Mobile shops

[Meg]

I know that we have discussed some of the people who used to sell their wares in and around the three towns - Bert Benthal being one. Apart from the ice cream men - how many other vendors do you remember? I remember Mr Quigg used to bring his big van around Clyde Terrace - selling general groceries and meats. There was a blue fish van - was he called something like Jim Gentleman? There were also two brothers who brought a big general grocery van around too (well big to a 5 year old:-) cant remember much about them apart from their van might have been red and cream. Of course, there was also Davidson's van - their shop was near the top of Glasgow Street I think - my mum used to go there for her family allowance. What about the other two towns - can you think of anyone else?

Meg

[Lynda]

we had two vans at the top end of saltcoats.Gilmours was a blue one and sammy ballatyne had a kinda red one.we had two ice cream vans as well mario's and carrino's.I preferred carrinos for ice cream

[maggie T]

Bert.Ashton.He had one in Ardrossan also.Another one Galbraiths,Saltcoats think it covered Ardrossan to ?

[Meg]

sammy ballatyne had a kinda red one.

Is that the same Sammy who ended up in the paper shop/off sales at the bottom of Glasgow Street in Ardrossan?

[Meg]

Bert.Ashton.He had one in Ardrossan also.

What did he sell Maggie? Cant remember him. I think I remember Galbraiths - were they grocers?

Meg

[maggie T]

Bert sold everthing bread milk eggs tatties etc.This was in the 50ts.His son lives in Ardrossan ?Think he was a motor macanic.Dont know if the house they lived in is still there across from the wee betting shop at the top of glasgow street.you went round the lane there was a stair(outside)to get into the house.I remember when i got married Bert and his wife gave me a present.They where a lovely couple.But am sure you dont want me rabbiting on

[morag]

i can't remember the names but in Stevenston there was a man with a horse and cart, I think he sold vegetables but my gran used to get turps from him to clean the windows and mirrors. I always thought what a pretty colour it was and I liked the smell and how it dried streakless.
There was a bakers van and once in a while we'd get assorted tea cakes, I loved the Eiffel Towers which were sponge cakes shaped like a big upside down thimble, covered in jam (raspberry?), and coconut flakes. Some of the other cake / bun names escape me but I also remember Dolly Varden .(sp?).
Of course, there was the coal man. Barr's bleach - he used to use any old bottle, quite often whisky bottles. My sister once poured a bottle of bleach into the sink to clean it - turned out it was whisky Used to always be a bottle kept for visitors. Joe (Barraclough) came round selling ice cream but also about any sweets you could think of, toffee cabers, monster bars...Here I go with the sweeties again And the fish and chip van. I think there's a photo posted on the old site of that van.

[Mitchy]

I know that we have discussed some of the people who used to sell their wares in and around the three towns - Bert Benthal being one. Apart from the ice cream men - how many other vendors do you remember? I remember Mr Quigg used to bring his big van around Clyde Terrace - selling general groceries and meats. There was a blue fish van - was he called something like Jim Gentleman? There were also two brothers who brought a big general grocery van around too (well big to a 5 year old:-) cant remember much about them apart from their van might have been red and cream. Of course, there was also Davidson's van - their shop was near the top of Glasgow Street I think - my mum used to go there for her family allowance. What about the other two towns - can you think of anyone else?

Meg

The owner of Davidsons van used to be my neighbour. He still had the van when we moved to our current address, as well as the shop in Glasgow Street. Where I was brought up in Saltcoats a 'Girdwoods of Ayr' van used to come round in the afternoons. I can also remember the Gilmours and Ballantynes vans mentioned in other posts.

[John Donnelly]

In Stevenston, I remember lots of vans - and horses and carts.
There were two vegetable horses and carts. Tam Wilson and Jimmy Thomson. Thomson rented a shed at the bottom of our garden in the Boglemart.
I also remember the fish man with a cart. I think it was Gentleman, I remember he had a special wee tray sticking out the back of the cart where he filleted the fish.
There was Andy Skeoch with the mik in his Morris Commercial. We used to go with him for a couple of streets further to 'help.' Folk used to come out with their jugs and he had his pint measure which he filled from the tap and poured it into the jug.
I remember a Gilmour's van. He came from Kilwinning and it was a very flashy, modern thing. He sold fancy goods.
Then there was the rag-and-bone man. For a couple of old jerseys you got a balloon or a paper ball filled with sawdust on the end of a bit of elastic. Can you imagine kids today playing with that.
Does anybody remember the rush out with the bucket and shovel for the manure if the horse shat in the street. (Is that word allowed Hughie? If not, - sorry; won't do it again).
I always remember the calls they had. You could never understand what they were shouting, but you always knew exactly who it was.
I remember Barr's bleach. He was our neighbour in the Townhead, and his workplace was up at the end of the Loaning beside the hole in the wall. (Who remembers where that was?)
Then there was Findley, the man who sold firelighters. He had his workplace at the bottom of the Rec, beside the quarry. I remember it going on fire twice.
Does anybody remember the pig-man? What was his name again, - Jameson. He had one of the smallholdings where the Ardeer golf course is today. He came round once a week with a tractor and trailer with old oil-drums for the potato-peelings and other stuff to feed to his pigs. The trailer stunk to high heaven I don't think he ever hosed it down.

Good heavens. I can't believe I remember so much.

JD.

[little plum]

J.D.
I remember a horse and cart going round Ardeer selling fish, if my memory serves me right it was Gibby Walker. My dad , if he was not working, would watch the horse until it went out of sight just in case it left a deposit for the garden. The horse and cart was kept at the sheds next to the quarry.

[jarneilh]

I can recall around the mid 1950's Tammy Hood had a lemonade lorry around the bottom end of Stevenston. I don't know where else it went to in the Three Towns. My father drove it for him a couple of times and we helped him unload it when he passed our house.

Regards Jim.

[morag]

Jim there was also a lemonade van in the 60's (at least up the top end of Stevenston). I think we referred to everything as lemonade whether it was cola, cream soda or what.