" A Saunter roon Stinstin"

[chriso]

lp wrote

When you turned in to Carment Dr. from Warner St. There was a wee shop on the left hand side, that used to sell home made toffees, don't remember the name. Further down on the right sat the fish and chip shop you mentioned bobby. I always remember it as " Freddies" , had a summer job in there peeling spuds

I thinkthe name of the wee shop that sold the toffees was Youngs. And the chip shop was Jimmy Corrieries.They also had a fruit shop next door.
Next to the chip shop going towards Caledonia road Was a paper shop called McEvoys which was later Lewis's,
and next to that was Bella McPikes. Then it was Dicksons shoe shop.
Going round the corner to the left was Granny Smiths Fruit shop then next door was George Smiths Chip shop, which you could sit in with a plate of chips for 9d.
Across the road was the Dairy and to the left of that was Turkas's
Further up was another shop called Penmans, later to be called McAlisters ( it might be the other way round)
Further up again next to Ardeer golf club was a wee green hut called Malcolmsons, later known as Paxtons.
Then at the top of Garven road there was a shop called Innes's and straight on was the wee store, With Jimmy Douglas's Grocers built on to it. This was before the new pub was built.

Bunty's was in Misk Knowes and was built by Wullie Martin who ran it for a while before going to Australia.

The shop next to the station bar I remember being called Jenny McAlpines. The McApines owned the piece of ground behind Murdoch crescent with the big house on it which is still there today.

[little plum]

Hi Chris, well remembered, some jogged my memory and others I couldn't recall. The chip shop I quoted as "Freddies" was Corrieries before that, and had omitted this from the post in my haste to mention me peeling spuds. . Don't tell anyone as my street cred will be right out the window. I don't remember the fruit shop but I do remember the paper/sweet shop there and you have me beat with Bella McPikes.
I remember the chip shop you called George Smiths, but don't remember it as a sit in. Was it George that opened the garage next door.
The shop you mentioned in Garven Rd ( Innes) I remember as Philips with the bookies round the corner , I'm sure was Millers and there was a bake house there as well.
With regards to the shop in Misk Knows, I remember it as Martin's but for some reason I had Bunty in my head as a shop proprietor and couldn't put the two together and wrongly associated her with the shop next to the Station Bar.
The big house next to the railway line behind Murdoch Cres. I'm sure at one time was used for stray animals, the out houses I mean . When I was in Ardeer primary there was a girl in my class who lived there, I can't remember her name but I'm sure it was something like Penfold/ Penfield.
Another omission from my original post while at the sand dunes was the sight of a young man. I was out walking my English Springer, he was carrying a golf club , it might have been a wedge or 9 iron and a bag of golf balls. He then started firing them from the waste ground into the dunes. I stopped for a moment and thought " now there's a man that's p----d off with golf.

[bobbydarg]

Why was your English springer carrying a golf club?

[morag]

Oh, ha ha ha ha ha...here we go again! talented dug!

[chriso]

lp wrote

remember the chip shop you called George Smiths, but don't remember it as a sit in. Was it George that opened the garage next door.
The shop you mentioned in Garven Rd ( Innes) I remember as Philips with the bookies round the corner , I'm sure was Millers and there was a bake house there as well.

lp it was the same George Smith who opened the garage, I don't think the sit in at his cafe lasted very long. I just recalled me and Jim Rorie sitting in one night. I think it was because he had a telly when no one else had one at the time.
I have a vague recollection of Innes building a shop,Which may have been made of wood, but I can't be certain, as I sometimes think my head is made of wood. Philip's shop was later on.

[Penny Tray]

You Stevenstonians are lucky was I off-line for the last three days - Little Plum wi' a drooth and drinking watter; Bobbydarg as Baby Bear; McKay47 dancing the can-can - and Meekan at a circus in the toon where he recalls lot's of audience participation - well, well, well, what can I say

Seriously though, whilst I'm enjoying the detail, like many others I suppose from Ardrossan and Saltcoats, I'll struggle to contribute. We weren't that often in the town.

[bobbydarg]

Arn't we the lucky ones.

[little plum]

If we continue our walk past the bank of Scotland and Jenny McAlpines we come to the corner of Portland Place. I'm sure bobbydarg has posted a photo of this, showing Steels garage, further along was the foundry, I have recollections of sparks flying in the night sky. I had a mature motorcycle friend who lived in Portland Pl. he had a Triumph Tiger T100, I can't remember his name, but was known locally as " wreckless" although you didn't say that to his face. On the corner sat "The Ayrshire House of Refreshments" known as the "Trust" the McBlains managed this for years. I should have mentioned that Wullie Shields owned the Station Bar after he sold the Greystones Hotel. After the " Trust" was the big red sandstone house of the McAvoys, and if I could spell I would tell you it's name. then there was the church of the Brethren, the church of choice for local business folk. Opposite this was the police station, many a clip on the ear I received from Sgt Frank James. I would pass it on to his son Kevin at school during a game of football. I have a few memories of this area , the Cally railway bridge with the obsolete gas lamps, but I can still remember smelling gas when passing under it, the pavement only on one side and when going to Auchenharvie with the Life Boy's on a Saturday morning to play football, the siren on the roof of the police station being tested.

[Penny Tray]

Little Plum,

Strange that you should mention a son of Sergeant Frank James, I came across this photo today and I'm certain the chap with his back against the wall is one of his sons. Is this Kevin or is Kevin the one that left Stevenston to join the RAF?

http://www.s1saltcoats.com/files/photo/max-452168.jpg

[little plum]

P.T. It looks like Kevin, the photo would tie in with him being a reporter for the A.S. if my memory serves me right.

[Penny Tray]

Little Plum,

His father is legend. There's a true story about one of his constables complaining (in the mid-60's mind you) that the role of the police was becoming too complex and demanding, and, having listened to enough, Sergeant James said, "William, I want you to deliver this Witness Citation to No. 152 Hayocks Road and when you've done this, I want you to come back and see me, there's something else for you to do." So William walked from the Police Office in New Street all the way to the top of Hayocks, then all the way back, before reporting as instructed, whereupon Frankie, as he was fondly known, said, "Than you very much, now deliver this one to the house next door" - and when the constable protested that he had just walked to the top of the Hayocks, all the way back, and now had to repeat the trek, Frankie said, "William......................................I did not want to confuse you."

[bobbydarg]

Sounds just like him. The James's lived back to back with us, we being in Hayocks road, and they being in Craigdeen drive. The photo is indeed of Kevin, met him a few times when he came to report on the football at Ardeer. With Sg. James there was a great lot of respect from the public, And just like we are doing now, people always have a wee story to tell about him.

Here are a couple of photos one of Portland pl. and the other of the Trust.