Hello again. Been a long time. Hard days. But, eventually, we managed to get away for a break; a week’s holiday in Ayrshire. An interesting place – may well have been where they filmed Papillion, and the future scenes in the Terminator film series. Just go North, then SouthWest, and – if you have enough fuel left – keep driving!
The place where we stayed is called Dailly. It is near Girvan. An old mining village. Some of my ancestors came from this part of the world, and I can truly understand why. The pits are all closed now, but they are having a little difficulty shutting down the rest. People just won’t move … and the roads are terrible. Goat tracks, badly patched together, and the main road carrying all the Irish Ferry traffic, runs through all the towns and villages. No by-passes here folks!
This is Dalrymple Street in Girvan. The main road is here. Unlike the cinema, where only the memory remains. The High Street faded away years ago, and only the crumbling brick holds the name. Dalrymple Street is now the main thoroughfare – the M25 of Ayrshire.
The local architecture reflects the past glories of Girvan. Red sandstone, or carved grey limestone. Impressive in their time, but now …
Who would ever expect the local Co-op to feature an Art Nouveau frontage?
Several years ago, a group of atheists promoted an advertising campaign on London buses, proclaiming “There is no God. Get on with your life!” This, of course, outraged the dedicated Christian community, who fought back with their own campaign. Judging by the signs on the church in Dalrymple Street, the atheists would appear to be ahead on points …
I do have to report that the North Parish Church in Girvan, is a magnificent red sandstone structure. Very impressive. Perhaps if they had concentrated their efforts on the people, and not on heaven-pointing edifices, Girvan might not be quite as ‘God-Forsaken’ as it appears.
Oddly enough, I liked Girvan, and the live performances on the sea-front were enjoyable. The ‘new’ Public Conveniences less so. The view across the Clyde Estuary towards Ailsa Craig (source of many a Curling Stone) was fine – even through the drizzle. A feature of Ayrshire that will appear prominently in my next blog.
See you soon!