Growing Up

[blueboyno1]

Aye Bobh, are you sure you never just came out of the Cot bar

[Coxy]

As a child of the 70s/early 80s, Kintyre was just a big adventure playground, every inch of it was there to be explored on foot or bike.

Never a dull moment, FREE to roam about from dawn till dusk during the summer holidays, parents had TRUST in their kids not to do too anything daft and arrive home in one piece (maybe a wee bit scuffed sometimes )

Boys football ,,, Crosshill A, Crosshill B, Longrow, Dalaruan, Calton ... sponsored walks to Southend.
Random 20 a side games any night of the week. 5 a sides in the Vic.
Saturday matinees in The Rex or The Wee Pictures, hanging out in cafes, Muldoons Arcade, the arrival of CB radio.

Feeling like I KNEW EVERYONE in town (although I probably didn't), a real sense of community, respect for your elders.
Sunday school & Sunday school picnics .... the rivalry between Castlehill and Dalintober ... grudging respect for teachers who were good with the belt, school sports days ... HOGMANAY was about visiting your friends and family to reminice over droll stories & sing songs ... thinking that Campbeltown was the only place in the world that didn't have a funny accent ... not being conscious of class or feeling better or worse than anyone else. Laughing a lot.

.... and you try telling that to the kids of today ... they'd never believe you.

Liked that one £3.73, well put.

Campbeltown had many things going then, Army cadets, Sea cadets, BBs, cubs, Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Tae Kwon Do etc.

I particularly remember the Sea Cadets and only when i grew up did i appreciate the time and dedication the instructors put in to teaching us things like sailing, rowing, canoeing, power boating, abseiling, skiing, shooting, the list is endless. Outward bound at the old Bordadubh with instructors from the Navy Seals and some of the older boys giving "initiations" to the young flas (you know who you are) Training with the TA, going to sea in Royal Navy ships and Tall ships, i could go on but i won't

Their was a huge following in the Cadets in those days

Fantastic memories with bruises to match

[blueboyno1]

I remember during the Glasgow fair there was a big carnival in Campbeltown,with hundreds of people in fancy dress and scores of floats all done up .It was great day rain or shine and the whole town was in the grip of a party atmosphere ,brilliant .I also remember my cousin and i would take one of our great uncle his tea can and pieces to the distillery when he was on the night shift ,he was a blender .We were allowed to stay up really late so we could take it to him about 1-30am ,made us feel really adult and important .The smell of the place was unbelievable and he would allow us to explore all over the place.We were only young boys at the time .Would not be allowed now. Another great time we used to have was at the weekly livestock sale which was held down near the net factory .We would get to help the farmers to drive the stock into the pens ,then into the arena to be auctioned .We got a tanner each and thought we were millionairs .We also got big slices of home baked bread and cheese with cans of milk straight out the cows tit ,still taste it . I remember the milk horse and cart coming into Park Square ,where we would take a can to get milk for my granny ,Cant remember the name of the man who drove it but he was a well kent face at the time.Nor do i remember the name of the dairy but i think it was in Kirk street .Can anyone help me there.

[EMDEE]

The milkman with the horse and cart was Davy Black. As far as I remember the horse was called Paddy. In later years, he had a grey Austin pick-up that he used up till his retiral. Not as much of an attraction as the horse. I remember in my pre school-days going out and giving the horse a slice of bread every day. I think he arrived in Albyn Avenue about 10 am. and he had a metal whistle that he blew to let everyone know he was there. Sometimes he would take us for a run up the street on the bench seat of the cart when he was leaving.

The other milkman I recall at that time was David Patrick, who used a Morris 1000 van for his deliveries. I think he lived at Stewarton.

The other two horses and carts that I remember in the town were Neil McFadyen's coal cart and the horse and cart that used to take the carcases from the slaughter house in the Roading down to the town. I remember the meat was covered by a big hessian sheet but sometimes there was the odd leg sticking out at the side. Wouldn't be allowed nowadays, but I don't suppose anybody came to any harm.

[blueboyno1]

Thanks for that EMDEE, now that i think of it his name was indeed Davy Black and he did blow a whislle to let people know he was there .It was a bit of a social occasion as all the wifies who came out for their milk would stand around exchanging gossip and all the kids would be out looking and patting the horse .I remember the one from the slaughter house, as one of my uncles workrd there for years .

