New Posters (Jan 2000)

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New Posters (Jan 2000)

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From: <Theclans4@xxxx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000

Hello. I've enjoyed all the postings, and it's good to hear so many varying accounts of the three towns. I've learnt so much from the readings, and I've enjoyed discussing them with my mum and dad who still live in Saltcoats. I was born in 1960, and went to Jack's Road Primary (as it was known before it became St Andrew's Academy), then Dykesmains Primary for a couple of years, before going on to Ardrossan Academy. I went to the Academy the first year it became comprehensive in 1972. I think it was quite a shock to most of the staff who taught there - it was probably very different to the days when it was a select entry. I had a good time there, and remember teachers like Chick
Blakely , Dr Nisbet, Mr Mooney, Bob Russell , Maggie Lyle, Elsie Kirk, Miss
Houston, Miss Paterson ......

I'm married now and work as a teacher in Surrey, but it's good to keep in
touch.

Some family detail:
My gran on my mother's side was a Baillie, as in the butcher. It was interesting to read accounts of delivery boys that worked for them. My gran first married James Adams, son of the minister of Trinity Church in Dockhead Street, Saltcoats. After his death she later later married Charlie Coyle who once ran the Golden Palace fish and chip shop .

My gran on my dad's side ran Smiths sweetie shop in Winton Street, Ardrossan
probably around the 40s, and my grandfather, John Smith, was a salvage diver at Ardrossan harbour.

Maybe some of you remember............
Colin Smith



From: "Alecs Personal email" <alecw@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000

Hi Colin,
I also think it's great to hear the accounts of people past and present. Many of the stories relate to places with memories that we sometimes forget. I also attended Jacks Rd primary school which was then known also as Leighdykes which incorporated a primary & secondary education system. I can remember Dykesmains primary school being built. When I was over for my annual pilgrimage I couldn't believe the development that's happened up the top end of Saltcoats and the size of Dykesmains has grown.
It's great that you can now drive to Ardrossan now without going down to the High Road although I'm not sure the developers have the country sides looks at heart.

I was born in 1958 and we were the first kids that didn't have to sit the 11+ exam. Went to Ardrossan Academy around 1969/70 so I guess we would have been there at the same time. There were a few Smiths in my year at school, and your name is very
familiar. When you mentioned some of the teachers names, I can still remember some of them vividly. Eilsa Kirk (then was Miss Harris), she was and I believe still is a great teacher. My favorites were a Miss Lamont who taught Math's. She always was interested in putting in the time. Chick Blakley was great and was Archie Bannatyne.
Bob Russell was a great guy, his brother used to own the petrol station at Mayfield before A.T.Mays bought it. He also taught at Leighdykes Secondary for years before going to the Academy.
Do you remember Liz McClymont and Johnny Norwood who were P.E. teachers, sadly Johnny got killed in a car accident during the mid 70's.
Well Colin I think I'll sign off for now. When people mention things about the 3 towns it triggers so many memories and you tend to go on and on. Hope you don't mind.
There was a book by the way written about Ardrossan. I think it is called something like "In a marmalade saloon". I have it somewhere packed in a box and must pull it out and read it again.

Kind Regards
Alec Wilkie
Sydney, Australia.


From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000

In part Alec Wilkie wrote:
>There was a book by the way written about Ardrossan. I think it is called
>something like "In a marmalade saloon". I have it somewhere packed in a box
>and must pull it out and read it again.

Thanks for the prompt Alec,
My 2nd cousins' Joe Cunningham and Charlie Hand are prominent in the book "In a Marmalade Saloon" by Patrick O'Connor. Joe was the resident hustler in the billiard "Den" in Kilmahew street Ardrossan and Charlie, or it could have been his brother Nicky was Patrick's best mate. I've had an order in to Amazon for the last 6 months for a 2nd hand copy - no luck so far!

I originally had Patrick's two books which were published around the 1970s. They're about his recollections of Ardrossan and the Irish families living there during the 1930s depression." Down The Bath Rock" was the first and focused on that area to the left after crossing the railway crossing in Princes Street when entering the town.

Hugh McCallum
Melbourne
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