Mrs Nan Robb PDF Print E-mail
Written by Hilda McAdam   
Saturday, 09 January 2010 18:04
Mrs Nan Robb, (nee Ferguson), was born in Dalry, but later moved to New Galloway:

Two sisters, Mrs Duffet and Mrs Brown, began a very flourishing laundry business in Dalry around the early part of the twentieth century.  They were characters and were known far and wide.

The washing was brought to the laundry on a Friday, from the Lochinvar hotel, St John’s boarding house, Knocknalling, Earlston, Whinnymuir, Albany, Creaganfois and Troquhain.  Early on Saturday, regardless of the weather, the washing commences.  As a small girl, I used to work on a Saturday from 9am to 6pm. For the princely sum of 6d.  I don’t suppose that I was worth any more.  My job was to ca’ the mangle.  By Wednesday, the washing was dried and ironed and returned to their rightful owners.

On Saturday night, after a very busy washing day, Mrs Duffet and Mrs Brown, dressed on their best, and off they went to the “Goat” (Lochinvar hotel) for a very well-earned refreshment.  Sunday saw them sitting in usual pew in Church.

They were also very well known at football matches, especially if Dalry played New Galloway.  If the home team were beaten, they chased Jimmie Douglas, the referee, with their umbrellas.

Another memory was whenever a fancy dress was mentioned everyone in the village went post haste to see Mrs Jean McNally who was well known for her cases of old fashioned dresses, picture hats, feather boas and all the usual dressing-up materials.  The children all knew that if they got there first and got the choice of the dressing-up clothes, they would always end up in the prize list.