[ionnsaigh]

We had quite a good view being two stories up, I would spend what seemed like, hours watching coal men shout coal briquettes with mighty voices - that rose above the din of the street. Blue Alexander Buses single and double deckers would pass by every 10 minutes or so - beer lorries filled with barrels of Ushers strong ale, lashed within rope netting, Scammels horse and carts, some filled with tea chests from Ceylon, the chests lined with bright foil, and stamped with some exotic foreign government design. The Polis relied on a whistle to summon help - or one of those Doctor Who boxes. The chimney sweep from down the bottom of McAslin Street ( near where the artists studio was ) had a hand cart, awash with brushes and poles. Anyway the window out the back - looked out to a huge stained glass window of St Mungo a centerpiece of the boys academy. Apparently when I was a baby I would stare at the window for hours on end - as a result my first spoken word was saint - the next one was probably frick. So there I was staying in Martyr Street - my first word saint - is it any wonder I became an atheist.

[ionnsaigh]

Bobh, God the chapel. One day the whole school ( St Mungo's ) where led up to the chapel - we argued amongst ourselves wither it should have been a holiday of obligation or not. I had a new pair of wellies that made a squeaking noise, when you rubbed them together. I decided to shuffle my feet - partly due to the hard wooden knee thing and boredom. Miss Smith was not amused she made me knell on the aisle in front of the whole school - my punishment was complete when the girls school trooped in giggling at my discomfort and embarrassment. I was Seven not long after my first holy communion, when the priest at confession told me I would go to hell. Mind you the penny scrambles where good.

[ionnsaigh]

Blueboyno1, Yes I remember Askeys well enough - it was at the top of Parly Rd, just by the gush -it, although I'm not quite sure what that wee street was named. The building looked a great place to play, like a castle and it was painted the colour Grey.
I seem to recall ( although memory has the habit of playing funny tricks ) either a break-in or a fire at the factory. We went to the barbers shop in Glebe Street, it had two large mirrors - one in front and one directly behind the chair. we would catch a glimpse of infinity.

There was this Women who we would see regularly, she wore a fur coat and had a handbag and hat. She always wore a bandage round one leg, we would whisper that she was a prostitute - how awful, sheer discrimination was alive and well in Toonheid. I remember a murder in McAslin St apparently a Women killed either a man or women up the close with sticking her stiletto heel into the victims head - charming.

[four eyes]

ahhhhhhh castle hill school,being scared to death of miss marks,mr beveridge,the end of school trip to the wee burn near southend,what a great day out splashing in the burn and a picnic with all your pals.meeting all the kids from dalintober on the first day at the grammar school,were those teachers really allowed to treat us kids that way? happy days indeed.

[EMDEE]

were those teachers really allowed to treat us kids that way?

Like Billy Connolly's song about the Janny, sometimes the ones we think are ogres in our schooldays are not so bad when we meet them in later years.

Our Primary 7 outing from Dalintober School was a walk and picnic up the road at Ballochgair. It seemed to be endless, but the whole way up the road there were views over the Kilbrannan sound, Peninver and down to Ross Island. I went a walk up that road with my own family a few years back, and the road was completely enclosed by 30-40ft trees, with the view completely hidden.

That demonstrates either one of two things:

1.How quickly these trees grow, or

2.How long it is since I was in Primary 7

One of the highlights of the Highland Parish Sunday School year was the annual picnic which was always at Macharioch.

[dougie]

what about the rivalry between milknowe and dalintober?incidentally miss marks and mr beveridge taught there before moving to castlehill.

[EMDEE]

There was a great rivalry between the two schools, which particularly came to the surface where the school sports were concerned. Where we lived was within 200 yds of Millknowe School, yet all the youngsters from our area had to trail away over to Dalintober, while those from the other side of the town (eg Meadows Scheme) went to Millknowe.

If I am not mistaken, I believe that for administrative purposes, Dalintober and Millknowe schools were treated as one entity known as Kinloch School. Anybody know anything about this?

[WC1]

Spot on, Emdee. Mr MacNeill was Head Teacher of Kinloch School in my day, and based at Dalintober. Mr Beveridge was in charge of the Millknowe building. I think Mr Purcell was Head Teacher of Kinloch School before Mr MacNeill. Actually, Millknowe originally only had primaries 3 to 7; primaries 1 and 2 were housed in the 'Wee Grammar' (now St Kieran's Primary). I started P1 at the Wee Grammar then moved to P3 at Millknowe. We used to walk to and from Millknowe from the Meadows scheme twice a day, rain or shine. Now they take taxis back to the Grammar School after an al fresco lunch in Main Street. P1 and P2 must have moved to Millknowe at some point, because by the time I started at the 'Big Grammar' the 'Wee Grammar' was housing the Maths department. The Kintyre Club Dux Prize was awarded to the top pupil of Kinloch school. The top six boys and girls at Millknowe and Dalintober had to sit a special test to arrive at the winner.

