Billy Long says

Kirk Close is the small street leading up from The Volunteer Arms and Suzy's Cafe (formerly David Nisbet's Hairdressers shop) right up past the old former Orange Hall to the car park behind St Margaret's Church. Yes Geoffrey, it is the very same Kirk Close only it has been revamped. It was given the name because it lead up to the Kirk of ST Margaret's Parish Church.

As the s1dalry correspondent I would like to welcome you to the website. Please feel free to comment or ask anything you would like to know about Dalry on the website and tell your friends about us too.

Geoffrey Graham says

I remember the Volunteer Arms because every Saturday evening the Salvation army band and singers used to stop outside it and sing "Open the doors and let us in". The doors in  question were those of heaven not the pub! I think that the Captain had a sense of humour and used it to sell 'The War Cry'.

Keep it Real says

There is very little left of Kirk Close, most of the area is now a car park. 

The Kirk Close area to the rear of St Margaret's Church was in a state of disrepair and dereliction until the early 1980s.  

In the 1970s, it had been intended to redevelop the area for Council housing, and the former County Council acquired the land through compulsory purchase orders.  At that time, it was intended to pedestrianise New Street and provide service roads to the rear of the shops. 

However, by the early 1980s, funding for new housing and pedestrianisation had all but dried up.  An agency known as the Scottish Development Agency, which was set up to reclaim derelict land in Scotland's declining industrial towns, stepped in with public money and undertook what was then known as a "Land Renewal Project."

This resulted in the derelict buildings being demolished and the area tidied up. A public car park was created, as well as a landscaped area with a sundial and a path around the kirk cemetery. These remain today, almost 30 years later.

In 2008/2009, the local council revamped the car park.  Some of the trees planted in the 1980s were also removed, and grass was planted in place of an area which had shrubs on it.

There are photographs of how Kirk Close used to look on the Dalry Burns Club website: 

http://www.dalryburnsclub.org.uk/olddalry/olddalry.html

Most of the early history of the town was took place at Kirk Close, where many weavers lived during the early part of the industrial revolution.  

marihi henderson says

nice to see you on this site  my frist cousin is jackie ferguson my mother was his aunt margaet and his dad and mom were my aunt and uncle we had a shop 45 main street . till we came to canada kirk close is right across from main street jackie used to work on the boat and when we went to see the clarkes our relatives in belfast we were on the boat he was on .say hello to the family from me and hope all is well marget ferguson was asking how they were also . the original family was henderson their was jim, john, margerat my mom janette jackies mom wilson  before they all got mariied . weather here great right now. marihi

Billy Long says

In the kirk yard just behind the church, there is a memorial garden and a plaque to Dr Watt, a well respected G.P who lived and worked in Dalry.  Watt Court sheltered housing complex is also named after him. Does anyone remember how long he was a doctor for or information about him or might have a photograph of him. I am a bit young to have remembered him. I remember Doctor Wilson Senior but not really anyone else at that time.

Billy Long says

The Salvation Army from Kilbirnie used to go around Dalry pubs on a Friday night without fail, to sell their War Cry magazine. I remember when I used to go as a regular to the Hotel De Croft (The Croft now a private housing eastate) or the Greenbank Inn and they would rattle their cans for a donation. I don't really go out much these days to pubs as it's a bit expensive now so I don't really know if they still come round or not. That was a really funny story about them Geoffrey.  

marihi henderson says

I was delivered bye dr watt at 14 main street . He delivered my sister also

marihi henderson says

their is a photo of dr watt in dalry book that was published about dalry

Geoffrey Graham says

I am in Girvan at present and cannot send a full reply. I will see Jackie when I get home and he will no doubt have something to say about Thomas Wilson Henderson Ferguson

Geoff

marihi henderson says

bev has my email address.i said jannette for jackies mom it was janet weather here is great for a few days having lots of rainy days due to the storms in usa  

Geoffrey Graham says

Dear mahiri by Bev do you mean Langham, maiden name Ferguson?

Robert Anderson says

mention of  Dr Watt  I was in  primary school  with  his  son  Bruce

marihi henderson says

yes i mean bev langham and steve and shopiie and george

marihi henderson says

yes i mean bev langham and steve and shopie  and george bev is my second cousin one of them

Geoffrey Graham says

Is there still a cinema in Dalry? Back in the 1940's I told - - - I will use the name 'Jimmy' to mean any male in Dalry, that way no one can take offence at what I write - - - so that is 'Jimmy' in the best Glaswegian style as in 'Whits wi youse Jimmy?'- - - - - I told Jimmy that I was going to the cinema and he warned me that it was not one of the luxury cinemas that I was used to. He told me not to pay any extra money to go in the balcony because the balcony was just a row of seats at the back of the cinema and that just before the show started the projectionist hauled on a rope to lift all the back row into the air just like washing on a creel.

Jimmy was full of stories like that.

What are your memories of the cinema?

