Proceeds from ‘boyhood memories’ booklet donated to charity

Longrow and Town Centre

I was born in 1925 and until I was 18 lived in Longrow. This suited me as I thought Longrow was the centre of the world – well, my world!

Probably the largest shop at that time was John Huie and Co Ltd, stockists of ironmongery, electrical goods, agricultural parts, china, glass and toys etc.

Behind the shop was a large garage, employing about seven or eight mechanics, and it stretched right down to Kinloch Road where they had pumps dispensing both petrol and diesel.

Our flat, where I was brought up, was directly above Huie’s shop, so I spent many hours in the garage getting to know the mechanics and watching them service the cars. Huie’s also had several lorries with a delivery service to Glasgow and a small 20-seater bus for private hire.

The next close down the street led to Campbeltown Sawmill where my old pal Jackie and I would sit and watch the men at work – from a very safe distance.

Jackie lived at the right hand side of this close, first above John Kerr, the baker, and then above Neil McArthur, the baker. The Courier Office retail shop was at the left hand side of the close, (where Donald Barr, the optician, is situated now).

The Courier was printed in a converted house directly above the retail shop. One of the printers, Bobby Albin, was a friend of our family and we would occasionally go in there to watch the Courier being printed.

Leaving the sawmill close and turning left, took us down to the Diamond Vault – nothing to do with a ‘girl’s best friend’. There are a number of theories about the origin of the name, but I never gave it a thought when I was young – I just enjoyed going there.

First stop was at the blacksmith’s and we spent ages there; the horses were always so patient and so was the blacksmith, who never seemed to mind us watching him. Coming out of the smiddy, we would go into the kippering store and would watch Charlie Reppke preparing his products. Boys used to sing: ‘Reppke’s kippers are the best, In the belly, they digest. In the closet, they go west. Reppke’s kippers are the best.’

I have no idea who wrote this lyric.

See next week’s Courier for the second half of the booklet’s first chapter.