To advertise in The Review email bargain @ thereviewstewarton . com 37 memories of life in stewarton ...
Poems by Drew Higgins .
Drew grew up in Stewarton , and now lives in Canada .
Here are two poems recalling his memories of the town from the 1950s , 60s & 70s . stewarton no more
No more calling Sgt Foster if you were in trouble , No more Crow the Bookie for a tanner double , No more women in the street wearing peanies , No more penny carmels fae Bina Meenies , No more Swailzies for a swim or a soak , No more broken biscuits in a wee poke , No more Showpark with its horsey hut , No more through the Carrick for a short cut , No more Sibbalds van selling in the streets , No more Nisbits for a quarter of sweets , No more smoke billowing fae Mackie ' s Lum No more Lloyd or Bowman to treat a sore tum , No more Cairns church or the United Free , No more McGills open windae to smell the sea , No more wee boys and lassies delivering your milk , No more Brothertons for clothes made of silk , No more steam locos firing soot into the sky , No more Findlays after the dancing for a hot pie , No more Moncurs or Warwicks toting bags of coal , No more cheering Rose Reilly as she scored a goal , No more Saturday ' s siren going off exactly at noon , No more getting two pints for half a croon , No more colourful lights on Stewarton ' s Christmas tree , No more Roxy picture house for a Saturday matinee , No more getting your " jags " at the clinic in the Square , No more trips to Saltcoats at the Kilmarnock Fair , No more Cochrane Ritchies or Stanley Blands , No more dancing in the Institute to the big bands , No more " Cheese & Wine " nights at the Drill Hall , No more Jimmy Broon shouting " last call " No more " borrowing " apples from Rev Isdales ' s tree , No more " convenience " in Rigg Street , when you needed a pee , No more " Worthies " yacking loudly at the Cross , No more trips to the Castle for the " Pitch & Toss " No more Cooperage where the spirit filled the air , No more John Broadhurst , the postie who cut your hair , No more of " The Good Old Days " like it was before , No more Old Stewarton , aye , Stewarton no more .
Going up the chookie brae , For milk at Lamberton ' s ferm , Your mammy on special occasions , Going to BelleTessa ' s for a perm , Buying paraffin from Mr . Faulds , For your upright heater , You bought it by the gallon , Not by the litre , Standing ootside Highet ' s shoe shop , Oh the lovely smell of leather , Here ' s wee Jeannie Carr , We ' ll stoap fur a blether , Looking in Stanley Bland ' s window , Ogling the meat on the hook , Go visit wee Ethel Broon , To change my library book , Looking at the latest fashions , Sold by Jean Barbour , Just across the street , John Campbell " The Saddler " Mr . Aitchison the chemist , For all your pills and potions , Go to Miss Doig ' s wee shoap , For stockings and lotions , Mr . Morton in the Post Office , Opened and closed on the dot , Pop into Sim ' s the bakers , See what cakes they have got , Before Jenny aw Things , There was a laundromat , Before them was Cochrane Ritchies , Can you remember that , Up to Mrs Harper ’ s shoap , To buy some plooms that were soor , Then up to Armour ' s garage , And booked seats for a " Mystery Toor " Nairns had that Clark ' s shoe thing , Seemingly it wiz high-tech , Bought all your school clothes in here , And paid by the Provident Check , Go into Nelson ' s paper shop , For a quarter of monkey nuts , Then head to the youth club , Held up in the " Horsey Huts ", Johnstone ' s the grocer in High Street , Broken biscuits wiz a big treat ,
do you remember
Then go to Gilmours or Campbells , Who guaranteed you fresh meat , Davie Hewitt was the guy to go to , For a short back and sides , Remember the hut across from the Drill Hall , A haven for Brownies and Guides , Comin oot the Institute Hall , Happy and oan a high , Head doon to Findlays the bakers , For a steamin hoat pie , Served by Rab Hamilton , Or that comic Joke Roy , Wrap it in a buttered roll , Oh whit a joy , Sitting ootside Pioli ' s , On their windae ledge , Do you remember Jenny Marshall ' s Freshest fruit and veg , " Youngs " store that sold everything , You could buy a trap for a moose , Dunlop the painter ' s shoap , Buy some emulsion for the hoose , Johnny Roberton had a big van , It was painted pale pale blue , Jock Murray ' s were painted green And on the road he had two , Buying you cigs on tick , Fae Wullie Sibblad ' s van , The walking tae Kilmaurs , Fur a Black and Tan , Bremners selling pipe tobacco , To all the auld Codgers , Wullie Hood and his Coop van Selling Teabreed and Jammie Dodgers , Campbells next to the Co-op , Sold confectionary and toys , You could buy a car made by Dinky , Or a big bar of " Five Boys " Getting a steak pie fae Allans , In a big Ashett dish , You couldn ' t beat McMillans or McGills , For freshly delivered fish , But these are things of the past , When we called a dress a frock , I don ' t think we are better off , We should turn back the clock .