The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. Fans paying to get into Beith’s Bellsdale Park on 19th January 1952, were probably just glad that there was a game for them to go to. The wintery weather had left the park covered in a blanket of snow, which would …
John Parkinson 1874-1918, Poet and Writer on Islam
This blog post was kindly provided by Christine Watson from Kilwinning Heritage. Check out their website to plan your visit to the Heritage Centre at Kilwinning Abbey Tower. Or why not give them a follow on their Facebook page? As part of the Kilwinning Heritage Trail, there is a blue plaque on the Main Street at the entrance to Garden Square which names John Parkinson, …
Tammy and the Beast
The following post was kindly submitted to us by Gordon McCreath, who is a keen Ayrshire junior football historian. When Thomas Geddes signed for Irvine Meadow XI as a full back in season 1902/03, he no doubt had hopes of getting a regular game and of winning cups and medals. What he could not have expected was to play in …
The Witchcraft Trials in North Ayrshire
We are delighted to announce the addition of a wonderful piece of individual research relating to the whole of North Ayrshire has been added to the ‘Stories’ section of our website. ‘The Witchcraft Trials in North Ayrshire‘ is the latest submission to NA Heritage by regular contributor Heather Upfield. This well-researched piece incudes details of the victims of the witchcraft …
What Are The Odds?
Back in November 2023, Heather Upfield from Kilwinning Heritage, was in correspondence with Bob Farace from Clinton, Connecticut, USA about a painting relating to Kilwinning. In December 2023, she was in correspondence with Brett Hamm from Leduc, Alberta, Canada, about a Kilwinning-made James Blair longcase clock. Both have ancestors in Kilwinning and Dalry, and in the excitement of the post …
Lylestone Quarry, Brickworks and Coal Mines – a brief history
This blog post was kindly provided by Chris Hawksworth from Kilwinning Heritage. Check out their website to plan your visit to the Heritage Centre at Kilwinning Abbey Tower. Or why not give them a follow on their Facebook page? John Campbell Brisbane, a gentleman of independant means, died in July 1868. He had inherited the estate of Lylestone from his father, Thomas Brisbane. In his …
What It Means To Be A Volunteer At The Heritage Centre In Saltcoats
The following blog post was written by our volunteer, Frances, who gives her time at our North Ayrshire Heritage Centre in Saltcoats. I retired from my job in social work, it could be sometimes difficult and emotional working with the public and families in traumatic circumstances, but on occasions it was hugely rewarding when the outcomes were good. I had …
Edward Harold George Dyer Update
On the 22nd of November, 1943, Sergeant Edward Harold George Dyer died while on a bombing raid on Berlin in World War II. The aircraft was likely shot down over the Netherland en-route to the target. You may remember the name of Edward Harold George Dyer from our story on the crash of a Whitley bomber over Saltcoats in 1943. …
Law and Order: The Frew Collection
This blog post was kindly provided by Jeni Park from Kilwinning Heritage. Check out their website to plan your visit to the Heritage Centre at Kilwinning Abbey Tower. Or why not give them a follow on their Facebook page? I am the volunteer Project Manager for the Frew Collection. This is a large collection of archival documents donated to Kilwinning Heritage during the pandemic by …
Kilwinning Across The Pond
Back in February 2021, during the dark days of lockdown, Heather Upfield, from Kilwinning, was looking for something to do, to while away the hours. She decided to search for any other Kilwinning sites outwith Scotland and was surprised to find four Kilwinning mentions in the Americas! Here’s Heather’s account of her discoveries. Provinces of Canada and States of United …