hi all
As i don't c Ardrossan spoke of on the list much thought i would do the needful an give it a mention although i am Saltcoats born an bred (and proud of it i have a great love and association with the town it is sadly not the town it once was i can remember when i worked in the shipyard the harbour was in it's heyday the basins would be full and there might be four or five ship's anchored out in the bay waiting 2dock i can remember at dinnertime we would go up 2 murchies for chips and then stand at the corner of prince's street and Glasgow street and you could hardly get moving for people standing there a mixture of shipyard/ harbour workers and town residents us young one being just sixteen thought it was great standing there listening 2 the patter of the older generation the town also had it's characters whom i will leave for someone from the town 2 mention (resident or x resident) yes it is a sad state of affairs u cannot even buy a pair of shoes in the town anymore but the people r still as they always were and are that's friendly
and cheerful hope this goes some small way to let people from Ardrossan feel
that they r not being forgotten and hope this e-mail fulfils my wish (a spate of e-mails about Ardrossan).

best regards 2 u all
jim.(blackjack50)

From: mcguire
To: threetowners@topica.com
Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2000

I feel the same as Jim regarding not enough talk about Ardrossan. I think there was slightly more life in Saltcoats than Ardrossan or Stevenston. Like you Jim I also regarded Saltcoats as home. I do have fond, if that's the proper word, of Ardrossan! Oh yeh those great days fishing of the harbour walls.....getting there and back was a sheer b***** nightmare with a virtual booby-trap of steel girder, steel hawser wires, old rail tracks etc. etc. just waiting for you to fall over them and come to grief. Then there was the endless walks back to Saltcoats after missing the last bus home. Who can remember how early they stopped running. After a good evening at Castle Craigs there was the choice of travelling on one of the arranged buses back home or if one was luck enough to pick up a 'lumber' who wanted a bus when there was the prospect of a 'slow' walk back across Castle Hill and all those intrigues (that part will have to remain private). Mind you I had a sister who used to live in Glasgow street across the road from the Crags.
She used to work at a ladies hairdressers in Princes St just across from the cinema (what was it called?) and Ardrossan's one cafe on the corner next to the cinema. My first job was in Ardrossan at Lee's lemonade factory. That was nothing to write home about.
To end with there was the long walks at New Year along the High Rd. back to Saltcoats before midnight..........that's another story. Yeh I'm sure I'm going to make a lot of 'enemies' soon but for me the best thing that ever came out of good old Ardrossan was the road to Saltcoats! (Hope I haven't offended anyone it was just a joke.)

regards to you all
Tony

From: "Sally O'Connor" <salgeo@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2000

Hi Jim, We were just talking about Ardrossan the other night over dinner. I can remember getting our first child's pram from the co-op in Glasgow St. Georges mother used to work in Liptons and she loved her job there. You are right when you say it was a busy wee town. When you went shopping on Sat. Morning, you always met up with old friends and maybe popped in to Eugenes for a coffee. He made the BEST hamburgers with double onions. (yum). We were also talking about the Daddies sauce. Can you still get it over there?.

Gee Tony, You're game making a statement like that!!!. I reckon the best thing that came from Ardrossan was ma wee man!!! I went to the Castle Craigs for the dancing as well. It was great. I think the picture house was called The Lyric or something similar. George would know but he isn't here just now. George would remember the walk back to Ardrossan well after missing the last bus. (naughty but nice!). I can still him taking off for home with his combat jacket on and collar turned up. Didn't matter that it was the middle of winter.OOOh the things we do for love!!!
Sally O xxx

From: "Sally O'Connor" <salgeo@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000

Hugh!, I am surprised at you!!. Imagine stealing some-one elses prough(booty)
George also used to work in the Lees factory in his younger days. (It was probably him that threw the bottle over the wall for later!. Sally O xx

From: mcguireDk
To: threetowners@topica.com
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000

Oh Sally 'O
I didn't mean all I wrote about Ardrossan as serious. I wouldn't dare insult your better half he is probably bigger than me. Anyway we may have been workmates. I also, as I mentioned to Hugh, worked for Lees lemonade factory. I was the sort that used to get into trouble because someone tried to smuggle bottles out of the factory the ones that Hugh seemed to have enjoyed. What happened to Lees factory and its bloody pompous owner? I remember he used to live in one of those big houses near the Kilmenny or Ingledene hotels. Harry Kemp the cinema owner lived close by..

You say hello to your man from me. Tell him from me that Ardrossan is alright.

I am off to England on Thursday for a weeks holiday so you wont be hearing from me for a whole week. What's that you say? "Thank God". I hope when I get back that my in tray is 'full of running over' with the usual interesting and fun letters from all you Threetowners.

Bye bye from Denmark
Tony

From: "william ingram" <w.ingram@xx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000

I also worked for Lees Lemonade In Ardrossan from 1966-1970,when I worked there the owner was a Victor Lee who lived in the first house on the right going into Seamill from Ardrossan. It was taken over by his Brother-in -law I think (from Canada) but only lasted Months after that. I was still employed there when it finally closed.

From: Mark Strachan
To: threetowners@topica.com
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2000

With all this correspondence about lees lemonade you may be interested to know that the museum was recently donated about a dozen lees lemonade bottles.

They are not on display yet but if anyone wants to see them you can just ask.

North Ayrshire Museum