a field behind the Parkhouse Road houses. The field ran all the way down to Ardrossan Academy at the Stanley Burn or as the locals called it the Galloway Burn. The other boundary to the “cuddy park” was the fence at the Caledonian railway.

When I was around eight years old we little boys used to help deliver the milk from Ross’s Dairy, the milk cart was not unlike a stagecoach to my way of thinking as the driver sat up high. The driver’s name was Jimmy Withers, Jimmy’s trusty steed was a big white horse named Dougald. It was very sad when Dougald died – he was a great favourite in the town.

My dad used to buy the occasional sack of corn from the dairy for his chickens, and I also remember him getting hayseed from there to use as lawn seed - this was probably the sweepings from what was left over after the horses hay was cleared out.

Can anyone add to this topic, or perhaps raise another recollection on what's gone before.
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by bobnetau »

Hugh, I wonder if the horse called Dougal was the one that stretched over the wire fence and bit my cousin on the shoulder as she walked passed. I know that horse died not that long after it bit her.
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by wellparkno9 »

Hi, I remember old Mrs Withers going with the horse and cart.When she retired she lived in "Border Cottage" on Dalry Rd in Saltcoat.She was in the next bed to my mother in Crosshouse hospital.I did not recognise her she was so old ,over 90 years old at that time .I got talking to her and could detect a slight Irish accent.She told me she was Irish ,came over when still a teenager, but she couldn't remember where from .Before I left to go home at the end of visiting she shouted me over .I can mind noo son she said.Its a place between Strabane and Omagh,"Sion Mills"in the county Tyrone, was what she said.She was a fine old lady,Regards Sam.
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Mitchy »

I remember the dairy buildings and I can also remember the High Tide being built. Part of the dairy was retained at the back of the hotel building. I also remember a Ross's Dairy shop in Saltcoats.
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by mcgrattan »

Originally Parkhouse Farm.
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Rowanside »

Ah wiz a milk boy fur Ross,s dairy.Betty Harper wiz the nightmare(Circ 1960)
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Rowanside »

Pee Ess Tom,Nane oh yer cheek,ma wee pal (The other Alan wiz the cooncil "Rent Boy")
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Hughie »

mcgrattan wrote:Originally Parkhouse Farm.
Tom McGrattan
Thanks Tom, that makes sense. Yes Alan I recall Betty Harper - Margaret was at school with me and while I was growing up they lived near the bottom of McDowall Avenue - think she was into the "Eagle Cleaners" too across from the Bute Bar or from the other direction across from the "Deep Sea" fish and Chips.

I believe it was a Mr Harper who ran the Dairy before Betty. At the time they lived across from the Plaza and up a wee bit towards what was Eglinton School.

Awful hard doing this sort of stuff in a coin in the slot machine in a shopping centre.

Hughie - Sunshine Plaza - Maroochydore Queensland
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by belle »

My mother’s grandparents, Wrights, ran Parkhouse Farm for Hogarths. My mother was born there in 1925 and her family lived and worked there, along with another aunt and her family. They ran cattle, fattening calves from Whitlees Farm I think, as well as storing hay. There was only one field in crops, and that was the one with the Galloway Burn running through it. From my mother’s story, it seems that the women did all the work, including all that whitewashing!! Isn’t that always the way!! When Walter Hogarth turned the farm into a dairy, about 1935/6 my grandmother and her family and her sister and her family had to move as it seems there was a health risk with all those children about. My grandparents moved to Princes Place, next to the Labour Exchange. When my great-grandmother died another family member, my mother’s Uncle Tony and his family, took over the running of the diary until it was sold to Ross’s. My Dad comes into the picture here too as he began driving the school milk van for Ross’s in 1941 and later met my Mum through her cousins.

Many years ago I had my mother write out her story, she is now 83, so if anyone is interested in what life was like for her as a child growing up at Parkhouse I can let you have a copy.

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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Hughie »

belle wrote:Many years ago I had my mother write out her story, she is now 83, so if anyone is interested in what life was like for her as a child growing up at Parkhouse I can let you have a copy.
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Hi Elizabeth,

Wonderfull to receive such a response. Can you forward a copy to me at hugh.mccallum@gmail.com
Would it be possible to consider it for publication on http://www.threetowners.com ?
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Lizal »

gosh memories, i also delivered milk for ross's dairy, and betty harper was my driver,an old electric milk float thing i had to jump oot while it was still running,i had to be up every morning at 4am, and if i wisny betty harper was at ma door shouting on me no kidding. i remember going into the big freezers to load up?? i loved the wee bottle o orange juice mmmmm, they were frozen, lovely,i can even mind the route n half way about castle road closes bert reeves who worked for the co-op milk used to shake his wallies at me n frighten me. i mind they were BRILLIANT WHITE TEETH, and chase me up the close rattling them? scary stuff when your young, i was about 12 or 13, wouldnt be allowed the day, but it was harmless fun then. i can still see the farm yard yet,did the owners family stay in ardrossan after it closed as i am sure i used to see the daughter regularly. thanks for the memories, liz scott.
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Re: Recollections - Ross's Dairy Ardrossan

Post by Hughie »

Hi Liz,

Nice to see you back hen. Elizabeth has given me permission to publish her grandmother's memories of how things were when she grew up on the farm. Unfortunately I'm snowed under at the moment with family get-togethers as my wife's sister heads back to Stinston at the end of the week. I'll try to get it done over the coming weekend.
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