| Archive for urbanglasgow.co.uk For lovers of Urban Exploration of Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
| neilmc |
Ayrshire; Glasgow's RivieraConsidering how popular Ayrshire used to be as a holiday destination for Glaswegians, I'm surprised no one has started a thread on that area.Girvan was where my family holidayed all through the 'sixties, thanks to my dad's employer letting his workers each spend a fortnight every summer in a cottage he owned just off Dalrymple Street (cottage now sadly gone). Here's a photo I took of Girvan harbour, on a nostalgic trip back in 1978:- 
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| Alex Glass |
Brilliant idea for a topic Neil. 
My family went to a holiday hut every year in Meadowpark in Irvine. I believe it is now the site where the large papermill is sited. I have some family photos from the early 60's and will look out my disk and post some photos up. Saltcoats and Stevenson where also popular with Glasgow folk. When my children were little we took them to Stevenson for a week and usually did regular day trip to many of the town on the Ayrshire coast. |
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| james73 |
Aye, Largs, Saltcoats and Ayr were our regular haunts. My granny used to have
a static caravan down at Sandylands years ago.  Not many pics though. 
James H |
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| Alex Glass |
A wee photo of the hut we stayed in during the summer holidays till about 1968.
We spent the whole of the summer holidays there and my dad came during the Fair Fortnight. One year he built the chimney. He always had to fix something when he came down. The hut was surrounded by a small fence and this was usually broken by cars coming off the hill and missing the corner, going through the fence. He resorted to using the steel from an old bed to strengthen the posts. Being close to a farm we would often be sent to get fresh milk from the farmer. In the field next to our hut a horse would often appear and we would feed it with some old bread. There was also a large barley field where we would roll through and hide. Being small it was easy to hide in the long barley. On good days we would walk to the beach at Brassy. On the route we had to cross a railway line. I always remember using a bridge in the middle of nowhere to get across the railway before you could access the beach. Ever day was an adventure at that age and we had plenty to do during the long summer holidays. Many fond memories of our time at the hut. |
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| neilmc |
Alex: my aunt and uncle had a hut at Meadowpark in the 'sixties; they liked the area so much they moved from Ravenscraig Drive, Priesthill to Dreghorn in 1972. I'm sure they would love to see those photos you've got, so get them posted!
James: I thought the photo which follows was taken at Meadowpark, but now think it may be Sandylands. I don't remember taking it, but it was on a strip of negs with some photos I certainly took. It shows my brother, sister, cousin and some of their friends, circa 1971:- 
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| neilmc |
Alex, just spotted your photo of your hut: absolutely lovely, and somehow reminds me of the old prefabs on Cleeves Road!
I'm away to my bed, to dream about Girvan, Meadowpark and Sandylands...... |
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| Alex Glass |
Meadowpark - IrvineHeare are some of my family's holiday snaps from the early 60's during our holidays in Meadowpark in Irvine.  
 
  
  
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| Ronnie |
Thank you, all, for your memories of youthful holidays. We always went to Kames Bay, in Millport, because my Aunt Ethel and Uncle Bert had a relative who owned a flat there. We also went to Rothesay one year, and Fairlie another. My mother, sister and I would sometimes be there for the summer, and my father, who worked for Post Office Telecoms, would come down for the Fair Fortnight. I don't have many memories of those days, but I have some photographs, which I will post at some point.
The Fairlie ones belong in this thread, and the Millport and Rothesay ones can go on another one. Childhood holidays is a great idea for a thread. Thanks again to all who have contributed. Best, R |
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| ex-tobester |
When we used to visit Saltcoats, i remember the monkey house amusements, we occasionally visited Sandylands when people we knew were there, my only memory of that place is the 'stinky house' a wee play house on the park that smelled. | ||
| Fjord |
We went to Girvan several times in the 1970's and stayed in a hotel on the front overlooking the putting green called the Auchendolly, no idea where they got the name from.
