Date Visitor Memory
30 October 2009 Ron Sharpe I recently visited the New Cumnock now and then site and on navigating my way around came across two pictures that I may be able to give you more details of. On page two of the General Pics. Section there are two pictures entitled “Over turned lorry on Kirkconnel road. Can you date the picture or name the men?” (Click Page two to go to pictures) Page Two

First I’ll give you some detail of what happened here. The lorry was an Albion Reiver registration KSY 31 and it belonged to Alex Houston haulage contractors of Cumnock. The driver was my uncle, the late Robert Sharpe of Logan, and he can be seen in both pictures bare headed and wearing a blue jumper. The guy standing with the dark flat cap on, I believe would be the late Alex “Yogi” Nimmo of Auchinleck. He would have been driving the other lorry that’s seen on the side of the road. The gentleman looking towards the camera with the duffle coat and the lighter coloured flat cap is definitely Alex Houston the owner of the lorry.

I think the accident happened on a Saturday morning around February 1968. Robert had loaded the load of timber from a sawmill that was located just as you entered Kirkconnel from the New Cumnock side. After loading, the timber had been secured with chains rather than ropes. Putting those chains on ensured that the accident, although it was bad, didn't allow the load to scatter all over the road and it remained on the lorry when it turned over. The location of the accident was just south of Burnton Farm. A front spring had broken as the lorry was coming down the hill. This resulted in the chassis sitting down on top of the steer axle. At this stage nothing was going to stop the lorry, and as it approached the slight left hand bend it simply continued on a straight path which put it into the field just across from the farm. The impact with the dry stane dyke sheared the front axle off and it can clearly be seen in the picture.

The farm in the background would be Blackwood. Robert sustained no more than a few cuts in the crash and worked for Alex Houston until the company ceased trading in the early 1990’s.

Incidentally the Albion was repaired and continued working for many more years with Alex Houston. When it was sold it went to Hector Marr the coal and lime merchant. It was painted blue and fitted out with one of the first coal hoppers used to deliver miners coal in the area. Some New Cumnock residents may remember it being parked for many years beside the Crown Hotel.
22 October 2009 Andrew McWhirter The small hopper was used solely for Gum or Dross as many people would know it as, for use in the boiler house at the main pithead. A lorry would get loaded with the dross at the hopper and transport it the short distance to the boiler house, where the dross would be used to power the steam winding engine. Click To View.

After the pit closed in 1968, the building had to remain as it was required for access to the washer building.

In this picture Click To View, the pipe in the foreground was used to transport dirty water from the coal washing process to the fan house, where the filthy water was pumped into the old 'Fan Drift Mine' and onwards into the old workings, which acted like an underground settling pond. The gangway spanned the Connel Burn, linking the pithead to the washing and screening plant. Small hutches would travel along the rails that were set into the concrete on the gangway. The coal was transported to the washer end on conveyor belts that ran inside corrugated iron enclosures. The tumbler tipped the coal from the conveyor belts to be transported through the gangway to the washer for sorting into different sizes and then to be washed, separating the coal from the dirt.

Here we see the washer building and water tower along with the railway that once upon a time, ran to the Bank and Burnfoot Pits. Click To View.
07 September 2009 John Walker On a summer Saturday afternoon in the 1940s, come rain or shine, the busiest place in New Cumnock was always the Castle Green. There, on a wooden shutter covering a window of a small brick building, Wullie Walker the Bookie would pin up the racing pages. His ‘runner’, Geordie Lind, would be in constant motion to and from the public phone box by Tweedy's Garage to ascertain the winners and odds of the previous races and the runners in the next. Once confirmed, winners would be paid out there and then.

Weather permitting, there would also be one or more card schools playing Brag or Twenty-one. Not that anyone minded getting soaked but the cards tended to disintegrate when wet. Occasionally if it was not otherwise in use, Jack MacFarlane's slaughter-house would be commandeered.

