18th May 2012, issue no. 662

Welcome

Welcome to this week's edition of the jotter. The jotter is devoted to the Troon area, its people and its history. Please get if you are from the Troon area or are interested in Troon and its history.

Happy events

From: Ros (Burns) Cottingham (Troon)

Ros (Burns) Cottingham, Billy and Annette (Walters) McBlane, Ron Thomson (the groom); Mother of the bride, Annette and Ros – Betty (Cassidy) Walters Burns, the bride Carole (Burns) Thomson, and Des Cottingham.

Plus ... congratulations to grandparents Des and Ros, parents Michelle and Matthew, and proud big brother Sean on the safe arrival of Niamh Roslyn Jean Simpson on 15th May! Wee Niamh is Des' and Ros' 9th grandchild.

Troon Chess Club Prize-giving

From: Duncan Malcolm (Troon)

Jeanie – Duncan didn't provide names, but I recognise him in the back row, second from right, humbly admiring his prize. Can you provide names for the others?

Condolence

I'm saddened to report the death of Shona (Stewart) Cameron at Ayr Hospital on 9th May 2012 after a short illness. Shona was the beloved wife of the late Bill Cameron, proud mother of the late Peter, loving grandmother of Callum, Sophie and Aiden. She was a Marr girl (1940-45) and after completing her teacher training returned to Marr to teach Domestic Science from 1952-1988. There's a photo of Shona in her first year as a teacher at http://www.jeanies-jotter.org/bissues_00/20001022.htm - I wish I'd paid better attention to what she taught! She was a lovely lady and will be missed not only by friends and family but by the many pupils she influenced over the years. Funeral service at Masonhill Crematorium on Friday 18th May at 1.15 pm. Donations if desired to Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

Welcome

#1531 Angela Haigh . Was Newton Mearns until 1969, now Troon. Angela is working at the Spar in Logan Drive so if you're up that way, please welcome her.

Email address

NEW Charlotte (Cuthbertson) Allan (Troon)

More happy events

Alastair Kirkman enjoyed a visit from his sister Morag Hales recently - don't let the T-shirt fool you, the photo was taken in Holland.

Happy birthday!

To May birthday girls - Jane (Black) McGregor (Scotland), Betty (Wright) Irwin (Troon), Marilyn (Morrison) Cairns (Irvine), Barbara (McTaggart) Sharp (Troon) and Margaret (Connell) McAlpine (Troon); and to birthday boy Jamesie Bell (USA).

Mr Hamilton's sweet shop

From: Grace (Coltart) Ramsay (Troon)

Further to the story in the April 13th, 2012 jotter quoting from a December 2007 story by David Nicholson about Mr. Hamilton's sweet shop at the corner of Barassie Street and Portland Street.

I remember as a girl in the mid-1930's going in to buy a lucky potato from Mr. Hamilton ‘s shop. (They were a hard toffee concoction covered in cinnamon to look like a real potato). Mr. Hamilton had just opened a new box of them and on a shelf behind was the winner's prize-a pair of roller skates! I picked one from the top and when I turned it over it revealed that I was the lucky one! So I thought, ‘What will Mr. Hamilton do now when he has to sell the lot knowing that the skates had gone?'! I remember he also had a garage behind somewhere.

After the sweet shop there was a pet store owned by Mr. and Mrs. Riley and they had it over the road either before or after. One day I was in the shop at the other side and Mrs. Riley's sister was in charge and a budgerigar had got out of it's cage and she could not catch it. As we bred budgerigars I managed to catch it and put it back. Afterwards a neighbour of mine, a Mr. Perratt, took over the shop and continued to have it as a pet shop where I went in many times.

The Fishers, 11th May 2012

From: Nancy (Hunter) Jones (USA)

In the first picture the girl next to Margaret is Sheena (not Betty). They looked a lot alike but I think that's Sheena. Lovely to see the Fisher family again; it brought many happy memories to the fore. Sheena had an Army friend from Wales named Maureen (who married Houston); I had the pleasure of meeting Maureen when I made a visit to Troon in 2008. Is it possible the girl in uniform is her?

I lost touch with Sheena until a number of years ago when I got a phone call from her – it had been thirty years since I'd spoken to her; she had settled in Florida with her husband Ben and two sons. My oldest son and his wife stopped by and visited them on a vacation to Florida. I regret that I never got down to see Sheena but we called each other often and had many a good laugh.

The second photo - the Mr. and Mrs. Miller are my cousin Nancy (Johnston) and her husband Johnny Miller. A treat to see them both – thanks to Jim Wilson for sending them in.

Jeanie – here's a further treat for you Nancy – also from Jim Wilson (Dundonald) who is Queenie's grandson:

L to R: Maureen Fisher, Houston Fisher, Betty (Fisher) McMaster, Jimmy Main, Ina (Fisher) Main, Campbell McMaster, Hugh Wilson, and Gran "Queenie" Fisher

Kirkwood's, 11th May 2012

From: George (McCririck) Strickland (USA)

I remember Miss Houston outside of Kirkwood's for she was one of my Sunday School teachers at St. Meddan's Church. She also got me my summer job: in the office at Kirkwood's in the morning and on the cash register at the Malvern in the afternoon.