I loved the wee motor boats at the pond with a proper petrol lawnmore engine none of your peddalo crap and I'm sure there was a giant helter skelter and other shows beside the harbour. Watching the fishing boats land their catch was a daily event and you could hire a rowing boat and mess about the harbour or explore the river. There was a small private zoo just off the high street although it didn't have anything exotic to speak of just a few goldfish and some budgies in cages IIRC Like most family's foreign holidays were out of the question for my folks and it was only a few years later we finally went abroad in the early 1980's to Millport! 
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| AlanM |
Private zoo?
Sounds more like a pet shop!! |
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| neilmc |
Re: Meadowpark - Irvine
I think my aunt and uncle will love these photos. It was actually my uncle's father who owned their hut in Meadowpark. He lived in Netherplace Road, Pollok, and when he gave up his hut he loved the area so much he moved to Irvine. Re: 'private' zoo in Girvan; this was actually known as The Aviary. I don't think it was private as admission was free. In it's 'heyday' there was a bit more than just budgies and goldfish; they had parrots and canaries and stuff.... 
Anyway, here's Croy Bay in 1978, with Ailsa Craig floating on the horizon:- 
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| AlanM |
Aviaries seem to have been quite common in Ayrshire.
There's a nice one at Dean Castle, another at Culzean (along with a pagoda that was used to house a menagerie although it is empty now) and yet another at Eglinton. |
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| scallopboy |
Re: Meadowpark - Irvine
That could almost be an advertising shot from the time. Cracker 
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| neilmc |
Re: Meadowpark - Irvine
Thanks scallopboy! My sister e-mailed me the following photo and insisted I post it. It looks like it was taken from the front steps of the Turnberry Hotel, looking towards the lighthouse, with Arran beyond; the whole scene looks quite Mediterranean, or even Californian:- 
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| Alex Glass |
That looks like a painting Neil. Cracker
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| neilmc |
Funny you should say that; I was thinking the same about your "WW" photo on the 'colours' thread. |
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| Alex Glass |
If that was a painting you wouldn't want to see inside my head 
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| james73 |
£70m plan for a bay of plenty
AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled for a massive £70million scheme to transform a historic harbour area in Ayrshire. The proposals would create a new community - with shops, leisure facilities and work places - at Irvine's harbourside. More than 300 homes, many aimed at first-time buyers, are to be built in the area and it's hoped around 160 permanent jobs will be created. Developers believe the new community will also be popular with commuters to Glasgow - only a 30-minute drive away and linked with a regular train service. It's the biggest development planned for Irvine - one of Scotland's oldest Royal Burghs - since it became a New Town in the 1960s. Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, formed to breathe new life into five North Ayrshire towns, today announced one of the UK's leading developers, Urban Splash, was the "preferred partner" for the development. It's expected the development will create 100 construction jobs and on completion around 160 permanent and part-time jobs. The project is the first major development to be unveiled by Irvine Bay Regeneration Company since it was established just over a year ago. The company has an ambitious 10-year plan to breathe new life into the Ayrshire towns of Irvine, Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston and Kilwinning. They all have railway stations and Ardrossan is the ferry port to Arran and other west coast islands. James H |
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| Alex Glass |
AyrTook the opportunity to take some photos last week whilst visiting my mother in hospital.The weather was fantastic. 
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| james73 |
Clyde harbour area casts off its old image
A MAJOR step has been taken to rejuvenate the derelict harbour area of a faded Clydeside resort. The 40-acre site at Ardrossan - which has been an eyesore for years - is to be transformed by building new homes, shops, bars, cafes and restaurants and an extended marina. This week the 19th century listed pumphouse building, which has lain unused for years, was reopened as a bar and bistro. The new restaurant was opened by the Cecchini family, who have had bars in Ayrshire for the past 20 years. It is part of a £50million plan to regenerate the Ayrshire town which in 2006 was shortlisted for a carbuncle award as one of the most dismal places to live. The blueprint for the town is a joint initiative involving Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, Clydeport, Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire and North Ayrshire Council. James H |