And always there were the 'tossing' schools where, on the toss of two pennies, quite large sums were won or lost - especially during the miners' holiday week. In those days most men either kept back pocket money and handed over their pay packets (and responsibility for the family finances) to their wives or passed them over unopened and received pocket money in return. The loss of this meant nothing worse than going without beer and cigs for the rest of the week. However, throughout the year, miners paid weekly into a holiday fund. Because it was mostly only young single men and girls who actually went away on holiday, there was a lot more spare cash sloshing around the village in the holiday week and a large proportion of it inevitably finished on the Castle Green. I remember one occasion when a man from Connelpark, whose name I can't now recall, won over £100. This may seem like small beer to younger visitors but the equivalent nowadays would perhaps be about four thousand pounds - in dirty notes and pockets full of coins.

All of these activities were of course illegal but the police, in the person of Sergeant Leslie, seemed to turn a blind eye, presumably on the basis that if the men were on the Castle Green they weren't getting into trouble elsewhere. In contrast, in the 1930s, I believe a large tossing school behind the bing at Knockshinnoch was regularly raided but look-outs provided plenty of warning and without actually catching someone red-handed it must have been difficult to prove an offence had been committed. I can't recall anyone ever being caught let alone charged or convicted.
22 July 2009 Billy Nisbet What a lovely surprise to see the sixties photos, they bring back so many memories. The big house adjacent to the Scout Hut sits on the land where the tennis courts used to be. I remember them well as, when I was a Scout, we used to have our outdoor activities there. I went to the scout hut from 1950 till 1960. I remember a few of us re-painting it in 1959.

Click to view

The Blackwood's owned the greenhouses in the 40s and 50s
12 April 2009 John Walker One year in the 1940s, in their wisdom, the Castle Races organisers decided that there should be trotting races. Not people you understand, but horses, with a full card of six races and with bookies so that there could be betting. On the day, a grand total of three horses turned up! One of which was a genuine racer - or may once have been - but the other two would have been more at home between the shafts of a Co-op van and in fact looked as if they probably had put in a shift that morning.

The good horse ran freely but the others had to wear special hobbles to stop them breaking into a gallop. A completely unnecessary precaution as an arthritic shuffle was about their limit. Another feature was that there was no sulky or cart behind the horses but instead they had jockeys up who endured an extremely bone-shattering ride. To compensate for the difference in class of the animals they had handicapping whereby the poorer horses were given various starts - much like the Powderhall sprints. I believe the various results had less to do with the handicapping than with how much had been bet on each horse, because it seems likely that the jockeys and bookies were on closer terms than they would have wanted to admit.

