Sweet Shop Trilogy.

A Memory of Kilbirnie.

Maggie Cook had a sweet shop at the bottom of Milton Road. She would have done well today with the Garnock Academy business but she served us well and we all have our favourite moments. Maggie was small and petite and in order to access the top shelf she used a ladder. Six of us went in one day and the first asked for four ounces of anniseed balls. Maggie replaced the sweets on the top shelf and asked the next customer what he wanted, John Irvine said four ounces of anniseed balls. Maggie berated him for letting her go up the ladder again, again she replaced them and yet again the next in turn asked for four ounce of anniseed balls. By this time Maggie was fed up with it and she asked the last person William Irvine if he wanted four ounces of anniseed balls to which William answered no. Maggie replaced the said anniseed balls on the top shelf and asked William what he wanted. Williiam replied two ounces of anniseed balls.
May Lauchland had a shop in Bank Street, Kilbirnie, her shop was next to Peter Dunn the barber - remember the catchphrase, "done by myself, myself by Dunn"? Peter would give us a wee bit of change to spend in the sweetie shop, we usually bought a poke of sherbert which she called beverage and liqorice. Finally, Sarah Cook had a shop in Main Street, Sarah had no problem with the top shelf but we soon found out if we asked for something from the bottom shelf a blast of significant proportions came doon her lum. Sarah had a problem with flatulence, she used to dread us coming in the shop as we would look around just to see what was on the bottom shelf and we would ask for it then leg it out the shop.