[blueboyno1]

Reading stories about Glasgow and Campbeltown brings back memories that had been long forgotten ,like the i am about to tell you about. I was born in glasgow ,but at the age of about nine we moved to a place called Ruchazie which was a housing scheme on the outskirts of Glasgow built to house the people who were being moved out of the tenements as part of the slum clearence .I made many friends there among the different families who were moved to the scheme and had a good life ,but i always loved Campbeltown and was for ever telling all my mates about the places to go and things to do.In 1963 at the age of fourteen i decide i was going to go to Campbeltown on a camping holiday and after telling my friends i had no problem finding plenty who wanted to go with me .So after weeks of preparation five pals and i set off on what we thought would be a real adventure .We got the train from Glasgow to Fairlie and then the steamer to Campbeltown ,bearing in mind that all of the guys with me had never been outside Glasgow .When we reached Campbeltown we were met by my cousin who had arranged where we were going to set up camp .It turned out to be at the trench right down on the beach looking over to Davaar ,the look on their faces when they saw the place was a picture .Antway we set up our tents and headed into the town .As it was the Glasgow fair the shows were on the green and we spent most of the night there on the waltsers and dodgems and trying to chat up the local lassies . After the show closed we headed back to camp and made some tea on an open fire ,then off to bed ,we had a tiring day and it was a lovely night ,but as in all good stories it was all about to change ,During the night a storm blew up and our tents were ripped to pieces and all our gear was soaked and blown away ,we were left with nothing .My cousin came up with the idea that we should go and stay at his sisters house which was at the top of Saddell street at the corner of high street .I was not to keen on this because through the years i had heard lots of stories about it being haunted ,still needs must and we headed into town chapped her up and was invited to stay in an upstairs bedroom .She gave us bed clothes and things and we all got stripped out of our soaking wet gear and just crashed wherever we could .Everything wa sgreat for about a week until one night we had started to hear noises and things did not seem right .She had a wee jack russell dog and every now and again the hair would stand up on him and he would start barking and snarling for no reason .Then one night we were all up in the room playing cards when we heard the back door being opened even though i myself had made sure it was locked and snibbed from the inside ,we then heard footsteps coming up the wooden stairs ,halfway up the stairs was a big window with a wide ledge and as all of us ran out on to the landing we all saw this white shape setteling on to the wide ledge almost like the shape of someone sitting looking out the window out on to the back garden which had a wall around it .The shape turned towards us seemed to look at us and then we heard footsteps going back down the stairs and the back door being opened and closed .We all ran down the stairs and the door was indeed locked and snibbed from the inside .I can tell you all the guys who were all rough and ready guys and who would fight goliath were shaking in their boots .The next day we were off back to the big city like a shot .This story is one hundred percent true and i would be interested to hear if anyone else has heard anything about this house or indeed any other house in Campbeltown being haunted .A few years after that my mother and father stayed in Saddell street across from the Glue Pot and every time i went down to visit them they would tell me stories about that house .I cannot walk past it without shivering .

[EMDEE]

Spot on, Emdee. Mr MacNeill was Head Teacher of Kinloch School in my day, and based at Dalintober. Mr Beveridge was in charge of the Millknowe building. I think Mr Purcell was Head Teacher of Kinloch School before Mr MacNeill. Actually, Millknowe originally only had primaries 3 to 7; primaries 1 and 2 were housed in the 'Wee Grammar' (now St Kieran's Primary). I started P1 at the Wee Grammar then moved to P3 at Millknowe. We used to walk to and from Millknowe from the Meadows scheme twice a day, rain or shine. Now they take taxis back to the Grammar School after an al fresco lunch in Main Street. P1 and P2 must have moved to Millknowe at some point, because by the time I started at the 'Big Grammar' the 'Wee Grammar' was housing the Maths department. The Kintyre Club Dux Prize was awarded to the top pupil of Kinloch school. The top six boys and girls at Millknowe and Dalintober had to sit a special test to arrive at the winner.

I thought you might be able to advise on that WC. From my recollection we used to get blue report cards every year, and they were from Kinloch School , not Dalintober or Millknowe, and they were signed by Hector McNeill. As I recollect, he was the senior figure in the heirarchy. Although I crossed his path many times during my schooldays and had many differences of opinion with him, we both discovered when I was at the age of ten, that I actually excelled him in one particular subject in which he thought he was quite well versed. This was a thing that he always liked to relate when he was introduced me as a performer when he was chairman at concerts/ceilidhs. I found him to be a very fine man in later life, and we had many common interests.

Would I be correct in thinking that Mr Purcell was Hector' McNeill's father in law?

Can you work out what the subject was?