On going home (Sep 2000)

[Archivist]

From: "Isabel Ashurst" <issy@xx.net.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 16, 2000

I went back to Saltcoats three years ago. We (my Mum and I) had lived here (Australia) since 1966 and Mum passed away so I took her ashes home for burial. She had a plot of land in Ardrossan Cemetery where her Mum and Dad (Edward and Isabella Lennox) were buried and she wanted to be buried with them, thus the visit.
It wasn't a long visit (about 2 weeks) but it whetted my appetite for more so I went back last year, this time for three weeks....still not enough so next year I am coming back for a month. Whilst there last year I spent a lot of time in Ardrossan library doing family research and plan on doing more next time.

I found differences in Saltcoats but to be honest not too many and it was still definately recognizable as the town I grew up in. Noticed that my old school (St. Mary's) wasn't there any more and other such things but basically it was still the same Saltcoats.

Isabella


From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2000

Our first return trip was in 1978 after having been in Australia 14 years. Our three children were with us and were then aged 5 to 12. It was great to see them mix it with their cousins (a new experience for them). The boys just loved being in Stevenston for Halloween and Guy Fox night. Couple of things our daughter couldn't understand which we had to explained. As she and her cousin were passing 'Buckredden' Maternity Home in Kilwinning her cousin said "It's full of dead wee babies in there", and on another occasion she was told "Our granny fell off the chimney, but we're getting a new one"

Hugh McCallum


From: "Margaret Lyons" <lyons@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 19, 2000

Hello to all you expats or "exiles",

Hugh asks how we feel when we go back to the auld country. I love seeing the old haunts and weel kent faces but it leaves me confused.

My younger rellies say, "auntie Margaret uses funny words", cookies for biscuits, chips for crisps. Muffins here look like what I would have called fairy cakes, fairy cakes are cup cakes, and so on.

Back here I have been told frequently that I sound like I'm "just off the boat". Mosquitoes are wee beasties to me, just as bad as the Scottish midgies. I still use Scottish words whenever possible. This summer my daughter was piping at the Tattoo and living in barracks (many in the band are civilian), and was able to translate between the Canadian BW and the Scottish BW. e.g. " Braces" in Canada are what goes in your mouth to straighten crooked teeth, and the things to support your pants are called "Suspenders" here.

We've been here 33years but I feel I belong somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic!

As for food, my daughter managed to get peasemeal which is unheard of here, so I've been savouring the delights of peasebrose!

Margaret