Paradise!

A Memory of Tighnabruaich.

My grandparent's on mother's side lived in top flat of Otterburn, Stroncarraig Brae, Rhubaan and my first visit was in August 1938 on a three weeks holiday from my home in Penarth, South Wales. My grandfather had a small open motor boat together with a dinghy. Wakened each morning around 6 or 6.30 I spent an hour or so rowing among the many yachts, getting soaked in a thunderstorm on one occasion. Grandpa Smith took my younger brother and myself every morning out in the motor boat and he, with great glee, would head into the wash of the many passing steamers for a bouncy ride before heading for the village for his paper which came with a morning steamer. One scorching hot day we attended a sheep-dog trial at the extreme end of Ardlamont Point. We also had a picnic trip to Loch Ridden and a close view of the Maids of Bute together with fishing jaunts. At near 10 years old I had already decided that a sea career was for me so I loved seeing the wonderful variety of steamers rushing through the Kyles plus the odd puffer, much slower of course. Sad when the holiday ended but there was a complete surprise to come just under three years later, this time to become a resident.
In March 1941 my brother and me travelled to stay with our grandparents, arriving aboard the Loch Fyne on 1st April. It was as though I had never been away, but this time becoming part of the community, attending school and church, learning the vertical climbs in the hills surrounding Rhubaan Park from David Johnstone, ages with me, who lived in Rosebank ? - the house the pier side of Argyll Villa. He introduced me to the pier, meeting the morning steamer and travelling on the pier lorry with deliveries sometimes as far as Kilfinan. I eventually became the regular penny boy, great fun, at the Glasgow Fair negotiating the dues for Ma and Paw and half a dozen weans - 2d for adults and 1d children. There were also occasional visits by small cargo boats, Ardyne, Minard, Arran and the danty Marie at all times of the day. I recollect unloading onto the lorry 20 icwt bags of flour one evening and waking up that night hardly able to breathe with strained intercostal muscles. Once a year a puffer would lie at the pier for a couple of days to unload coal direct into the coal lorry of Mr Jamieson and the pier lorry. Unloading was interrupted by the Loch Fyne morning and afternoon.
There was a fairly constant arrival of visitors at Easter and during the summer with four hotels east of the pier, Wellpark, Rowan Bank[?], Kyles Bank[?] and Stroncarriag, with the hotel in the village and Manor Hotel towards Auchenlochan plus The Royal and Kames Hotel. The Manor hotel had a large outhouse and a generator and it was run as a cinema on Saturday nights throughout the year, and when the army arrived in 1942, dances followed the cinema. Seats were in folding blocks of 6, I think, wooden and not too comfortable but who minded. The big event of the year was the New Year dance at the Royal Hall. There was a live band, consisting of farming brothers Hugh and Jimmy Nicolson, drums and accordion, Mrs Irvine [shop] piano and a local labourer on violin. [never knew his name, he lived just up the brae from the Hall and only saw him when unloading coal]. The floor was spread with soap flakes and soon became nice and slippy for dancing. The strong arm farm lassies enjoyed flinging we lads about in reels. The men of course were in the Royal and turned up later but not rowdy it has to be said.
The small shipyard in the village built whalers [large heavy rowing boats] for the Navy but the Rhubaan boatyard was unused, there being no yachting. The park was completely empty and used for annual football matches with visiting Boys Brigades and by we lads for occasional shinty matches, also played on the Moss. The turf never needed cutting as it was cropped close by a huge number of rabbits. One morning when leaving Otterburn at 6.15 [ delivered rolls three times a week for a while] I looked across and saw with amazement the Park literally covered. Myxamitosis virtually wiped them out and on a visit in 1948 the grass was knee high. More to come

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