September 19, 201610 yr I was wondering if any of the older heads on the forum remember Harry Keiller cycles in Johnstone street Paisley circa 1970-80 ish ? i believe Keiller bought it over from the Cunningham family but would love to find out a bit more or even see a picture if any are out there. I am currently restoring a 1978 Peugeot bicycle and it has Keillers badge in it , any info welcome , cheers.
September 20, 201610 yr The cycle shop was in Johnstone Street in the early 60's where I think my folks bought me a Dawes Dartanian for my 11th birthday. Still the best bike I ever owned. Not sure when it became Keillers but there's a guy posts on Flickr who is Alex Cunningham (grandson of) and he posted the following 6 / 7 years ago: Quote The shop was Mewhort's cycle shop until about 1961/2 when my uncle sold it to Harry Keiller who already ran a cycle shop in Johnstone. Harry Keiller kept it as a cycle shop for some years thereafter. He might still be on flickr for all I know as it's my dear wife who is the follower of old Paisley / Glasgow photos and stuff on the interweb.
September 20, 201610 yr I remember Mewhort's shop in Johnstone Street next to the stop for the Largs, Seamill/West Kilbride and Ardrossan buses which at that time ran along Cotton Street, Johnstone Street and George Street. I used to buy spares for my yellow BSA bike.
September 20, 201610 yr I had a silver framed Peugeot racer from Keillers, circa 1980/81 or so, for my Christmas. Was a flying machine, I loved it! I still drive a Peugeot car now, in tribute...
September 20, 201610 yr Vaguely remember the coast route buses going up Cotton St/Gordon St/Canal St/George St...
September 20, 201610 yr 2 hours ago, Slartibartfast said: It's a wee bit before my time and the roads may have been different but would you not mean Gordon St for that bus route and not Johnston St? Or was Gordon St at the church/firestation two way on both sides? Definitely Johnston Street which led/leads directly into George Street. Gordon Street was a single carrigeway which led into Canal Street which was not a bus route at that time. Edited September 20, 201610 yr by smcc
September 20, 201610 yr I liked the three above posts cos they are mostly Accurate. HOWEVER... George Street used to be the main east west thoroughfare AFTER the High Street. Two lane traffic. Up and doon. but.. Buses fae Glesca only went along the High Street, wellmeadow etc if they were heading to Elderslie/Johnstone. Never bus routes in George Street. all coast buses, Ayr, Largs, West Kilbride etc left Cotton Street and went up canal Street. Via Gordon street. i think I recall a bike shop in Johnstone Street next to the chippie (now gone). Don't remember one in Gordon street. Edited September 20, 201610 yr by antrin
September 20, 201610 yr I posted that... Then doubt myself... Gordon street wisnae the bus route for the coast buses. Intae Johnstone street and there was a stop outside the chippie, the left turn up Causeyside then right into Canal street etc. the big bus garage was in Gordon street, so I think it was avoided for bus stops... In those days.... plus gordon street only came to life when it was discovered to be dead easy for driving along, after the new bridge was stuck across The Cart. in conclusion.... smcc has it right - from the start, ETA he must be ancienter than me! Edited September 21, 201610 yr by antrin
September 20, 201610 yr Never bought a bike from Harry but knew him fairly well back in the day , well enough to get a conversation out of him . He was a good wheel-smith and I got a couple of pairs of wheels from him over the years , he put a sticker on them which said HarKeil Wheels. . He mainly stocked Peugeot bikes when I knew him and it was mainly the ones with heavy racks and heavy mudguards. Dooleys was always a busier shop but they often had a woman on the counter who didn't know a spindle from a bottom bracket whereas Keiller knew his stuff as did the other guy who worked in the shop who was his nephew if I remember correctly. .
September 20, 201610 yr I wrote a witty accurate riposte. Lost the web Cotton st, bridge st, the bridge over the cart, straight intae Johnstone street (just supporting a group ethic. With spelling) GORDON STREET HAD NO ACCESS TO FRONT OF FIRE STATION. BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN DEMOLISHED.
