LOCHWINNOCH PRIMARY - DISTANT MEMORIES

Bill Wylie (Dugald Wm Wylie)
age: 65
1944 - 1951

Memories: My time at lochwinnoch school was very good and the teachers at the time were very good. Mr Nimmo was headmaster, Mr Hutchison was his assistant. I started out in the building now the library with Mrs Love (primary1), Miss Robb (primary2) then we moved to the "BIG SCHOOL"on Calder St . I then continued through to Primary 7-8(qualifying class) and then transferred to the John Nielson Institution for my Secondary School education. My time at school of course was during war time and we had fun and a lot of interruptions. We had food and clothes rationing, also fruit baskets were sent from Canada and Australia. Who liked going to school anyway... however later in life, some times too late, we realise what it was all for and when we look back it was a good time. What I disliked about school was when we went to the school dentist in Johnstone. Dan Morrisons bus would pull up to the gates and we would go for a ride with our scarves and a hankie. We still keep in touch with Mrs Anderson (Warlock Gates). I am now retired .

The Wylie familly emigrated to Canada in 1975. We started out in Toronto, then moved to Brampton where our two sons and two daughters went to school and graduated and went out into the work force. My wife (Isabelle) and myself moved to Chatham to work in 1987 and we have been here since. When I left the regular school system I attended the Reid Kerr College in Paisley and went through to be an Auto mechanic which I worked at with several companies. When we came to Canada I had to sit more exams to get my certificate of Qualification to work at my trade in Ontario. During my time here I have continued to upgrade my certificates, and now hold an all Canada certificate allowing me to work any where in Canada at my trade. I have worked as a Marine Mechanic specialising in applications and installations, became a service supervisor and travelled all over North America as a trouble shooter for our products. (sounds great however it was time consuming and very disruptive to familly life ). Went back to the tools when we moved to Chatham and became engine rebuilder for a large intercity and charter coach operation eventually becoming shift foreman. We had about 200 buses. We were bought out by Greyhound bus lines and we were downsized to school buses and city transit. As I have said previously, I retired in August 2004.
My wife Isabelle drives a school bus with special ed. children. It requires special training to handle these children who are physically and mentally challenged and some of them are on the bus for an hr and a half.

Isabel Fricke nee McKinlay
age: 62
1947 - 1954

Memories: I started primary school in the wee school, now the library. In primary 1 we used sand trays. Miss Robb, in primary 2 held a test every Friday and awarded a medal. The big school - I loved the building, its symmetry, the hall and staircases. On a cold day, we stood or sat on the heating pipes in the girls' cloakroom.

I left Lochwinnoch school after the qualifying class to go to the John Neilston. I married Helmut Fricke from Berlin who was a marine engineer with Denholm Shipping and sailed the world with him. Left the sea and eventually bought the Lauriston Hotel in Adrossan. Sadly he died in 1993. Our daughter Caroline is a graduate engineer working for Arup Consulting Engineers in their San Fransisco office.

Paul Brennan
age: 60
1954 - 1956

Memories: Tackety boots and leaking wellies, catching occasional trout near the glen weir, oil-drum rafting on Calder river, living in Calder House, knowing Billy Arthur the baker's son with one glass eye, Billy Brown the blacksmith's son, Avril Webb who lived with her mother in the cottages, the ringlets of a girl called Jem (Jemima), hearing Kenneth McKellar coming out of doorways coming home from school, Mr Miller the tall fair curly haired teacher who walked around the dining room smirking with his strap concealed over his shoulder under his jacket ready to bring it down on those he judged to be worthy, warm food trucked in for lunch in round aluminium containers, lining up first to get the dollop of butter on top of the mashed potatoes, cheaper lunch vouchers for my younger two brothers, high windows controlled by ropes, the smell of wet clothes warmed in the cloakroom by water radiators, marching round the yard singing "We won the war in 1944", the pains and triumphs of winning and losing marbles, the proud voice of teachers telling us that the Scottish education system was better than the English, after school bullying, stealing fruit and vegetables from other people's gardens, spooling(?), the romance of bluebells under the trees. Note: This is all memory not fact!

I arrived in Australia from Lochwinnoch in December 1957 and have been a journalist, broadcaster, book publisher & bookseller. I lived in Amsterdam from the mid 70s to mid 80s and now live in Sydney.

