Mary O'Donoghue
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As with all my chats with people about Bishopton, I don't "structure" the interview, I just let them talk about the subject, then I string together the information as best I can. If I misspell words or names remember that it's me not them I can't thank those people enough for taking letting me take up their time. Mary O'Donoghue responded to a newspaper item looking for anyone who could remember George Sinclair when he lived in the village in the 20's. George writes to me from Canada. I asked Mary O'Donoghue (maiden name Kinnimonth) who she remembers in the village when she was a girl (Mary is 80 but keep that to yourself :->). Mary is a lovely lady! My comments are in italics… Who were the people in the village.. The Rev.McCaskil was the minister, he went to Huntly during the early war years (1st World War), "he was young and well educated" she remarked. He went back to New Zealand after Huntly. Lotty Buchan worked in the Co-op. (The Co-op was still in the village in the 1960's after which it became a butchers, then it became the Chapati 9 (our 3 in 1 take away). John McGurn was a watchman in the village, his job was to look after the roads as they were being built. (It was mainly horse traffic that was in the village at that time). He used a tricycle to get about and owned a cockatoo and a monkey! Asked about events in the village Mary helped reveal more of what went on in the village. It was mainly Unionist dances that were held in what is the Church Youth Centre now. That was almost 70 years ago. The boys at Rossland would go to the Golf Club to caddy while the girls would play in and around the Rossland Burn (it ran between where the new Bamoral Estate is (Stewart's Crest) and the factory. When the factory was being built the Chief Engineers and the Architect lived at Dargavel House. My Aunt did the cleaning and cooking for them. The ROF field (I call it Bishopton Community Field - but that's just me) was ploughed by the Gibbs of Gladstone (Farm). We were not allowed to go to Bishopton during the day, it had a pub so my mother thought that it was a bad place. The new Bishopton Hotel was built and the pub started, this caused 'some disquiet' amongst the Temperance groups in the village. Erskine Parish Church was a good wee school, the head master was Mr. Hutichson, I remember two teachers, Miss Hamil, who was a lovely teacher and Miss Capalini, she was nice too. Mr Walker's brother played for a major football team, I can't remember which one. Everyone had to pass a basic exam to go on to Paisley Grammar On day to day life….. It cost threepenny halfpenny (pronounced thrupence hapeny - pre decimalization) to travel to Paisley. I used to go to Paisley to buy butter from The Maple. It was a scary place to go! Then the pictures were the La Scala, The Regal and The Glen Cinema. The Glen Cinema collapsed killing the children inside it. They had a funeral possession for the children who died, it was a very sad time. Other memories… - The Cattle Show was a big event, we used to get a new penny to spend. - Mr Brown of Craigton used to have great horses. - My father and my grandfather worked at the threshing mill which was near where the ROF factory is now. - Lady Maxwell used to ride to the post office on her horse. - The Stewart's of the company Stewart & Lloyds, the steel company had to move because the factory was to be built taking in their land. - We had two cars in the village, one was owed by someone in the Vales and the other was owned by my Grandfather. He owed an Argyll, which was made in Alexandria near Dumbarton. It was a big event to go out for a drive on a Sunday in the Argyll. The doctors in the village were Dr MacQuire, then came Dr Dreever, then came Dr. White. Dr MacQuire died suddenly, many thought it was suicide. Dr Dreever was very good. His patients waited in the dining room of his house. One day, while waiting, the patients heard a huge thump from upstairs, the doctor had fallen and broke his hip or leg. Dr White started to take over Dr Dreever's patients while he was confined to a wheel chair. Eventually Dr Dreever moved to Edinburgh because of his wheelchair. He used to enjoy walking in the hills, but due to the accident he missed them. His house was in Greenock Road The Telephone Exchange There was a small exchange put into the village because of the factory. Johnnie Woodrow's mother was the first person in the village to get a phone, Mr Moreland, who owned the Golf Inn (my wife's grandfather) had the telephone number Bishopton 3. Peter's Garage was Bishopton 57 (Peter's Garage was where Hamilton's is now, the tractor people at the end of the village). "Tattie Howkers" (potato pickers) used to come from Ireland, to pick vegetable crops. They would have dances at the Holme Farm on a Sunday night. Farmers used to go up to a frozen pond to Curl, curling was very popular in the village in the winter. A farmer from Georgetown had a motorbike powered by steam - they used to build bikes in the village near the bridge works. The Woodrow's shop at the station was originally owned by the Hosie's, then by the Hamilton's and then the Woodrow's owned it. The Hamilton's had a problem with shoplifting, a couple of Bishopton girls were stealing from the shop. |