I can remember when I was a boy in the 60's,spending a lot of time in Auchenharvie forest. There was a big house there and some stables, and there was a caretaker we called "auld Birch" who used to run us off. There was also some old ruins which fascinated us, as they must have been hundred of years old. One in particular was a stone structure that had square boxes running up and down all the walls. We used to think it was for pigeons. Anyone who has any idea what these ruins were, or the history of the place, would love to hear from you.
Mike Erskine.

From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: "Threetowners" <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000

Hi Michael,
I've often thought of asking the same question - your description is spot on. We used to play there too when visiting our Millar Road cousins in the early 1950s. I wonder if it was the ruins of Seabank House.

Hugh McCallum

From: Thomas Logan
To: Threetowners
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000 

When I was still at school, a long time ago, I had a friend whose grandfather owned and lived in Auchenharvie House. I can't remember his name, but he had been a solicitor in Saltcoats. We sometimes went to play there both on the estate and in the house. The house was still furnished, I remember particularly the nursery with all the toys still in it, a very large rocking horse amongst others. The upper floor was all small bedrooms, iron bedsteads, not much else. These were known as the hunters' bedrooms, but were probably actually the old servant quarters. The old couple lived in a few rooms on the ground floor looking out on the lawns, very sunny and bright as I remember.
There was a doo-cot in the corner of the garden, a big one, which is very likely to be the old building with stone boxes on the walls that someone mentioned. The blue-bells were mainly in the woods at the bottom of the garden, and when in full bloom were quite a sight.
Does anyone remember the well that was at the top of the estate? A very deep well, with a circular wall and surrounded with a circle of large trees. It was not far in from the Stevenston high road, near the Stevenston boundary. There was also a gun emplacement with a few old cannons still on place on the top of the ridge looking out to sea, but I don't know their history.

Does anyone remember Gas-works varnish? (Gasworks Topic) This was crude coal-tar which was a bye-product of the gas-works, and was great for the bottom of boats. I had a small rowing-boat in the harbour, and tar was about the only thing that kept the water out. As I remember, it cost next to nothing, and may even have been given away.

Talking of shops in Raise Street, (see other topic) how about Springvale Street. There was Houston's the newsagent at the top, with King's grocer next door. A small dairy across the road, and another small grocer/dairy at the corner of Glebe St. And how about Ganelli's cafe in Argyle Road, which had a chip-shop (a good one!) as well. Their ice-cream was out of this world.

From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xx.com.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2000

I should have elaborated. Seabank House was the home of Robert Cunninghame and his successors. Auchenharvie Academy is built on the Seabank House site. If
you go to the threetowners website and use the search engine looking for "Seabank" there will be more details available.

Hugh McCallum