Dorothy Smith
age: 45
1965 - 1971

Memories: great fun in country school.......Going to the river at lunch time and surviving.........Falling as I ran down Hill 60 for Edgar's bus and ripping a chunk out my knee.......... Making slides on the ice in the playground.....Whole class playing rounders in the summer.....the wee field at the back in the infant dept.

I trained as food technologist- married with 2 kids in Houston - now work in school and have geat respect for teaching profession!

Liz Turner
age: 45
1965 - 1971

I remember the church service at the end of the year (June) when Miss Speirs retired after what seemed like forever as the infant mistress. She was given the usual gift on her retirement and in her speech caused much hilarity by reminiscing about when she had been a boy ..... I now live in Johnstone and work at the University of Glasgow.

Robert Wylie
age: 38
1972 - 1975

Memories: my memories of the school is that was a good school with excellent teachers. I have a memory of Ms McGillvary now Mrs Gator and my cousins Wendy McGinigle, Gordon David Stewart and Alistar Byers I used to live on Semple Ave.My family and I live in Canada, in Ontario. I am a 16 yr veteran of the Canadian forces (army) cook,rank master corporal with the infantry unit.

Anne Wylie
age: 37
1973 - 1975

Memories: Separate doors for the boys and girls, school uniforms, and hot lunches. I remember not wanting to leave...... We moved to Canada, Toronto, where I grew up both in the city and in the suburbs. At 17 I moved to Chatham Ontario, to work for a motorcoach operator. I stayed in the transportation industry until 2 years ago. I currently an executive assistant to a well known Canadian Chef, along with being the comptroller of his two companies, Chefs by Design, and Chef Stefan Inc.

Alexander Beggs
age: 37
1972 - 1979

Memories: In primary 6 I got an award for my mathematical abilities. Unfortunately all I got was a book for my efforts which has been lost in the passage of time.

Like most people in Lochwinnoch my working life started at Struthers as a van boy. I then got a job on a YTS scheme in Kilbirnie, learning how to paint and decorate, build a brick wall and various projects with wood. Derek Wylie was also on the same cousre. After that it was back to Struthers for the summer as a van boy again then i was paid off at the end of the season. Next job was with the MSC in Kilbirnie doing gardening and window washing for the old. Then I started my last stint at Struthers which lasted for 30 months, at that point I thought that a change of scenery was required and applied to join the army.Now I have been in the British Army for the past 15 years. I have been in 2 Gulf wars and also done a tour of the Balkans. Later this year we are due to go back to the Gulf on Op Telic 7, this is a 6 month tour based around the Southern City of Basra. Life in the army is good, but at times it can gat pretty hectic. Besides going to the Gulf again, I will be going to Canada for the 4th time. Currently I am based in Germany and have spent much of my career over here, we get lots of opportunities for adventourous training. This can be anyhting from skiing in the Harz mountains (last week) to biking and rock climbing 14 years ago. With loads of other things in between, go karting, hill walking, and mountain biking in North Wales, Sea angling off the Cornwall coast and more recently Northern German coast. Not forgetting the fantastic German hospitality at all of their beer festivals and schutzen fests. I have less than 7 years left in the army, and will probably settle down south in Warminster where I met my wife.

Laura Hunt
age: 32
1978 - 1985

Memories: Great school to attend and the teachers were fantastic. They made you want to learn. I loved all my teachers but Mrs Redmond reading "Lord of the rings" has always stuck with me. I think its because she did all the voices! Should've gone into acting...

The space shuttle flying over the school was something else, I think that was 1983 with everyone outside waiting and watching. It was exciting. I absolutely loved Lochwinnoch Primary and the last day in P.7 was very emotional, everyone as I recall were in tears including the teachers. The reality setting in that we had to spread our wings and leave this school never to return. High School sounded terrible...!
Anyway, managed to get through those 7 years of primary without getting the belt and volunteering myself for every show, display or narrative parts. Being sent to Mrs mcKellar to learn how to project your voice was always fun and something that I took to like a duck to water. Also remembering Mr Cameron who was a great Headmaster, he played guitar and taught you funny songs.
I cant not mention Miss Jan Jamieson whose no-nonsense but loads of fun attitude was a credit to the school.
Top school.Still living in the village with my partner Fergus and daughter.We took over The Brown Bull in Oct 2002 and find living and working with each other perfect for us.