The fact that the last race finished just in time for the latter to stuff their winnings into their satchels and run to catch the five o'clock train suggested that they had realised that the punters might be somewhat less than happy.
12 April 2009 Alex Jess Whit a character was auld IP. The wee ditty began when young IP went to Blackpool on holiday. After two days he was skint. So he sent a postcard home to Dad saying “No mun no fun your son” To be replied to by Auld IP with a New Cumnock postcard to him “too bad so sad your Dad”. Yes a worthy if ever there was one
27 October 2008 Rena Lees On reading John Walkers tale of IP, I too have a story relating to the same gentleman. IP's definition of a snob was somebody who had black grapes in the hoose, and they werny no-weel.!!
21 October 2008 John Walker In the 1940s I lived directly across the road from the bus stop near McKechnie's garage. A weel kent New Cumnock worthy (let's call him IP) was waiting for a bus to his home at The Bank having spent a convivial Setterday nicht in Kechie's (Mac's Bar/Glens Bar). When it arrived however - whether the bus or IP was too fu' - the conductress refused to let him on. A heated argument ended with him telling her to "stick yur bus up yur erse". The driver, who by this time had come round to find out what the trouble was, demanded, and got, an immediate apology. "Ah'm soarry hen", said IP, "Ah didnae noatice it wiz a double-decker". It was a half hour wait for the next one.
22 August 2008 Annie Jess Malcolm Turner demolished the Bank House in the early 1960s.
The 17 rooms had sashes, which when pulled, rang a bell in the servants' quarters. The bells had numbers so they knew which room needed room service.
The dining and drawing rooms had Oriel windows.
The dining room had two doors and a pantry where the silver was polished.
The laird and his wife lived in a small parlour which had a library. This may have been for ease of heating the house.
There was a spiral staircase inside the house leading to the roof.
They employed a table maid, two gardeners, a gamekeeper and a chauffeur.
They had two cows that were milked every day - the milk was used in the house.
The cows were milked by Mrs. Peg Shankland.
At Christmas they would get £1, a new uniform and cap along with a gift.
The laird had a stroke in 1935-36, resulting in him having his own private nurse for the last six weeks of his life. The nurse was Carina O'Hara.
Mrs Jess and nurse Carina O'Hara had to clean and dress the laird for his funeral.
The colliery directors meetings were held in the house.
The coal company was not theoretically allowed to extract any coal from under the house, but they repeatedly did. The staff could often hear shots going off under the house as coal blasting was carried out.
The furniture from the house was sold at auction by Thomas Love from Perth.
The locals would line the road, cap in hand, to watch the laird and his wife go to church in their pony and trap.
Mrs Jess earned £1 a month and worked there from 1934-38.
The laird was a bit of a lad in his younger days!
19 May 2008 Paddy Dornan Dida Hastings first name was David. The Bank team did play in the Churches league but I think it was a minister from Dalmellington who signed their papers, not sure about this. Joe Hyslop was only the reserve goalkeeper; Ken Dunn from Dalmellington was first choice.

We also had a team in the Churches League and we were known as Greenhead. We tried to get the local minister to sign our papers but for some reason he was not interested, so we went to the minister of the Craigbank Church, the Rev. Joe Buchanan and he said he would sign our papers on one condition. Six of our players had to attend the Craigbank Church every Sunday morning so we did! We took turn about and if it was your turn to go to church and you didn't go you were dropped for the next game.

These were the days when the ball was made from leather and if it was a wet day the ball got heavier as the game progressed and by the end of the game you had great difficulty hitting or heading the ball any distance. Aye thay wur the days.
15 May 2008 Alex Jess In the early to middle 50s Craigbank had a fitba team called simply 'the Bank Boys'. They played in the local Churches league I believe. Their home ground was the old sloping pitch of the Glen's at the time in Connel Park. A home ground if ever there was one.

The manager Dida Hastings and what a character he was, the Alex Ferguson of his day. I never knew his Christian name. Team talks consisted of "get tore right intae thum". When asked his team of the day he answered every time "Oor Davy and other ten". Davy being his son and a stalwart right back who took no prisoners. He was the first name on the team sheet at all times. Other names were Whiteford, Montgomery, McGhee and Telfer to name a few and goalkeeper big Joe Hyslop who never took his specs off he said he saw too much with them off.

Their secret weapon was surely their half time refreshment's. No slice of orange for them. Screw taps were the order of the day. The first thing packed in the trainer’s bag was a bottle opener. Oh and the referee never talked back to them quite a team. Dida and his boy's feared nothing or no one. I salute you The Bank Boy's
07 April 2008 John Walker For a time in the 1930s and 40s the Castle Races were held in a field at Castlemains Farm. One year someone had the bright idea of including greyhound racing in the events. The help of McKechnie's garage was sought and they provided a car which was jacked up at the end of the track and the tyre and inner tube removed from one of the rear wheels. One end of a very long rope was fixed to the rim and the "hare" [a bundle of rabbit skins, I believe] tied to the other end. The track was U-shaped and "Leal" McKechnie was in charge of the car.

The dogs were loaded into the traps and the signal given to start the race. Unfortunately, Leal, who it was alleged had "drink taken", was rather heavy on the accelerator with the result that no sooner had the dogs got a glimpse of the hare than it was round the bend out of sight and they were left milling around in front of the traps.