(Speaking of the Malvern, here's a blast from the past from the old Troon Guide sent in by Jim Krasewitz (Troon):

School photos

From: Jim Roberts (France)

Many thanks to Aidan for resurrecting the school photos.

Jeanie: Please note that if you have comments/questions about the school photo album these should be addressed to me at We cannot update addresses, names, etc., on the photo site at the present time but are happy to entertain comments.

Bluebells at Fullarton

From: John Bigham (Troon)

Taken on Sunday, 13th May 2012. You will see that the bluebells ar mixed with another small flower that seems to be taking over. It looks white in the photos but as you will see from the close up it is actually pink. John Stevenson previously identified invasive plants at Fullarton as Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed, but this looks different from either of them.

Places named after the Duke of Portland and family

From: Peter Burnside (USA)

Having lived mostly in Kilmarnock during my youth but having Troon and Barassie as my favourite seaside haunt, I was not aware of just how much the Dukes of Portland's family had contributed to the community. Reading Jeanie's Jotter every week has made me appreciate more just how important the Portland family has been to the Irvine Valley and Troon area.

To give you an idea of the influence on Kilmarnock I have made a wee list that might be of interest since some of the names are echoed in Troon streets. I have to thank the Kilmarnock and District History Group (1992-1993) for their wonderful collection of maps (maps of Kilmarnock 1792-1992) and especially committeeman (my step-father) Frank Gorvett who gifted me a copy.

Bentinck Street: Bentinck is the family name of the Dukes of Portland (there used to be school by that name too).

Duke Street: Named after the Duke of Portland
Forge Street: Named because it was next to the Portland Forge
Fullarton Street: Named after the Duke of Portland's estate in Troon
Henrietta Street: Named after Henrietta Scott who married the *Marquis of Titchfield (son of the Duke of Portland)
Portland Road: You guessed it!
Portland Street: Right again!
Scott Road: Named after Henrietta Scott, daughter-in-law of the Duke of Portland.
Titchfield Street: Named after the *Marquis of Titchfield (Duke of Portland's son).
Turner Place: Named after the Turner family who were factors to the Duke of Portland in the late 1800s.
Welbeck Street: Named after the Duke of Portland's principal residence Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire.
West Fullarton Street: Named after the Duke of Portland's estate in Troon.
Woodstock Place: The title Viscount Woodstock was bestowed on the first Earl of Portland.
Woodstock Street: See Woodstock Place.
Yorke Place: The sixth Duke of Portland married Winifred Anna Dallas-Yorke in June 1889

* The Marquis of Titchfield did much to alleviate the suffering of the Netherton's residents after a devastating fire in1800.

1922 golfing resorts - Troon

From: Iain McCallum (Troon)

This is the cover of a rare golfing book from 1922 featuring golf courses along the Glasgow and South Western Railway along with selected pages that mention Troon. Look at the prices and the simple lightweight golf bag.

Troon snippets from the Ayrshire post of 1957

From: Grace (Coltart) Ramsay via Frank McKee (Troon)

PRESENTATION: Sub-Officer William Laidlaw has resigned from the Fire Service after sixteen and a half years service. At the weekly practice on Tuesday of last week his colleagues in Troon took the opportunity of presenting him with a barometer as a memento of his service. The presentation was made by Leading Fireman David Campbell.

B.R. VEHICLE RECOVERED: On Sunday night it was discovered that the British Railways commercial vehicle which is kept in an open shed at Troon station had been driven away. It was found abandoned in Fullarton Drive.

DROWNED: At lunchtime on Tuesday a schoolboy on Troon promenade saw the body of a woman floating on the sea south of the Bathing Pool. He notified the police immediately and they removed the body to the mortuary. It was later identified as that of Mrs Simpson, Barassie Street, Troon, who had been missing from her home since the previous day. She is survived by her husband, son and daughter.

VANDALS AT MARR COLLEGE GROUND: Between Monday, December 31st and Thursday, January 3rd, a set of rugby posts, approximate value £8, at the Marr College playing fields were maliciously damaged. Hockey goal posts were uprooted and thrown into the burn which runs alongside the playing fields.

TROON: The vital statistics for Troon for 1956 supplied by Mr W.S. Blackley, registrar, were: (1955 figures in parenthesis) births 30 (23), marriages 74 (65), deaths 83 (89). Of the total numbetr of deaths 28 were of persons between the ages of 70 and 79; 22 between 80 and 90 and 5 were over 90. The two oldest were 95.

RELIEF FUND: Provost McCall intimated that the total for the Hungarian Fund, remitted to the Lord Mayor of London was £952 0s 6d.

MERCHANT'S DINNER: Troon Merchants' Association held their annual dinner and dance in the Concert Hall on Friday evening when the company numbered 240. At the outset of the evening Miss B. Morgenthaler, president of the Association, welcomed the company.

In conclusion

Two lovely views of Troon. The first is Troon Library gardens – what a splendid sight! Thanks to Janette Brown (Troon).

Click on the image to view larger version.

The second is from Davie Jaffray (Troon) and is a great view of Barassie. That's Queens Drive at the bottom of the photo, Barassie Primary School in the middle, Muirhead to the lower left, and the houses off Logan Drive (named after trees) in the upper left. I love these aerial shots for I can pick out where many of my friends live.

Thanks to all who are participating by sending photos and stories! Please keep them coming to me at

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