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Kilbarchan
Kilbarchan maps
Historic maps of Kilbarchan and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Kilbarchan maps
Kilbarchan area books
Displaying 1 of 2 books about Kilbarchan and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Kilbarchan
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Renfrewshire memories
Family History
The picture of the High Street, Paisley is part of my family history.
My grandfather, Thomas Paton, worked for his brother, James, who ran a wholesale and mercantile stationers in the High Street. This would have been in the last decades of the 19th century, as it is likely James died around 1898.
I have a few references to the business, and a reference written by James for my grandfather, who moved south and set up his own paper agent's business in or near The Strand (1900-1920s approx.)
It would be fascinating if anyone knows more about the Paton family.
When I Was Growing up
I remember being very happy growing up as a child in Paisley. One of my happiest memories was being given a golliwog outfit from the Robertson's jam factory. A certain amount was given out every year at Halloween by the factory.
I used to enjoy the Library and Museum which I visited each week, and as I got older the visits became more frequent.
I remember thinking how vast Coat's Mill was and how lovely the river that ran past it looked - sadly the mill has now been renovated into flats.
My Husband Came From Paisley
I met my husband in Chiswick, London in 1967, he had come down from Paisley to find work. I loved Paisley, I wanted to move up there but he loved Chiswick. But we went up there whenever we could. I found the people very friendly and my husband's family were very close and made me one of the family. Sadly I lost my husband last month, how I am writeing this I don't know. I have been told I am welcome there any time. He would take me all over Paisley in the car, last time we were there a lot of shops had closed which is a shame. Must close now, getting upset.
Through my Grandfather's Eyes
My grandfather, James Cunningham Smith, was a native of Beith, born in January, 1888, who came to San Francisco just three weeks before the earthquake and fire of April 17, 1906 that nearly destroyed the entire city.
My knowledge and love of Beith comes from the fortnightly editions of the Beith Supplement that regularly arrived at my grandfather's home in San Francisco his often speaking fondly of his hometown. He would reminisce of his beloved sport 'football', or soccer as we in America know it, the afternoons indoors spent playing cribbage when the weather was too cold and wet for outside sports, and it seemed to me, as we sat there playing our own cribbage match, that it was an enchanted land that I hoped some day I could visit. He never became a citizen of the U.S. His heart was left there in Beith and I suppose, because of his fond recollections, a part of mine has preceded me there and remains to this day. Maybe I'll be... Read more
Where I Was Born
Looking at the photo, the large building to the left was known as Moni's building when I was born there in 1957. My grandpa (Wullie Gray) lived just to the right of the Co-Op building shown at number 17/19 Paisley Road. He would have been 18 when this was taken. I believe the Co-Op is a Fumeral Parlour now but Moni's buiding is still there.
great photo
Regards Wullie Gray
I Remember When I Was Just A Little Girl...
I remember when I was just a little girl Ladside won the Junior Cup and the whole town went wild, my brother Tom Storie was on the committee many years later.
School Days
I lived at 27 Radnor Street, last but one tennament to be flattened. My first year of school was at the "new high school", on Bouquanaran; 10 class rooms open, we had to scramble among the bricks to get to class. Then I went to Radnor new primary school, next I went to the old high school down in Clydebank, outside toilets and the roofs had been blown off so it was a chilly sit. Then at age 11, back to the now repaired high school at the bottom of Thompson St. I now live in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, near the largest air base in Canada. Here my best friend, quite by chance we were talking, her father came from Crown Ave, back to back with Radnor St. I also missed that old beacon of Singer's clock when they tore it down, you always knew your way home from all over the Clyde valley. In '56 we moved to Parkhall. My family... Read more
