Visitors Memories

Here you will find small snippets of information that visitors recall from the olden days or other silly stories etc.

If You have any memories that are short and sweet, please email me them and I will include them here.

06/02/08	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
09/02/08	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 70's and was surprised to discover that men 20 years older than me also played there and were familiar with the name.
17/02/08	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.
13/03/08	Bobby Rogerson	Many 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 Turnbulls who had their workshop at Afton brig (I believe Billy Hastie has the place now). Bob bought a house in Pathead 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. A great guy and a great singer. His ashes are scattered on Steyamara, where he roamed with the rest of us many, many times. Thanks again--- Boabby
14/03/08	Loveday McBlain nee Pollock	Thanks for all your hard work. 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!).
29/03/08	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 Atlee 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 stuckie's (tarlings) 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.
07/04/08	John Walker	For a time in the 1930/40s 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.
15/05/08	Alex Jess	In the early to middle fifty's Craigbank had a fitba team called simply 'the Bank boys'. They played in the local Churches league I believe. There 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, 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 fiirst 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 to much with them off. There secret weapon was surely their half time refreshment's. No slice of orange for them. Screw taps's were the order of the day. The first thing packed in the trainers 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
19/05/08	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 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 sp 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.
22/08/08	Annie Jess	Malcolm Turner demolish the Bank House in the early 1960s. The 17 rooms had sashes, which when pulled, rang a bell in the servant’s 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, chauffeur and two cows that were milked every day for use 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's directors meetings were held in the house. The coal company were not theoretically allowed to extract any coal from under the house, but they repeatedly did. The staff could often here 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!