Shops of the past
In the writers time, in the late 60s and early 70s, there were 3 shops.
The Coop/ Store
This shop was where Mrs Brown from Catrine worked. Today the building, which has had much of it's appearance altered is used for meetings and also as an old folks cabin.
Photo Jim Nisbet
The Post Office which was owned by Fred Hill and his wife. Mrs Anderson from Anderson Crescent worked there.
The Wee Shop
, which was the Esso petrol garage belonging to Tom Lorimer, which sat opposite the Sorn Inn.
This formerly belonged to JK Thomson, who now has the garage in Cumnock.

There was also the Shell garage at Mortons, which had been the old smiddy. In years gone by, there were far more. 

Chris Lees remembers the following...
Anderson's The Grocers, was the house on the top side of what was called Jim Alsten's.
The building has long since been demolished and is a patch of green grass, which runs up to the wood. 

The old post office was the bottom side of what was called Charlie Muir's house. Chris does not remember the building as the post office, but in his day it was Granny Allen's Chip shop. It was the door of the dormered house, nearest the greyhound. Above the chip shop was Tammie Cauldwells house. The shop may not have been open every night for chips and the like. This shop was like a cafe, where you could go in and sit down. Again the building is long demolished, and in place the 4 houses which sit back opposite the School. 

Lightbodie's Sweetie shop belonged to Geordie Lightbody, and was in the big building which was in the now Sorn Inn car park. There were 3 doorways in the building, the one nearest the pub was Lightbodies shop, the middle, "The Tim Entry", and the third nearest the Greyhound was where Lightbodie's had their papers, although it wasn't an actual shop. The sweetie shop was run by Geordie's nieces Sadie, Nan and Ruby Harrison. see below for a full image.

Janet Cameron's Sweetie shop was in Jocks Lodge during the 2nd world war.
The Post Office
was what is now the side of Robert Baird's house nearest the greyhound.
This was operated by Davey Watson and his sister. Davey was also the local postie. The Post Office was later moved to Coalford.

Harrison's Chip Shop
was in Logan house. The chips were sold in bags, but there was no seating arrangements, (Carry out).
This was Hughie Harrison's mother and father.

Coop/ Store
which closed in the 60s, is now the old folks cabin.,

Moorehead's Chip shop
was by Sandbed, in an L shaped hut, where there were seats.
They sold sweeties and chocolate etc. The Moorheads here were the same Moorheads that were in the Greyhound in the 80s.
Hugh Moorheads Grandmother had the shop. There is a large garage belonging to Scott Russel on the site nowadays.

Murdoch's Grocers
at Coalford, became Anderson's Grocers, which became the Post Office

Stanley Evan's and Auntie Annie's sweetie shop
was next door to Murdoch's Grocers, which is now Betty Murdoch's house.


Photo Courtesy of Ian McCutcheon
Above Harrison's shop on the left building. On the right is the Sorn Inn.

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