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Fairlie
Fairlie maps
Historic maps of Fairlie and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Fairlie maps
Fairlie area books
Displaying 1 of 2 books about Fairlie and the local area. View all books for this area
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Memories of Fairlie
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Ayrshire memories
The Long Walk to Hire A Trike
Millport to me was, as I'm sure it was to most who have visited over the years a place where cars were few and pedal power ruled. All my memories of Millport as a child involved a long walk over the hill from the ferry, then to one of the bike hire shops to pick up my transportation for the day. Even though I was quite capable of riding a bicycle I often hired a trike as they were big and stable and a bit of a treat. Millport was the only place that had bikes of all shapes and sizes. Trikes were for kids who could not ride a bike but on Millport, mainland rules didn't apply. I have fond memories of racing my cousins and sister along the beach front. I was a tourist from Saltcoasts then, now I live in Perth, Western Australia. There is an island not far off the coast here called Rottnest. Cars are also few and far between and pedal power still rules... Read more
Seafront Zoo
I have vague memories of a zoo on the water front at Largs. It definitely had a monkey that got loose inside the small building on occasions and would steal your scarf. There may also have been various birds. Can anyone refresh or debunk this memory? Any details would be welcome.
Nardini's
I was only a boy of 13 maybe 14 but we Kilbirnie folk regularly did the casual work, waitering ect, to the bus runs. Then on a Saturday night it was a great dance hall. I remember well dancing the night away with some middle-aged bit. The walk home over the Halyie brae was not so much fun but I always got back.
Sea-Front Zoo
I remember the zoo, I used to work in it. Email: teddieboyce@talktalk.net
Largs Zoo
As distant memory serves me, the zoo was the brain-child of a local man by the name of Frank Roche. He was also owner of two rea-painted boats which were used for taking tourists on tours around the Cumbraes. They were "Comet" and "Carefree". Unlike the other four boat hirers, who plied their trade from the shore, Mr Roche kept his clinker-built, former crash tender styled vessels at the pier, where he picked up and dropped off passengers. The zoo was in the southern half of a long, two-decked concrete structure that had been the bathing station, run by the Largs burgh council. There were two monkeys ,Frank named them "Hing" and "Doon". Forgive me, but we locals thought the zoo was a bit of a rip off.
BLAIR CASTLE AND GARDENS
From 1975-1985 approx, when we were kids from Dalry we lived in the estate below Blair House about 1 mile from main entrance,The Blair Scheme. Myself and a few lads and girls from there used to go up there walking at evenings and weekends, as you turned into the main drive through those large black gates with stone pillars and walls to match there was a gate house, in all my years up there I never saw anyone in or around, but you knew there were eyes watching you. We walked towards the forester's lodge, we would pass through the high archway of trees bowed over like a protective tunnel of golden leaves and branches high above us. As we neared the forester's lodge we would cross over a bridge with wrought-iron railings, half of which had fallen down into water passing underneath, to the left is the lodge, to the right on the bend is what, if I can remember, was a willow tree whose branches touched the... Read more
Rye Rovers
Walking up Vennel Street, Dalry one afternoon I was approached by a pal's dad, Jimmy Morrison. Jimmy, I'd heard, was putting a junior football team together. He crossed the road towards me and said: "Fancy joining my team? We're applying to play in the Ayrshire league." "Who else have you got?", I asked. "Nobody yet, you'd be the first", he replied. I signed up as the first player in the new 'Rye Rovers' squad of young hopefuls. Remarkably, in our first season we finished fourth top of the league but the following year we scooped two magnificent silver trophies and the Ayrshire League title. We played our home games down at the Public Park. I can still recall the names of most of the lads in the team in which I played for the best part of three years. Most were school pals or lads from neighbouring towns like Kilbirnie or Glengarnock. One very talented player we had was Ian McQueen - he would have passed for a screen double of Hollywood film legend... Read more
