Mrs Kate Parkinson PDF Print E-mail
Written by Hilda McAdam   
Saturday, 09 January 2010 18:01
Mrs Kate Parkinson (nee Murray) shares some memories:

Born and brought up in Dalry for more years than I care to admit to, the Clachan Fair replaced the Clachan Show as I remember it.  It was held in July every year.  Always glorious sunshine, as it always was, we thought, when we were young.  Races in the big field at Newfield, pipe bands, highland dancing and industrial competition held in the Newfield garage.  In the big hayshed at Newfield were banties, cats, every bird and animal you can think of.  You couldn’t hear yourself think!  Competitors came from all over and the day finished with a dance in the hall, the highlight of the day, depending on what age you were of course.  Adam Wood, who had a wee sweetie shop in the house just above the Community Centre, took all the entries for the show.  During the was the Clachan Fair had to be stopped.

In those days Dalry was a very self sufficient village with a Bakery and three Grocer’s shops.  For a short time there was a Butcher’s shop at 33 Main Street; after this it became a Greengrocer’s, which was run by Mr and Mrs Steel.  After the war when they retired it was taken over by George Wilson.  A few years earlier a Tailor’s shop, run by the Kerr family, was situated where the present Post Office is now.  The ladies also ran an Milliner’s department there.  At the time the Post Office was where the Clachan Inn is now.  This was run by David Cumming and his son, Robert.  There was also a Draper’s shop run by Mrs Gourley and later by Maureen Findlay.  Further up the street was Crozier’s shop, a family business, which did gents’ tailoring.  The Undertaker’s, run by the McMillan family, had premises opposite the present Joiner’s shop in the Throughgate, where they made coffins.  The hearse was drawn by four black horses which were stabled at Kirkland.  What an impressive sight it was to see the men all dressed in black and wearing Tile hats, with the four black horses pulling the hearse.

The Lochinvar Hotel was the social centre from July to the end of the shooting season, when chauffeur-driven cars brought the guests.  A great thrill was to see the guests dressed in evening dress coming out to take a stroll after dinner.  Croquet was regularly played in the garden next to Newfield farm.  When ladies wanted to go fishing from the Lochinvar but needed someone to put worms on the hooks, guess who went to earn extra money?  It became a regular event with me not needing to renew my contact.

When the Second World War came, Rab Ferguson, who was a gardener at Kenbank, with his wife Bessie, who were very musical, organised concerts to gather funds to provide comfort for the soldiers.  I was a member of the concert party which travelled round the villages, and one night in particular always brings a smile to my lips when I think about it.  We were performing at Carsphairn and the stage had not been properly erected.  It collapsed in the midst of a rendering of ‘Phil the Fluter’s Ball’ resulting in everyone disappearing and Dave Ferguson losing his false teeth.  We had to crawl on our hand and knees to search for the lost gnashers which were eventually found.

After the War, village life continued apace with Saturday night dances, a drama group and pictures which used to come to the village once a week.  One winter the snow came on during the show and the village was blocked in.  The man who ran the pictures was stranded here for a week.  We watched the same film every night.

Dalry Rural Choir was also very well known at the Castle Douglas Musical Festivals.  This was under the leadership of Mrs Billy Wood, who was also the infant mistress at the school.

We all have many happy memories of staying in Dalry, always a friendly little village, and thanks to the Committee we can still enjoy the Clachan Fair.