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Ayr
Ayr maps
Historic maps of Ayr and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Ayr maps
Ayr area books
Displaying 1 of 2 books about Ayr and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Ayr
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memories of Ayr.
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Does Anyone Remember The Rag And Bone Men?
Does anyone remember the rag and bone men that used to come round the scheme looking for old rags etc? I was so desperate to own a red balloon, nothing was to stand in my way, but where would I get enough good quality rags from? Being a wee lassie and not really understanding,that you shouldn't take your mums best towels, and sheets got me into hot water. My poor wee mum had to chase the rag and bone man down the road to retrieve her stuff.........I got to keep the balloon as the old man had a good laugh! Does anyone remember the bird on a stick? It used to whistle when you spun it round your head, it was great fun! I have so, so many happy memories of growing up in the 1960s and maybe that's why I tend to live in the past too much... It's a fault of mine.
Nancy Black's Fish And Chip Shop
I remember when my mother and granny used to work in the chip shop, and I used to break the coal so it would fit the coal fired pans. There was always a big bottle of sweets under the counter which I would help myself to. The special, was fish chips and peas and the americans loved them. I always used to ask 'any gum chum?' Happy days .
Days at Newton Green
I remember playing down the docks on a Sunday when there was no trains. Fishing off the old pier. Collecting sea coal off the shore. Building a fire and roasting potatoes. Listening to 'The Man in Black' on a Saturday night. A bottle of Careys Cola and a fourpenny bag of Peter Tortelly.s chips. Magic.
Shop in King Street
My great-gran Lizzie Mcgill had a shop at 54/56 King Sstreet, Ayr. If anyone remembers or has pics of her or the shop could you please leave a post. Thanks.
Dear or Dear House
I am attempting to trace my grandfather. I cannot find his birth place, but third child registered as born at either Dear - Deer or Dean House - Monkton - Prestwick. Can anyone provide any information?
Buying Sixpence Worth of Stale Buns.
I remember as a wee girl going with my brother Donald to buy sixpence worth of stale buns. I don't remember the bakers but it was behind Boots the Chemist. It was always a treat if your mum had a spare sixpence and told you to go and purchase some buns. The temptation was always too much and the buns were often scoffed long before we got home. I remember we would disappear for hours in the summer holidays on boiling hot days, no money in our pockets for a drink, or food. We would look for lemonade bottles as we knew there would always be money back on them, and we could buy a drink! I loved going on the boats in Craigie Woods, I can't remember how much they charged to get on but it wasn't that much and it was great fun. I loved it when it was my birthday as it fell on the 4th November. I would always get ten bob from my... Read more
Dalmilling Primary School
In the 1960s, I remember watching Dalmilling Primary being built from my Ganny's window, my first day there when I was about eight and meeting all the new pals, school sports that I was useless at, egg and spoon was torture and getting into trouble for holding it down with my thumb, skinned knees from doing the sack race, scrap books, beds, drawn with those chalk ornaments I won at Cadonna's Shows, frying pan lollies, gobstoppers, love hearts, MB Bars, the Ritz, Gaumont and Orient Picture house, getting let in the back door of the Gaumont, one pal paid, and let the rest of us in, the bug hunter, Dettol-aaarrrgh! writing my name on the pavement with tar using a lolly stick, rounders, kick-the -can, chap-door-run-away, sitting in a big inner tube from a tractor, at least 6 of us, going from the big dam to the wee dam down the river Ayr, Curry's ginger, cream soda, the ice cream from the cafe at the Low Green down Ayr... Read more
The Mid Fifties
I recall my pals and I going to Ayr harbour and picking up the herring and mackerel, which dropped off the baskets when the boats were unloaded, and selling them round the nieghbours' houses. Herring were 1 old penny and mackerel 2 old pennies. Today (2008) a herring costs £1 each! 240 times dearer.
We would make dens up Craigie Woods and sleep out. No dangers then. My wee sister aged 4 walked to High Street from Fotheringham Road and got a bus to to Heathfield School and back herself. Try that today!!
Cheers, Jimmy Manson, Ayr.
