Hello Hugh,
After reading yesterday that you worked as a young lad on a farm harvesting "tatties", I had to ask if you are familiar with farms such as: Mill farm, New England Farm or Laigh Dykes. These farms are where my anscestors lived in the 1890 census. You were kind enough to reply to my question regarding Stanley Farm in West Kilbride and I understand there is a school there now.

My anscestors name was McKinnon.

I thoughly enjoy reading the postings to the three-towners and have read of a school named Leigh Dykes and am wondering if schools are names after the farms which they are built on. Would you happen to know the name of the school that was built on "Stanley Farm?

Kind Regards,
Sue from Alberta, Canada.

From: "Hugh McCallum" <hewmac@xxxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000

Hi Sue,
McKinnon's Farm was on the corner of Stanley Road and Dalry Road Ardrossan. I was too young to recall the family though. Eglinton School at the top of Glasgow Street closed about 1959 and everything moved to the new Stanley School on the site of the McKinnon Farm. This farm would never be classed as being in West Kilbride - perhaps they had another there.

The Mill farm is at the cross road that is Dalry Road and the back road to West Kilbride. You'll find a short mention of this in the archives when we spoke about the game of curling on Mill farm dam last month. Did a bit of fishing there in younger days after trekking through the Mill Glen - a boy's paradise at that time.

New England and Laigh Dykes farms were in Saltcoats. Jimmy Laughlan might be able to add to this.

Hugh McCallum
Melbourne

From: "Jimmy Laughlan Salt > USA" <Argyll45@xxx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2000

Hi. Hugh. New England farm was in Saltcoats, the farm house was on Dalry Rd. about a half up from the High rd. on the left going up. On the right, half way between the High Rd. and New England farm was a small dairy farm, called the Border farm, I worked a little at both of them when I was about 12 or 13 yrs. old, in the fields at New England, and looking after the Coos at Border. At that time Jake Young was the Farmer at New England, and Mrs.Urie and her Spinster Daughter ran border, with help from me of course, and the man who delivered the milk. This was all happening around 1940ish. We lived on New England Rd.at the time. Hope you can make sense out of all this. It's been along time since then. I dont know about Laigh Dykes, maybe that was the one at the top of the hill on the left, where the two round clumps of woods were, it was set back a bit off Dalry Rd. so we never got back in there, on the right, at the top of the hill was a farm I think was called Duddup or something, also a wee glen of the same name where we used to go camping.
Jimmy Laughlan

<added> Hugh. I meant the New England farm was a half MILE up from the High Rd. sorry about that goof up. Jimmy Laughlan

From: "Sandy Cowans" <sixcowans@xxxx.uk>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2000

The farm was in Ardrossan. The school built there was Stanley Primary. It was a huge school it even had wood and metal working rooms. Very unusual for a primary school. Rumour has it it was intended as a high school but for some reason it was used for 5-11 year olds instead. I was a pupil there from age 5 to 9 before moving to Kilmarnock in 1974. I was Karen Gillies then (Dr Macdonald's grand-daughter).
Regards Karen.

From: "Betty Woodland" <bettywood@xxx.au>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2000

Goodness!!!!!, I lived in the Border farmhouse for a time with my brother Jim McClure and his wife Davina. The farm of course was no longer there. It was surrounded by new housing. I remember how cooold!!!! it was. My room was in the attic. I think it was used as temporary accomodation for people waiting to be housed.
regards Betty

From: "Andy Bryson" <abryson@xxxx.net>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2000

Stanley School was built as a Junior Secondary - as well as a primary. I attended there from 62-68 (as a Primary pupil) when it was still a Junior Secondary. Around 1970 it joined with Ardrossan Academy and Laighdykes Junior Secondary to become a comprehensive school. It is still a very large primary school catering for Ardrossan pupils from Eglinton Road upwards.
There you go!

From: "Sue in Alberta Canada" <rutledgs@xxxx.com>
To: <threetowners@topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2000 9:12 AM

Thank you Hugh, Jimmy, Karen & Betty,

Your information about the farm my ancestors lived was very much
appreciated.

Do you know of any McKinnons who might like to correspond with me. My great grandfather was Dugald McKinnon who was killed in 1921 in - I believe Ardrossan- train accident. His wife (Margaret) nee Walter and himself were staying in or at "Fetterscain" don't know if this was someones home possibly. He was visiting back home to Scotland from Canada at the time.

Dugald McKinnon had a butcher shop interestingly enough Karen, in Kilmarnock and was an active auctioneer.

Your many interesting stories of the areas history, family research and fish and chip diners are beckoning me to come for a visit.

Thank you all again.
Sue from Calgary, Canada.