Give us memories of Ayr’s High Street
Appeal for old pictures of the town
cross the street to Fairbairns where the latest Beatles record was always on sale! Yes – my High Street of the early 1960s is all a bit hazy.
But in Alloway Street, I was fascinated by the vacuum tube system in Hourstons that took your money away – then sent back the correct change and a receipt. Hourstons was so good - even Santa shopped there!
Further up, my school shoes came from a shop called Greenlees. Its logo is still visible on the pavement entrance to the property.
And across Burns Statue Square, the highlight of any Christmas shop was a visit to Alan Stevenson’s sports shop. Almost 60 years on . . . I can still remember the smell of new, leather football boots.
All this got me thinking of what Ayr High Street was REALLY like in the 1960s.
And it’s inspired my first New Year resolution – to re- create a ‘ map’ of Ayr’s shops in the town’s golden era.
And that’s where I need YOUR help.
Any memories you have of our town centre, especially what shop was where, would be more than welcome.
Some old photographs of High Street and Alloway Street in the 1960’ s would be even better.
Anything you’ve got can be handed in or posted to Bob Shields, High Street, The Ayrshire Post, Nile Court, Ayr KA7 IPX
Or you can e- mail me at recordshields@ aol. com
I’ll hopefully be reporting back with a special High Street memories column early in the New Year.
Who said nostalgia was a thing of the past?
A dark cloud still hangs over the future of M& S, Debenhams and Hourstons building