Harris of Saltcoats

[Hughie]

Photo courtesy of Hughie Gourlay now in West Australia.

[avril]

The shop now trading as "Ethel Austin" was designed for Robert Harris in the early 1960s, by my late father, the architect Robert Rennie. It must have seemed the "last word" in trendiness at the same. Definitely the place to go to for your Dansette record-players, and so on. But it looks a bit sad and dated nowadays. That's the passage of time for you!

My father also designed shops for AT Mays in Hamilton Street, Saltcoats. All-Pets and All-Travel, they were called. AT Mays never looked back. They went from strength and made a huge fortune when "package-holidays" took off, from the 1960s onwards. AT Mays was later sold to a much larger concern. (Can't remember which.) The Moffat Family (founders of AT Mays) still live in this area.

It's fitting that Harris of Saltcoats (as they became known) moved to Rennie Business Units, Saltcoats. Rennie Place and Rennie Business Units are both named after my father, Robert Rennie.

As Sir Michael Caine might say: "Not a lot of people know that".

[bobbydarg]

I seem to remember going upstairs to the music counter, where the assistant would play your request, and you stood in a cubical to listen to your selection, I think there was 2 or 3 of these. Then again I might be getting mixed up with Underwoods shop in Hamilton St or maybe both had them ?

Don't know if you know but Anne D. who worked beside us, worked in the record department when i bought vinyl there.

[down south]

A 1968 advertisement for Harris of Saltcoats. This was in their heyday, when they had three shops in Saltcoats; the big three-story shop in Dockhead St , their old cycle shop in Green St, and Nurseryland in Hamilton St, which had recently opened at that time.

Susan

[morag]

The shop now trading as "Ethel Austin" was designed for Robert Harris in the early 1960s, by my late father, the architect Robert Rennie. It must have seemed the "last word" in trendiness at the same. Definitely the place to go to for your Dansette record-players, and so on. But it looks a bit sad and dated nowadays. That's the passage of time for you!

My father also designed shops for AT Mays in Hamilton Street, Saltcoats. All-Pets and All-Travel, they were called. AT Mays never looked back. They went from strength and made a huge fortune when "package-holidays" took off, from the 1960s onwards. AT Mays was later sold to a much larger concern. (Can't remember which.) The Moffat Family (founders of AT Mays) still live in this area.

It's fitting that Harris of Saltcoats (as they became known) moved to Rennie Business Units, Saltcoats. Rennie Place and Rennie Business Units are both named after my father, Robert Rennie.

As Sir Michael Caine might say: "Not a lot of people know that".

Avril, what a legacy! You must be very proud of your dad!

[Penny Tray]

Avril,

I well remember as a young man people saying that if you wanted a good architect, Robert Rennie was your man. Please remind me where he had business premises? Is it another trick of an aging mind or did he have upstairs offices in Barr Street, Ardrossan at one time? Also, was one of his qualifications ARIBA? Depending on your answer I will come back later and tell you why I asked.

[Meg]

I thought his office was along beside ST Peter's church - but could be wrong. Interesting to see your reply Avril

Meg

[FlyingAl]

I too spent an awful lot of time in Harris of Saltcoats back in the day, I bought all my TV's, VCR's, Hi-Fi's etc there. The staff were fantastic and I became good friends with them, even if you were just in for a nosey and not to buy they would excitedly show you all the latest kit, loved the place.

The staff when I was there was Mr Hugh Mackay (one of the owners) Jim Taggart (still friends to this day) Tom (unsure of surname, tall with moustache) Betty and Jack.

Happy days

Al

[avril]

Morag, Penny and Meg

How very kind of you to remember my dad, Robert Rennie! ("Bob" to his friends.)

My father's parents lived for many years at 104 Argyle Road, Saltcoats. When my father first set up in business, in the 1930s, he worked from his parents' house. Later on, he bought an ofice at 12a Hamilton Street, Saltcoats, immediately above Breckenridge the Hairdresser. The front door to the office had a beautiful big glass window inscribed "Robert Rennie, Chartered Architect" in gold lettering. On the wall beside it was a plate saying "Robert Rennie, ARIBA, ARIAS".

In the 1960s, when Robert Harris's store was built, my father was in partnership with Mr Drew Watson. There was a lot of building done in the 1960s, and it was common to see the architect's sign "Robert Rennie & Watson" on new buildings in the area of the Three Towns.

Also in the early 1960s, my father took over the Ardrossan-based firm of Black & Shapley and kept on the premises at 15 Barr Street for a while. (I'm told that Mr Arthur Shapley left architectural practice at that point and re-located to Bournemouth to run a hotel. Apparently, Mr Shapley is still alive, aged over 100, and living in a residential home in Bournemouth.)

My father died, aged only 63, in 1969. Some time after, Drew Watson took Mr Angus Starling into partnership, and the firm traded as "Rennie, Watson & Starling" from then on. They needed larger premises and moved to Arran Place, Ardrossan, to a lovely Georgian house immediately beside St Peter in Chains RC Church. In about 1990, Angus Starling took the sad decision to close the practice. This brought to an end almost 60 years of architectural practice in the "Three Towns" area, by my father and his colleagues.

The story is not entirely over, though. Historic Scotland, no less, are now compiling an on-line Dictionary of Scottish Architects - an ambitious project aiming to identify every architect who has ever practised in Scotland, together with a list of their work. I am in quite regular contact with Historic Scotland about this and a good on-line "bio" of my father is emerging. You will enjoy reading it, I'm sure. Do take a look!

In fact, Historic Scotland are using a photograph of my father as a young army officer (amongst others) to publicise the Dictionary. So, many years after his death, my father is now a "poster-boy" for the profession he practised for many years in the "Three Towns"!

I urgently need help from anyone who knows of buildings by my father' (and his firm) to help with the list. I can name, for example: - Chapelhill Mount, Harvie Gardens, The Braes, St Brendan's RC Church and St Cuthbert's Church Hall. There's a great deal more, of course. It was the tragic loss of St Brendan's Church this year that made me realise how important it is to get my father's achievements recorded - before they're swept away by the passage of time.

Can any of you help me with this? I'd be extremely grateful if you can!

[avril]

Avril,

I well remember as a young man people saying that if you wanted a good architect, Robert Rennie was your man. Please remind me where he had business premises? Is it another trick of an aging mind or did he have upstairs offices in Barr Street, Ardrossan at one time? Also, was one of his qualifications ARIBA? Depending on your answer I will come back later and tell you why I asked.

Penny Tray

Happy New Year - belatedly!

Penny, you said you'd get back to me about my father's qualifications. They were ARIBA, ARIAS. "Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects" and "Associate of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland". After the War, Daddy sometimes used "TA, TD" as well - while he was in the Territorial Army, that is.

During the War, my father was with the Royal Artillery in the Far East. He started as a Captain and was later promoted to Major. He was also "mentioned in dispatches". After the War, he returned to Saltcoats to resume his architectural practice.

Did you know my father's parents? And his sister Nell? They lived in Argyle Road for many years.

Look forward to hearing from you! Avril

[brvhrtjimmy]

hello avril i dont know if you know or not but i did post pictures of the chapel before the demolition i then took pictures of the demolition and i post photos and a video of the las ever mass.
James Barr (Brvhrtjimmy)

[rab]

hi all
robert harris and -evans cant remember his first name started off in a garden shed in parkend road when they had the shop in green st. i can always remember the eletrict train in the shop window where you could touch a brass button outside and it would start the train also robert harris (bobbythe smallest of the two)stayed at the green st. shop when the other shop open
rab