Gasworks (Oct 2000)

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Gasworks (Oct 2000)

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From: <david@xxxx.co.uk>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, October 13, 2000

Hi fellow Three Towners,
I remember the old Gas Works in Saltcoats as I lived in Union Street on the railway side with a big Gasometer between our back garden and the railway line. The smell from the gasworks at the weekend was unmistakable and unforgettable.
I also remember the gas mantles we had for the lights and the noise they made when broken. We didn't have electricity till I was 14 and moved to Corrie Crescent in 1952.
David Young.


From: <david@xxxx.co.uk>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000

Hi Paul,
The path leading up from the Station to the bridge was a short cut to that part of town and I remember using the wee cabin many times. The shop next to St Mary's school was run by a Mr and Mrs Jackson. He had a wooden leg. They had a big black cat which sat outside the shop and one day I stroked it and it sunk it's teeth into my hand and wrapped it's four legs round my arm sinking it's claws into my flesh. I still have the marks to prove it.The son called Ian still lives in Saltcoats.
My father had a brother called Charlie Young, so he may have been my uncle, but I didn't know much about that side of the family for some reason or other.
I have no recollection of the family you mention in Union Street.
Remember the Olympic Cafe at the corner of Raise Street and Union Street?
Opened in 1948, hence the same.
Also in Raise Street, round the left corner of Union Street, there was an old lady called Mary Burns who sold potatoes. I was scared of her. I thought she was a witch. As I child I had a very vivid imagination. Then next to the station at the bottom end of Raise Street next to the pub was a fish and chip shop run by Lizzie Clarke.
Such fond memories.
David Young.


From: "mcguireDk" <mcguire@xxxx.dk>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000

I sympathise with Dave Young having to live that time in the shadow of the old gas works in Union St. It was bad enough for us pupils of St. Mary's school having to suffer the reek of gas filtering in through the windows of our class room. It was worse in the Summer when we had to sit with the windows open. Pooh!

I can remember those cold winter days being sent down to buy a scuttle full of coke to keep the fires going? Sometimes it was a bucket of dross to damp down the old fires and keep them alive during the night. Then there was the digging through the dross trying to find lumps of coal of a decent size and filling a coal scuttle/pail and manually
having to lug it alt the way back and half way up Raise Street home again. Mum saying 'look at you laddy' your dirtier than the midden man. Awa in and wash yoursel' I those were the days. Thank God for today's central heating.

I lads and lassies lang mae your lums reek.
Tony McGuire


From: "hewmac" <hewmac@xxxx.com.au>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000

Dad worked for a time at Ardrossan Gas Works which was just a few hundred yards away from our home. The gas works was a tall building probably around 6 stories high. Dad would often take me to the top in the lift with the big barrow of coal - Great views all around of the town, Firth of Clyde and Arran too. Being perhaps the tallest building in the three towns there were plenty of wild pigeons around so we'd have pigeon soup on occasions.

I remember the graveyard and the gasworks smelled much the same because they used the material cleaned out from the gasworks' purifying pits on the graveyard footpaths to keep the weeds down. In the end the company could not sell all the coke and it was left in massive piles invitingly close to the neighbourhood's backyards. Don't recall ever seeing a gas works at Stevenston though there must have been one.

Hugh McCallum


From: <jamesbarr50@xxxx.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000

hi all
hope this finds you all in good health lovely day here in saltcoats the sun is out and it is really quite pleasant i remember my dad telling me that when i was young i had a chest infection and was taken up to the top of the gas works twice a week for three weeks to breath in the fumes and he said it did me the world of good i dont remember it so dont know whether he was pulling my leg or not there was a letter about going to the works in saltcoats for coke and the travel back to raise street with it well i can remember when i stayed in new england road there was an old man who would push a pram from the works with two big bags of the stuff and from there to new england road was all uphill so how he managed it i dont know for he was a fair age hugh was asking about if there was a gasworks in stevenston well i think there was one just on the left hand side as u came in just oppisite the grange picture hall maybe someone can throw more light on that.well all take care.

jim. (blakjak)


From: "morag black" <bramble2@xxx.net>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000

I think James James is right and that the gasworks in Stevenston was on the right hand side on the way from Saltcoats to Stevenston. That area was called the sandhills or sandyhills and we'd go from the cross through the sandhills to the old St John's school. There was a swampy area with three ponds, we called them the white wife, the black man and the yellow baby! I think that area had been mined at one time.


From: "Betty Woodland" <bettywood@xxx.au>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000

Dear David,
I too lived in Union Street at number 11 which would have been on the opposite side from you. I remember the Jackson's shop and the Polish man who lived above the shop. Everyone used to call him the "Pole" in such a way that we used to often wonder what was wrong with him, apparently he was good a fixing bicycles. We used to often see kids with old prams collecting the coke from the gasworks. Funny I can't remember the smell. perhaps we didn't get it as much on the other side of the street.

I too remember the gas mantles and finally getting electricity. We moved to The Braes. I remember the Gaw twins Alice and Jessie who lived at 20 Corrie Crescent, they were in my class at school. What number did you live at. My Aunt Mamie live round the corner in Sanda Place.
regards Betty


From: "mcguireDk" <mcguire@xxxx.dk>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000
Hi David

I remember the little shop you were talking of at the top of Springvale Street and tucked into the corner (if I remember rightly) just there were the bridge started and near the entrance to the shortcut down to the station. I remember buying my first fountain pen in this little shop. and from there we could look over the bridge towards Manse street and see if our school bus (to St Michaels in Irvine) was on the way and then run like h... to catch it more often not than yes.

Living in Raise St. I also remember very well Mary Burn's little shop. I hated it and dreaded Sundays when we had to go down to get the Sunday papers. You weren't the only one that thought she was a wicked witch. God it was horrible. I was really glad when the new newsagent shop opened between the Olympic Café and the pub you mentioned. I can't remember the name of the pub, but it was my father's favourite local.. My Dad also had a little shop, Jack's Shop in Raise St we lived above it at no. 47. You mention a fish & chip shop run by a Lizzie Clark confuses me a little as I only remember the one chippy which was next to and part of the Olympic Café. I first move to Raise Street from Glebe Street in 1954 so I suppose it was after you were living in Union Street and that your memories of the area are better than mine.

Regards from Denmark
Tony McGuire


From: <jamesbarr50@xxxx.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 15, 2000

hello again

just thought i would let derek in denmark (i think thats where he is )know about the name of the pub at the bottom of raise street was known as nesse's i think the real name was the thistle bar although i am not hundred percent sure it was a real mans pub with the sawdust on the floor and it had a snug for the ladies i think they also went in2 the bar as well but dont really know, the pub is still there different owners now of course
and it is called the victoria bar and the pub owners are opening a chip shop in what at one time as i can remember was neil gibsons fruit shop it is joined on to the pub building and always has been, hope this is some help.

jim. (blakjak)
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