Headmaster Bryson (Jan 2000)

[Archivist]

From: <alecw@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000

Hi Sally,
I can remember Mr. Bryson very well. He lived in Adair Ave or Kennedy Rd just round the corner from the school. I always thought he had a stressful job. He was a good headmaster. I remember at school there was a teacher who used to scare me her name was Ms Christie. I was only 6 when I first encountered her and boy did it make a lasting impression on me. The hero of the school was the janitor and I think his name was Mr. Naesmith or something to that effect.

I remember getting into trouble for going down the old caley railway before the houses were built there. It was just a great adventure then!

There was the cafe at the top of Jack's Rd called the Aberlour which had great ice cream. Now I think it's called flash Harry's or something. They also used to sell lucky potatoes. I would love to get the recipe for making them if anyone knows how! I found a place in Aberdeen about 12 years ago that sold them and boy was it a great treat. My wife thought I was crazy for coming home with the whole jar.

Bye the way the only decent fish caught at Manly was at the fish and chip shop. Not much luck from the boat, partly because we ended up chatting and enjoying the nice weather for a change.

Kind Regards
Alec Wilkie


From: "sally o" <salgeo@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 16, 2000

Hi Alec, LOL The last time george went fishing, he brought trout home all sliced, filleted and in packets!!!. He gave up in disgust and bought it from the the trout farm at Mitta Mitta. I didn't have ggod memories about Mr. Bryson. He gave me 6 of the best for
skipping school. Serves me right for getting caught!
I can't remember a Ms Christie or the janitor.Did you ever go stealing apples down the old Callie station?.Regards your lucky potato recipe, I'll have a look at what I've got. Maybe Jean frae Saltcoats might have it. She actually used to stay near the Aberlour Cafe.TTFN Sally O xx



From: <Theclans4@xxxx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

Alec
I remember Ms Christie as well at Jack Road Primary. Yes, she was terrifying. I was very relieved to miss getting her. I got a lovely young teacher instead called Miss Gemmell and then Miss Rennie. Ms Christie and the Infant head teacher, Miss Aitkenhead used to put the fear of god into us. I remember Ms Christie giving pupils the belt if they dared to use a rubber or write with their left hands. Rule by fear. They wouldn't get away with it nowadays. How teaching has changed since those days.
Miss McKnight was a teacher i liked a lot.

Colin


From: <alecw@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

Hi Sally,
What must you have done to have received six of the best!!!
Mr. Bryson could certainly draw the belt, never got up to six though!

I can remember the old Caly Railway well. Didn't get into (I think the phrase was) "plonking apples". To terrified to try it in case I got caught! Used to spend a lot of the summer at Saltcoats outdoor swimming pool. That used to keep me out of mischief.
The other thing we used to do was race Bogies (like a cart), Sannox Drive was just the best.

Well I cant believe how these memories are coming back, and more but that's another story.

Take Good Care
Alec


From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

In part Alec wrote:
> Used to spend a lot of the summer at Saltcoats outdoor swimming pool.
> That used to keep me out of mischief.

Ditto Alec,
My brother and I were members of the Saltcoats swimming Club in the period around 1955. Recall all us lads gathering at the bottom of Kirkhall Drive Ardrossan and walking all the way to the pool via Barrie Terrace and the Plantation coming out near the Registry Office and along the promenade.

Saltcoats council used to pipe the hits of the times through the loudspeakers in the vicinity of the bandstand while a much older generation played draughts on the pavement near my uncle Willie Lynch's ice cream cart (very handy on the way home). Mr Hamilton was the poolmaster and always wore white! Can't believe we used to sunbake on the top of the building at the pool trying to get some warmth from the tarmacadam. On the way home we would collect empty ginger bottles in the hope of getting enough deposit return for a bag of chips.

Betty, I do remember the beached whale - perhaps around 1956. I'm not suggesting it was a basking shark but these gentle giants used to attract many spectators in the summer evenings in those days. To think they used to kill them just for a wee bit of liver oil.

Hugh McCallum
Melbourne


From: "TLHanlon" <tommy_h_mentor@xxxx.net>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

Hi Hugh,
Speaking about the outdoor swimming pool brings back a very funny happening. Do you remember ADAM who used to be in gharge of the changing area? I think that he was slightly deaf because on one occasion after I was finished in the pool I came to him and asked for my basket with my clothes in it. You know that all the baskets had a number well I asked for #323 and after a few minutes he came back and said that there was nothing in #253. I spent many a summer at the pool and we all walked from Stevenston along the Prom.

Regards
Tommy Hanlon


From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

Tommy Hanlon in part wrote:
> I spent many a summer at the pool and we all walked from Stevenston along
> the Prom.

That's another place we would swim Tommy - at the "Slabs". You'd have passed that way on your way home on the promenade at Saltcoats. We had relatives in Esplanade Cottages which was just over the railway pedestrian bridge from the prom. Seabank Street I think it was which runs to the sea off Canal Street. We'd change in their house and nip over the railway bridge. Us youngsters would get a few spectators in those days - admiring our diving skills.

Hugh McCallum
Melbourne


From: "sally o" <salgeo@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

Hi Alec, I was a naughty girl and skipped school with some pals. Before we went to Snoops office, we went to the toilets and put heaps of soap on our hands, so it wasn't too bad. Snoop missed my hand once and I was left with a big welt on my arm. Didn't get any sympathy from my parents either!. Do you remember the Browns from Sannox Drive?. We used to call the bogies, traces. All it was a plank of wood with some wheels on it. Had a lot of fun though.
Sally O xx
PS. Are you heading to Scotland this year?.



From: "Alecs Personal email" <alecw@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

Hi Sally,
Well I'm heading over to Scotland this year. I have some work to do in Germany first and then I'll go and visit the Greek side of my family in Athens. My mum was Greek and my dad was Scottish. Then it's back to Saltcoats for a mutton pie and a decent fish supper.
I always hang out for these, and after I've indulged myself I feel I'm local again.

I've been reading about the saltpans where Hugh and a few others used to dive in. I used to go and watch a lot of the older boys do it and thought one day I'll do that when I'm older. That was an exciting pastime, I don't suppose I would be able to climb back up the stepped wall these days. We used to go to the tower at Saltcoats harbour on a high tide and dive from there. When your kids you did crazy things.

Thanks for the info on the A.A. site (Ardrossan Academy) for those that might think it's for some thing else. The A.A. site I think is a credit to Ian Dalgleish who maintains it and keeps it all together. That was the referring site to here, thanks to Hugh.

P.S. Hugh
I know the book your looking for is always available at Starks the
newsagent.
If you don't have a copy be June let me know and I'll pick up some copies for you.

Well enough of me for now. I guess most of you like my wife will tell me to shut up soon.
Kind Regards to all

Alec Wilkie


From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, January 17, 2000

Isabel Ashurst asked:
> Did you ever get people throwing money in for you to dive and collect

The bottom was not sand at the "slabs" it was rocks and pebbles. We'd have thought of that had it been sand - I'm sure the spectators would have accommodated us. The Inches at Ardrossan was a favourite spot too until one of the older boys was drowned. That was just behind the SMT bus depot.

We all loved catching the AI bus to Kilmarnock for the swimming baths there. Only trouble was entry was divided into sessions and it never seemed long enough. When the wave machine was on you were not allowed to use the "dales" (high diving boards) in case you were to dive between the waves. Ouch!

Tommy, I can still hear those baskets getting thrown around in the changing room at Saltcoats pool. Did you ever try for the free brylcreem from the machine by sucking? Yuck!

Hugh McCallum
Melbourne