Kids with feelings like you and me

ABC of Troon..... T is for Templehill

When I was younger, I was a member of the UTPF. 

Yes, I was in a gang.  

There was Me, Jake, Putty, and G.   Upper Templehill Popular Front. 

We were 14, they were 16.  Our initiation was to sneak out of the house one night and move everybody's bins in Back Templehill.    We did.  We sniggered like a pair of loonies, in and out of gardens, lifting bin lids, and chanking down the road and plonking it on someone elses.    These were the days when Bins were clanky and metal.  

What fun!  That night, was the one night of the existence of the UTPF.


When I was even littler, the red sandstone building was the Library.  It smelt of stale books, and dust, and hot, metal radiators.  The librarians all looked like Libraries, older, slim, single ladies, hair parted in the middle and spec on the end of their nose.  They said "shhhhh" a lot. 

Books were stamped, and cards were taken off you, and the little card from inside the book placed inside your card, and filed, until you returned. 

When I was 19 the same building was the Dole Office,  That was where I queued up to say, "Yes, I'm still unemployed, Yes, I have been looking for work, No I haven't done any paid work in the last 7 days,".  

That very same building is where I now go to the Dentist! 

The Harbour Bar, the Anchorage, and once, Pebbles (but no more)  are way up the top of Templehill- heading to the harbour.  
 
Cowan's  used to be house in Black and Lizars, and also the shop with the Black signage.  Cowans, was massive, there was a garden shop, mowers, plants, soil, like Dobbies, but "ours".

They also had electronic equipment, organs, radios and stuff.  And next door - was the baby shop.  The baby shop had a million prams, all sorts of accessories and baby clothes.   Everyone in Ayrshire shopped for their baby prams in there.   There still is a Cowan's Baby shop there, it's still full of beautiful prams, and accessories and clothes, but it's just not as big as it was before.   Considering over the years - it makes me think of H G Wells Time Machine; the different styles of prams over the years.   Mr Cowan, who was the boss, was also an undertaker.  A very tall, imposing man.  I remember him coming to our house when Gran died, and looking up at him from in between my mum and dad's legs. 

Further down Templehill, we have Cheeky Charlie Pub, hairdressers, chiropodists, a magnificent chip shop, The Pavillion, Another funeral home, my doctor's surgery, and the Pharmacy.    Next door to that Another Pub.,  McIntyres, and then a Chinese. 

The amazing Tog's Cafe was housed for 100 years, in the spot where the Chinese Restaurant is now. It was a sad, sad day when it closed.  It was a meeting point for everyone, reknown for it's Ice Cream, And Mr and Mrs Togneri, and Vilma and Campbell.  

Everything changes. Nothing stays the same.

(Yesterday's will be up shortly)