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Priestland
Priestland maps
Historic maps of Priestland and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Priestland maps
Priestland photos
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Priestland area books
Displaying 1 of 2 books about Priestland and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Priestland
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Ayrshire memories
Born Near Stewarton, Lived In Newmilns For 11 Years
I lived in the pre-fabs built a few years after the war, on Strath Crescent. That would have been around 1953. Later, those 'white boxes' were to be demolished, so we moved to new council semi-detached houses at Persian Sands (I don't know what it's called now) near Greenside (I think that was the name) Park. I recall walks along 'The Broon's Road', playing near The Meal Mill, being in the Newmilns Boys' Brigade, 'scatters' at weddings at all the churches, buying 'The Beezer', 'The Dandy', 'The Hotspur' and 'The 'Beano' at the newsagents. While on Strath Crescent, I remember 'The Bleachfield', 'The Bing', and 'Heron Nancy's' (I always wondered how it got that name). I moved to Canada when I was 12 and often wondered what happened to childhood friends and classmates that I of course lost contact with after emigrating. I'd love to get in touch with some of them after 46 years. I wonder if they stayed in the area or moved to other parts.
Fishing at Craufurdland Lake.
I was born in Armour Street in Kilmarnock in 1959. Around 1963 we moved to Onthank. I went to Onthank School. My friend Bryce Herbert and I from about the age of 10 onwards used to go to Craufurdland Lake to fish for Perch and Pike. On Saturday mornings we would knock on the door of the castle in the picture. An upstairs window would open and we would shout up asking for permission to fish in the Lake. If "Mr Craufurdland" as we imagined he was called said yes, off we went. If no, we walked home again. The Lake was and is a magical place for me although now it is a trout fishery and all of the beautiful lilies and reeds are gone.
Hogmanay in Kilmarnock
Sometime in December of 1953 I was posted to Preswick Airport from London Airport, being a motor cycle Constable with what was then the Ministry of Civil Aviation Constabulary, for a tour of duty of one month, the police motor cycle, a 350cc Matchless was shipped from London by train.
It had been reported that cars were mistaking the single runway for the main road to Glasgow, however during my tour I didn't come across any such incident, although it was bloody cold riding a motor cycle eight hours a day.
But the fondest memories of that time I have are first-footing on new year's eve with three pretty Scottish girls in Kilmarnock, being a tall, dark, stranger I was pushed into various homes with a piece of bread in one hand and a piece of coal in the other, giving the promise of food and warmth for the year, all new to me being an Englishman.
As I seem to recall this lasted for two... Read more
Killie
My memories have a date range from 1958 to date. Although I was born in Irvine due to my mother needing urgent medical assistance I was brought up in a town that I grew to love and found easy to defend against anyone who barracked it.
I lived with my mother and father originally in Paxton Street which looked onto the bleechy (childrens' play area) which backed onto the cemetary of the St. Andrews Church.
Like my Dad, I went to nearby Bentink Primary School and during lunch time would go to my Gran's in Richardland Road which had a great view of the woollen mill and the comings and goings around that area.
In 1959 we moved to the new housing estate at Bellfield where I lived for 25 yrs.
Throughout my time in Killie I represented the town's local swimming club - like my mother, father and younger brother did. Like my younger brother I also played rugby for the rugby club and also... Read more
My First Visit to Eaglesham Church
My first and last visit to Eaglesham church was when i was a schoolboy at lawmuir agricultural school in nearby Jackton. I must add that lawmuir was a boarding school in those days, and pupils went there on a voluntary basis, all paid for by Glasgow corporation education department, the idea was that we had half a days schooling and the other half working on the farm, the school was split into two different groups, giving the farm work a full days cover, we boarded for a fortnight at a time, and went home every second week-end, leaving one group of lads to help milk the cows, feed the pigs etc, over the week-end. our resident headmaster seemed to think that our spiritual needs required some education, so he decided that those of us who were not required on the farm, should scrub up, put away our copies of the News of the World, and pay our respects to the local vicar and his parishoners during their mid-morning service,... Read more
Lawmuir Agricultural School
I went to Lawmuir for 2 years from 1963 - 1965 when I was 12. I am now 58. Every Monday morning the bus would pick you up at one of the statues in George Square directly across from the Post Office Building and take all the boys out to Jackton. The first day I arrived I was homesick but then settled down. I enjoyed being there. It was correct that every room had to take a chance of getting up at 5:00am to milk the cows, that I regretted, the food was good and we all enjoyed ourselves at night, the teachers put on a film night which was every Monday, and Thursday night was swimming night, you were taken to baths at St Margaret Marys pool in Castlemilk and spent a couple of hours there and were brought back. Most nights they put on something to keep us happy, during the day some of us were working out on the land and the others were in the classroom... Read more
Pig Farm
As a child our dog MAC had his boarding holidays with a Mrs Crawford who had a pig farm somewhere off Strathaven Road. I remember my dad driving up the farm road to the farm and the pigs seemed so big and dirty to us little children. Mac spent his holidays at the farm while we went off to the beach somewhere. I remember one year when we came home and Mac had run away, the village postmistress's dog was in season and Mac had taken off over the hills after his lady friend. Mum was horrified.
Does anyone remember this farm and its location?
