Bruce Seaton

By Bruce Seaton

Introducing another story from Paisley’s past (remember it could be your story it can be about anything as long as its relevance is about Paisley).

The second of the many letters I received is actually from my Guest book and is written by a Mr. Bruce Seaton who is originally from Foxbar, Paisley but is now in Colchester, England. I look forward to your comments, maybe your name could be on this page ??? Contact me with your ideas.

Hello again, here are some of my old thoughts of Paisley. I moved to the Foxbar high flats when I was about 5 years old, and went to Foxbar Primary School. (Mrs Beaddie and Mr. Malcolm were the headmistress and headmaster.) I remember going to the school dentist at the Foxbar clinic, playing in the woods behind Oliphant Crescent, fishing in Durrockstock dam, for the “monster” pike.

Hiring a boat in Durrockstock dam and rowing to the other side then to pick up all your mates. The grass divot fights with the “herries” (people from Heriot Court, I lived in Marmion Court. The mobile shop that used to come round (McNeill and Couperwhite), Frannies ice cream van, our annual trips to Chestnut Avenue (Bishopton), where my mate Mark Dornan moved to later on.

Camping up the braes, which usually meant seeing who could go the most nights without sleeping (although you usually went in the house for dinner during the day and had a fly sleep as well that no one could prove). I also remember our exploits at Glasgow Airport, like spending our money in the amusements and then having to walk home because we had spent our bus fares, (unless we could get enough change for our bus fares from the wishing pond in front of the Airport, before the police chased us!) playing marbles with Stevie Elliott on his landing in the high flat and accidentally knocking him through a window, by kicking his bum as he was about to take a shot, (he escaped with a split head and he forgave me).

Sorry Stevie.

I also remember me and Alex Sloan and several others, while camping in Alex’s backdoor, we went for a walk in the middle of the night, wearing our sleeping bags over our heads, shouting albatross, (we’d been listening to a Monty Python tape!)

Dinner at Camphill School was usually a roll,n,chips from the chippy round the corner. Does anyone remember the discos at the Foxbar community centre, in the 70’s (Bay City Rollers, Queen, Slade, etc. or am I the only sad one left!? I remember other places we went were the brandy burn, over by Stoddard’s. Elderslie and Johnstone baths, as Paisley’s at the time were quite old.

I remember we used to go looking for bullets at the old rifle range as well. Later on I worked at a training centre in Renfrew (Sandyford Road?) 1978, then Ferguslie Mill 1978, Bridgemore engineering (Canal Street 1979), Cochran and Johnson (bottom of Well Street and McKenzie street, 1980 and 81, and finally Tesco in Renfrew 1981.
I drank in the Cellar bar when Bill used to run it, (Lady Lane), the Cavern, The Wee Howff, the Anchor bar, the Toby Jug and every other place in Paisley that sold alcohol. At that time I liked rock’n’roll and would you believe wore all the teddy boy gear.

So if you can remember any of the above please feel free to send me an email or drop your own line to the Paisley web site and maybe stir a few memories.

Thanks all Bruce Seaton