The Kintyre Forum

I was back in the town for a few days(5th-8th this month),as always it was good to be home. Strange to see the town hall enclosed in scaffolding, should be a terrific venue when it is completed. I think someone should go to the shop premises in Longrow South which is being used to show the fundraising total for the town hall and tidy the window ,looks terrible.
I was a bit surprised when I went to have a look at the new pontoons, to be honest I was expecting more.
Glenside is looking so much better after the face lift. I noticed a lot of empty flats over John St./Princess St. someone said they were getting renovated, while someone else said they were all getting demolished. Personally I think if it was time for Parliament Place to go then the same must be said of John St./Princess St.
Said hello to Davie P.Saturday night in The Fiddlers.God the music is loud in there, but I knew that from the last time. Fewer and fewer places to go of an evening now with pubs closing ,and of course The White Hart.

So near on 46 years since we left, been back every year,sometimes twice or even three times a year, certainly not what it was way back then.Still we call it home, Catherine and me.

We've been thirty one years away but are in the town fairly regularly, and as you say, the townscape and social scene has changed completely during that time, but I suppose that's inevitable and everywhere changes over time.

Benn away 13 years, seen a lot of changes in that time, actually don't go out much when am back, nothing really to captivate the interest.........

Apologies for the flying hello Bill but good to see you in the town.

Think the closure of pubs has been happening over a few years but appears to be following the trend elsewhere. In saying that I would never have thought I'd see the Commercial Inn sitting closed or to add to that matter the White Hart. Add to that McGochans and the trend of selling to large companies doesn't always work in small towns (or anywhere for that matter) as their is no local ownership and the places have went to ruin. The longer these places are shut the harder it will be to re-open. Fiddlers is a great wee bar mind you.

And Petewick - give me a shout next time. You know we had many a good yarn going back to the auld Comm days

Regarding pub's, my two favourite's were Tom Douglas's bar Saturday lunchtime for half a dozen pints of Heavy and a couple of Scotch Pie's with my pal Peter Stanford. Evenings I liked the Para Handy (with "lock ins") when it was run by Andy & Molly, spent a few quid in there !!!

Glassblower, I have always advocated the Kinloch as the best bar ,such a shame to see it lying empty, though it has been through a lot of transformations since our day. As far as I remember that was Tom Douglas's,as you say the mince pies back then were the best. I knew Peter Stanford through Ronnie Hamilton,as did Catherine.We both worked in the projection room of the Rex with Ronnie and Peter would call up to see him.
As for the Para Handy,I think that was before my cousin Sheena and her hubby Ian were in charge.

I am sitting in the shade here in the Yaramar hotel in Fuengirola, the temperature is high 80s,time for another cold beer.