1960s & 70s

A Memory of Girvan.

My grandparents (McNaught) lived in Henrietta Street, and my parents & I stayed with them for many holidays in the 60s and 70s. An uncle & aunt lived in George Street - they were retired teachers from Barrhill school. Another aunt & uncle lived in Victory Park - the uncle owned an amusement arcade in Dalrymple Street (wonderful memories of spending too much time in there !!). Next door was the Milroy family, and beyond them was John Drynan who operated a fish van. Across the road was the McCrindle family - the man of the house had been a trawlerman and also was a member of the Girvan lifeboat station crew.

The only TV channel apart from BBC was actually the Ulster version of ITV, not STV !!

Dad and I used to dig lugworms on the beach and fish from the whitewashed pier with them - flounders, saithe and plaice were plentiful back then. Taking a rowing boat out from McMillan's for an hour was a great adventure - you could row up the river as far as the caravan park. John Murray's camera shop sold fishing tackle, and also permits for the river. We fished on the river from McQuater's mill upstream to the double weirs, and occasionally went to Penwhapple reservoir too.

I recall making trips to Ailsa Craig on a small boat which operated a tourist service in the summer.

The town always seemed to be quite a bustling place in the summer back then. Stair Park and the sandy beach were very popular on sunny days. Dad and I loved exploring the rock pools just to the south (Horse rocks) - various small fish, starfish, crabs, urchins, sea anemones were a wonder for a small city boy.

Wonderful memories, and I now realise how lucky I was to have been able to spend childhood holidays there.

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