Billy Long says

No, Geoffrey, the last one to close was the Regal in North Street in the 1970's. It caught fire by vandalism. The Roxy and The Victory closed many, many years before The Regal burnt down. Regal Court Sheltered Housing Complex stands in it's place named after The Regal. The nearest indpendent cinema is Saltcoats (The Apollo at the Shore front) or The Magnum Leisure Centre Irvine). Most people in Dalry go to either Kilmarnock Odeon or Linwood Paisley  or Braehead Odeon (ESCAPE) the big mega giant cinema complexes. 

The Regal was a busy cinema before it closed. I remember going to the Saturday Matinee's to watch James Bond 007 films every Saturday afternoon. I remember Dalry Primary School taking the full school to see Digby The Biggest Dog In The World (Old English Sheepdog Collie -Dulux Dog).  Aldso I can remember when Peter Pan came out I went to a evening show with all my family at that point in time to see it. Going to the cinema now is very expensive now. I used to go quite a bit a few number of years ago. I prefer to stay in now and watch a dvd now on the tv now.

Geoffrey Graham says

Geoff Graham, the senile teenager.

Jim McCalmont and Bessie McLean went to the Regal in their courting days and saw a film called 'Rio Rita' and ever after that he called Bessie, 'Rita' so when married she was called Rita McCalmont by all who knew her,.

kenneth morrison says

The shop to the left of kirk close,used to be run by Stan Davidson, who also ran a grocery van about the town. I am sure there was a guy called roddy Mcmillan who lived up the close and he repaired motors,does anyone remember him? Kenny Morrison

Geoffrey Graham says

Jimmy prided himself on being the best weather forecaster in Dalry and I asked him how he did it and the reply went something like this -

'You see that over there?' said Jimmy

'Yes' Like a fool I replied.

'It is called the Auld Mare and I use that and folklore to do my forecasting'

'Is there much folklore in Dalry?'

'Lots' replied Jimmy ' but the weather one goes like this. If you can see the Auld Mare as we can right now then you know for sure that it will rain. You can put all your money on it and you will not lose.'

Is it that certain?'

'One hundered percent, it never fails.'[

If however you look out there and you cannot see the Auld Mare then you know for sure that it is already raining'

CLEVER LAD JIMMY!

Do you know any Dalry folklore?

Here's a puzzle for you, which of the following spellings is incorrect?

WEATHER, WHETHER, WETHER.

Anna Greer says

there was a wee sweet shop almost next to where the victory cinema once stood. I recall going in for sweets with my ration coupons accompanied mostly by my aunt.The lady who then worked in that wee shop was if I recall correctly, called dorothy dumphy. The sweet shop down past the chip shop was called Olivers. Jimmy was the gentlemans name.

nina wood says

Hello Geoffry!! I am absolutely fascinated and trying to take all this in!! I am John McCalmonts (1946-1991) daughter. I have been researching my dads side of the family and cannot believe what I'm reading!! It is so exciting to me that you know so much about my family!! My gran Bessie McCalmont died at a ripe old age of 95 and my mum cared for her. I never met Jim McCalmont because he died which you prob know. I am also related to nathan roddie somehow and obviously jim Mclean (my great grandad). I would love to hear everything you know as we have no-one to ask now.

Look forward to hearing from you

Nina Wood (mccalmont)

Geoffrey Graham says

Hi Nina, Geoff Graham here.

I don't know what s1 policy is regarding divulging email addresses but you are welcome to have mine because this would then give me the opportunity to pass on information that is not suitable for s1 either because of its content or sheer length that could suffocate all other communications to the site.

I hereby give the editor permission to give you my address.

If he wants he can have that in writing.

Yours Geoff Graham

nina wood says

oohh yes!! I am sitting trawling through photos of my grandad (james/jim Mccalmont) at the moment and would love to know what you know and if you knew my dad (john) how you knew him. I read what you said about my gran being known as Rita and then I found a photo from Jim 'to Rita with love'!! Its so interesting. My e-mail address is the_woodys@btinternet.com.

Nina  

nina wood says

hi Geoff, my emails keep getting  returned so I thought I would try this instead! I have received the emails at the end of january and I did reply to one of them but the others were not delivered. Hope you get up and running soon. nina x

Geoffrey Graham says

Got your message Nina. I have just sent some more emails to you I hope that they got through I am obviously having a problem and I hope that I can soon sort it out, Geoff

nick walker says

hi all from dalry past & present

im nicholas { nick } walker lived most of my days @ 36 stoopshill cres .

maried / divorced {latter being best part }:-) moved to Glasgow 17 years ago ruchazie area in east end & loving it ,but i do mis Dalry never enough time to go round every one i know or knew then .

Still love going up the old Blair estate so pieceful compared to city life even to hear the birds singing is a blissful sound as up here the birds sign the get shouted at lolol .

ok se you all soon i hope ..

kind regards  nick