Selected Scottish Snippets from Largs

Snack-Snatching Seagulls

An amusing but necessary notice in the ice cream shop next door to the fbb's flat.

"The Moorings" is a caff in the same block as fbb - suppliers of ice cream in many exciting flavours. Here is the site in the very early days:-

By 1923 something more spectacular and Art Deco was built.

That same block in the 1950s with buses all stopping right next to the ferry (off shot to the right).

And in decline ready for demolition c.1989.

Today's replacement; mainly flats but with retail on the ground floor. It is good to see something of the architectural style maintained.

They sell Nardini's ice cream including the popular Irn Bru flavour (below, top centre).

Cumbrae Consultation and Campaign

The survey is detailed - but implies, correctly, that there is not much you can change!

Q1 : Would you support an earlier weekday sailing from Cumbrae either at 0630hrs or slightly earlier at 0620hrs to connect with the first Glasgow Train at 0645hrs?

Q2 : Would you support a change in the evening sailings in order to accommodate Q1?  The possible proposal would be to drop the 1945hrs sailing ex Largs or the last ferry being at 1945hrs with no 2015hrs sailing ex Largs?

Q3 : Would you prefer to go back to a consistent morning break at 0845 (Largs) / 0900 (Cumbrae) both Summer and Winter? 

Q4 : Would you prefer the morning break at 0945 (Largs) / 1000 (Cumbrae), however this would only be for the winter, with summer reverting back to previous years of 0845 (Largs) / 0900 (Cumbrae)? (The later break in summer conflicts with the start of the second ferry)

Q5: Would you prefer to see the removal of the morning break entirely (however breaks are required for fuelling up to twice a week)?

Q6: Would you like to see the removal of the scheduled afternoon break (1445 ex Largs / 1500 ex Cumbrae) during the winter?

Q7: Do you support later weekday ferries, including the Late Friday Ferries in summer (2045hrs ex Largs and 2215hrs ex Largs). Any addtional ferries would possibly at the expense of an earlier sailing during the day?

Of course, if this were the Isle of Wight, Q8 would be "Would you like a bridge?"

Platform Provides Place of Peace

As recently as the blue and grey era of British Rail and before electrification, Largs still had excursion trains.

Glasgow trains became orange and then carmine and cream, but the electrified Largs line only needed two platforms, not four.

The former trackbed was tidy but uninspiring with just a few tubs and pots.

In the last couple of years a community group has taken over the strip of land and turned it into a beautiful garden.

It includes many references to the town's history as here with the prow of a Viking longship ...

... and a Celtic Cross.

There is still work in progress but the effort so far is magnificent.

Well done all of the gardeners.

If Only fbb Had Known .... (?)
There have been further developments at Largs Station.

Yesterday morning fbb decided that he needed to respond to advice as to how to deal with his plantar fasciitis. On-line offered a selection of goodthings to do which fell into two main camps.

1. Take lots of rest.

2. Keep walking.

Thanks a bunch.

Thus it was that a creaky and painful toddle round the town took the old man's inflamed plantar fascia to the station. Here he espied bike racks with a plentiful supply of hermaphrodite velocipedes beautified with bright red liveried appurtenances.

You join the "club" for an annual membership of £10 then a hire fee of  £3.80 buys you a key at the station booking office and a full day's hire.

So not quite a "spur of the moment" service. Only a few stations in the Glasgow area currently offer the bike&go ...

... but, for those fitter than the fatter bus bloke, it would be a neat way to experience the road network of the Isle of Cumbrae.

And it would be difficult to get lost!

And There's More
Previous visits to Largs have seen the shop/caff shuttered firmly shut.

But yesterday fbb observed a well-fitted-out one man operated kiosk.

fbb has plans to check out the Breakfast Rolls later - assuming the emporium opens up on Saturday morning.

Personal Plans?
Yesterday Mrs fbb set off for Inverurie for her prayer and bible study "do", releasing her chubby hubby to do some solo public transport stuff.

For reasons that are not at all clear, the Mrs is less enamoured of a day on the buses than is her husband of 46 years.

While many are reading this, your noble but hobbling blogger will be exploring the services of McGills, courtesy of their £7.10 network "rover", named GoZone6.

Report(s) will follow as soon as possible.

But if you thought that SYPTE (aka Travel South Yorkshire) publicity was poor/confusing/wrong, you will be able to enjoy (?) some equally laughable howlers in and around Largs.

fbb leaves his Largs address tomorrow morning and will meet up with wifey in the evening - so Saturday will be partly filled with rail stuff, including an oft-postponed ride on the Borders Railway to Tweedbank.

Plenty to keep the old boy content until re-joined by the Mrs.

 Next McGills bus blog : Saturday 27th April