Largs, The Church Of St Columba 1897

Photo ref: 39855

I definately remember the little zoo on the front of the esplanade probably in the 1960's. There were some birds and possibly a monkey but I remember particularly a huge tortoise ( it may have been a turtle), which was claimed to be over 100 years old. In those days there were also rowing boats for hire on the shore and at the northern end a children's boat park where you could pedal the little boats in a ...see more

Just before you were leaving the wee "zoo" on the prom at Largs, there was a sign, I believe it said...."The most dangerous animal in the world"........... It was a mirror !

As distant memory serves me, the zoo was the brain-child of a local man by the name of Frank Roche. He was also owner of two rea-painted boats which were used for taking tourists on tours around the Cumbraes. They were "Comet" and "Carefree". Unlike the other four boat hirers, who plied their trade from the shore, Mr Roche kept his clinker-built, former crash tender styled vessels at the pier, where he picked up and dropped ...see more

I remember the zoo, I used to work in it. Email: teddieboyce@talktalk.net