Browns Shop in Glasgow Street

[oliver prin]

This is bringing back memories I had forgot about the fire lighter sticks I can see them now,they had another son Crichton and Mr brown used to go to Ayr races.There were penny bangers and does anyone remember twopenny atom bombs the kids in our street used to light them until the fuse started to fizz then drop then down the street drains.
If I remember they extended the shop and displayed the toys in a large window next door.Does anyone know where the children live now

[Penny Tray]

If I'm not mistaken Mrs. Brown is the lady back row right in this photograph taken on a Ardrossan Co-Operative Womens Guild day out.

The lady third from the left in the back row is I think a Mrs. Lee from round Coalhill Place way?

The two at the front are definitely Mrs. Gwen Morrison and Mrs. Jenny Macintyre.

Any other names?

[Alexmac442]

Mitchy, I remember those "bombs" too. Funny thing about the toy cigs, we have a shop in the NE of Thailand and we sell chewing gum cigarettes today, exactly like they were in those days. No regulations here!!!
Alex

[Mitchy]

I knew there was an older topic on here about Browns.

I was looking through some old e-mails today and I found one Tom McGrattan had sent me with a photo showing Brown's shop in Glasgow Street virtually standing alone as the new houses were being built behind it in the early 1970's. The shop was still open and as I recall was a good going business. Does anyone know how the owners were recompensed for being forced to close? I assume it was a compulsory purchase order.

[stivis]

I assume it was a compulsory purchase order

Yes,thing was the council(s) didn't have the money to buy the properties.
I knew one owner who was virtually thrown out without recompense(at that moment in time)

Incidently Mr Brown had a Vauxhall Viva GT, a serious piece of kit in it's day

[tapnagol]

Purchased a load of Lego in the closing down sale. Got a bargain.

[stivis]

Did the shop not have a large train set in the window?
and slightly o/t I think there were businesses round the back of both Browns and the Castle Cafe

[Penny Tray]

I'm not sure about "a large train set" in the window but there was definitely a guitar which I looked at as a boy, and looked at again, and again, and again, but regrettably was never able to acquire, and remain to this day musically illiterate.

Great, great shop though!

And if you're thinking of businesses situated immediately behind Brown's and and the Castle Cafe, I can't think what they might be.

[johndo]

I can remember the shop well, it was an aladdin's cave when I was a kid.Seemed sell everything a kid could want.you could gaze into that big window at all the wonderful thing.
Can remember the closing down sale they must have had things stored as new things would appear in that window.
Seem to remember the building next up the street had been demolished with shores spanning the gap between buildings.That was a while before they started demolishing Glasgow Street. It would good to see photos of the shop.
I can also remember the toy section upstairs in Coop across the road.