Undaunted, the race was set up again and the hare and dogs set off smoothly this time but at the top of the bend, the hare hit an obstruction, flew up in the air and right across the track into the spectators. The dogs of course followed and pandemonium ensued. At least one dog was injured, the owners prudently withdrew the others and further racing was abandoned but everyone, except the owners, agreed that it had been very enjoyable. I believe it was the following year that trotting races were held but that's a different fiasco.
29 March 2008 Alex Jess The Afton Cinema at Connel Park or as it was more commonly known the Barn was something else. Known as the Barn because it was just that in shape and made of corrugated metal. It had the best of films and always packed but very noisy with the patron's shouting at the newsreels Scotland versus England and Attlee versus Churchill and in the winter you could not hear the soundtrack for the hailstones battering off the roof. In the summer time it was the stuckies (starlings) nesting behind the clock above the screen.

Coming home you were Roy Rodgers on Trigger or Tarzan in his latest adventure. Great days and back to the hoose as happy as Larry - The Good Old Days.
14 March 2008 Loveday McBlain nee Pollock Thanks for all your hard work on the web site. I'm delighted that my dad's name will go on - I loved him to bits. And my mum of course, but it was my dad that took us walks and made up stories as we went. Many a time we walked Mansfield Road and up the Afton and he always made the stories last till we got almost back home, then he would say "To be continued", and that would make sure my brothers and I went with him the next time he fancied a walk (which was often!).
13 March 2008 Boabby Rogerson Many thanks for this photo of my dear friend Bob Turnbull. Other than the scout camp photos on the site, this is the only photo I have of my friend of many years. A wee story about Bob - he was one of the plumber Turnbull’s who had their workshop at Afton brig (I believe Billy Hastie has the place now). Bob bought a house in Pathhead halfway up hill on the right, for the princely sum of ten ---yes TEN--- pounds. He took his family to Canada (Brampton near Toronto) just after his son Billy was born. Bob died about five years back. He was a great guy and a wonderful singer. His ashes are scattered on Steyamara, where he roamed with the rest of us many, many times.

Thanks again--- Boabby
17 February 2008 John walker Saturday morning in the 1930s and a whole 3d (just over 1p in today's money) burning a hole in your pocket. There would be tuppence for the pictures with the remainder to be spent at Rose Crawford's sweetie shop. Luckily she was happy to sell her wares in 1/2d lots so I could have both my favourites, aniseed balls and soor plooms. Rose had kept up with the times and dispensed her sweeties in proper paper bags but Miss Ronald who ran a sweetie shop from her front room in Bridgend still made her own pokes from newspaper. Sometimes if one of us was lucky enough to have a copper left we would spend it on cinnamon bark sticks which we would smoke at the Castle Green where no-one would see us.

Then to The Regal - the cheapest seats in the front 12 or 15 rows were little more than boards with a bit of carpet stuck on them. They had no arms which enabled the management to sit 3 kids in 2 seats. When these were full up they then made 2 share each proper seat This was despite the fact that more often than not there wasn't another soul in the whole cinema! Fortunately we were all skinny in those days. Nevertheless a jolly good time was had by all and the noise when anything exciting happened on the screen, rivalled the Hampden Roar.
09 February 2008 The Boss I used to play football behind Farden Avenue near the old Lime Kiln at an area we called 'Wee Hampden'. I thought it was boys of my age who christened the patch of grass 'Wee Hampden' in the 70s and was surprised to discover that men 20 years older than me also played there and were familiar with the name.
06 February 2008 John walker The Bank was a foreign country to me - in fact you could say that it was "enemy territory". In my day, there was as much hostility between the Bank/Burnfoot boys and the Toon boys as there is between Celtic and Rangers fans. Consequently we seldom ventured beyond Connelpark. This was regarded as neutral ground and that was probably for two reasons - Connelpark boys went to both Bank and Toon schools and we were all supporters of The Glen and for a time, Connelpark Rangers who played there