Snow and Sledging (Jan 2001)

[Archivist]

From: "hewmac" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001

All the best for 2001 to all threetowners. Hope everyone got over the New Year celebrations alright. We chose to have a quiet one here in Melbourne where it's been very hot, so much so that we haven't had our steak pie yet. Anyhoo we'll just wait for a cool day!

Heard about the 6 - 8 inches of snow in the three towns and thought how magic it was growing up in Ardrossan as far as the sledging was concerned 'cause we had that perfect run on the Cannon Hill. I remember one year the thaw didn't come for over three weeks and the hill became a sheet of ice. Those moonlit evenings were memorable, the place was thronging with kids enjoying themselves - can't even remember feeling the cold. It's a changed world, I wonder if they still sledge there?

Where did the Saltcoats and Stevenston kids sledge?

Hugh McCallum


From: <TonyPentleton@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2001

The bungalows kids used to skate on the swamp behind us, now the golf course lake. we would slide down the old railway embankment and if you hit the ice right you slid to the other end, and if you hit it wrong you went through it. Then you had to kid on to the old dutch that you were at the slabs and got caught
by a big wave.
tp.


From: "TL Hanlon" <tommy_h_mentor@xx.net>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2001

Hugh,
I don't know about the Saltcoats kids but we used to sledge on the Caley Railway embankment at Moorpark Rd West. We also use to make slides on the "white wife" which was next to the old Dogtrack just behind St John's primary. Your right Hugh we never felt the cold we were too busy having fun. All the Best to everyone for the New Year
Tommy Hanlon
Mentor, Ohio.


From: "Garry Jarvis" <gjarvis@xx.net>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2001

To all Happy New Year! Re: the latest topic. I guess I could 'class' myself as one of the 'up the Scheme kids' Living most of my younger years up in the 'New England Scheme'. [Lord knows' how it got such a name!] We use to take a piece of flat wood [usually my mums tray!] and proceed to Davaar Road then skid down to Simpson drive, [and hopefully not onto the Road!]. If that wasn't steep enough then we'd take our selves to" the Lane!" Which connected Burns Ave [my home street ]and Corrie Cres; That used to be a great place to hang out.
There was a wooded area nearby that we [Burn's Rd] Kids hung out at and played such rare games such as Hide & Seek, Truth or Dare, The great rope ride over the 'Chasm' [a large hole in the surface, Sadly the march of time and Progress robbed us of that great place. But I digress!!!!
I don't recall a lot of snow falls of any consequence maybe one or two really good seasons. Though it wasn't very good if you had to shovel to clear the paths! The Slides were the best!! you'd find a real good icy path and work it so as to have a long icy slide. Happy thoughts! Regards .Sheena


From: "mildred grant" <mildredgrant16@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001

happy new year to all of the threetowners, may you all have health wealth and happiness. i thought i would tell you where the kids from the bungalows played when it was snowy. we would head over to Auchenharvie park after pinching a wonderloaf breadboard from Mario's shop in canal street, run like the clappers before Isa Smith seen us, struggle to the top of the hill and dive on before sliding to the bottom, and because we had no gloves my dad would give us a pair of socks to put on our hands. I don't ever remember going home because i was cold it was always my stomach that took me home. if Tony Pendelton reads this are you Anthony Pendelton from the bungalows with brothers Robert, James and sister Sally Ann?


From: "penni burnett" <angels4me@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 04, 2001

Happy holidays everyone. I sure have enjoyed reading these stories. Then I was reminded of a story my Dad used to tell. He was just a small lad (probably around 1910) and since he came from a large family, there was never a lack of friends, so one cold and snowy day, my dad and his brothers decided to go sledding...I can only guess what hill it would have been, but somehow as my father came down the hill, he hit something and broke his nose. But he said the pain in his nose would be a lot less than the pain his mother would inflict for being so stupid. So he never told her and I guess my grandmother never questioned why his nose slanted to one side.............Thanks for letting me share one of my favorite memories...........Penni


From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001

Hi Tony,
We used to swim at the "Slabs" in Saltcoats during the summer in the mid-1950s. As you know they were just over the railway pedestrian bridge from Seabank Street? which runs to the sea off Canal Street. We'd change in our brother's girl friends house and nip over the railway bridge. There were a few spectators in those days - admiring our diving skills. We had two McCallum uncles in the cottages at that time and before that our McCallum grandparents lived at No 13 Esplanade Cottages.

For Betty Woodland, My Betty and I had a nice day when your cousin Billy Reid (Salt) and wife Ann Boyle (Stev) visited with us through the week. The girls talked about the wire shop & secret women's business while Billy and me talked about secret men's business and about the time we run together at Saltcoats when we were both message boys - me with Baillie's Butchers (Raises Street) and Billy with the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Co-op in Vernon Street. Billy's latest hobby is brewing. So Betty's doing the driving when we next visit - they're just 20 minutes away.

Hugh McCallum