September 20, 201610 yr 24 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said: You should doubt yourself when you think that you can turn left into Canal St from there. I fixed that within seconds, slarti pants... And wine has been taken.... Edited September 20, 201610 yr by antrin
September 21, 201610 yr I posted that... Then doubt myself... Gordon street wisnae the bus route for the coast buses. Intae Johnstone street and there was a stop outside the chippie, the left turn up Causeyside then left into Canal street etc. the big bus garage was in Gordon street, so I think it was avoided for bus stops... In those days.... plus gordon street only came to life when it was discovered to be dead easy for driving along, after the new bridge was stuck across The Cart. in conclusion.... smcc has it right - from the start, [emoji4] ETA he must be ancienter:clapping than me! Too much wine by the look of things, it's still the same...[emoji5]
September 21, 201610 yr Gordon St was an early one way street as the buses exited the garage there but entered further up Causeyside Street (was it called Young's pen?). I've got a photo somewhere I'll post if I find it.
September 21, 201610 yr 5 hours ago, salmonbuddie said: Too much wine by the look of things, it's still the same... Fixed again. Ta. told you the web kept dropping out... in in the Peak District.
September 21, 201610 yr 13 hours ago, antrin said: I liked the three above posts cos they are mostly Accurate. HOWEVER... George Street used to be the main east west thoroughfare AFTER the High Street. Two lane traffic. Up and doon. but.. Buses fae Glesca only went along the High Street, wellmeadow etc if they were heading to Elderslie/Johnstone. Never bus routes in George Street. all coast buses, Ayr, Largs, West Kilbride etc left Cotton Street and went up canal Street. Via Gordon street. i think I recall a bike shop in Johnstone Street next to the chippie (now gone). Don't remember one in Gordon street. The coast buses went straight across Causeyside St into George St. I am sure of this because I used to get the bus home from school to Lochwinnoch from a stop in George St just at the bottom of Lady Lane.
September 21, 201610 yr 2 hours ago, rabuddies said: Gordon St was an early one way street as the buses exited the garage there but entered further up Causeyside Street (was it called Young's pen?). I've got a photo somewhere I'll post if I find it. It was called Young's pend because the yellow buses were run by Youngs Bus Company before they were taken over by Western SMT.
September 21, 201610 yr 21 hours ago, Slartibartfast said: It's a wee bit before my time and the roads may have been different but would you not mean Gordon St for that bus route and not Johnston St? Or was Gordon St at the church/firestation two way on both sides? Definitely Johnston St. You said earlier that Gordon St passes both sides of the fire station. In fact the road to the north of the fire station was the continuation of Johnston St Edited September 21, 201610 yr by smcc
September 21, 201610 yr I honestly don't recall coast buses going either west or east on George Street. we used to get those buses from the foot of Camphill in Canal Street... you our may be right... you're older than me. Edited September 21, 201610 yr by antrin
September 21, 201610 yr 2 hours ago, antrin said: I honestly don't recall coast buses going either west or east on George Street. we used to get those buses from the foot of Camphill in Canal Street... you our may be right... you're older than me. I am right! You're right too; I am older than you - I attended the JNI from 1954 to 1960. This was before they cut off George St from Canal St. Edited September 21, 201610 yr by smcc
September 21, 201610 yr I think the confusion is a question of age. I lived around there in the 1950's and it was very different to what it is now and what it was after the mid-60's when the redevelopment of Cotton Street, Thread Street and Mill Street started. George Street was the main road west until they knocked down the area between it and Canal Street and built the high flats, etc. There were very few vehicles around, apart from buses, and they didn't go down Gordon Street into Canal Street but from Cotton Street, Bridge Street, Johnston Street, George Street, Ferguslie and on to Elderslie. Canal Street didn't become a dual carriageway until the early / mid 60's.
September 21, 201610 yr . .anyway , back on topic . . . .there was once a cycle shop in Johnston Street in Paisley. . Edited September 21, 201610 yr by saintnextlifetime Edited by Tom for content. .
September 21, 201610 yr 3 hours ago, rabuddies said: George Street was the main road west until they knocked down the area between it and Canal Street and built the high flats, etc We lived in those demolished slums, then the new buildings. still do. george street was a playground. one sport at which I was no bad was... ... Chuckin a tennis ball over the red buildings. (Middle-ish class at the time - now student flats) you stood on George street and launched the baw... then everyone raced through the most convenient, apposite close to be first to catch a successful baw that reached the other side. cos you got next chuck o the baw. Great game in simpler, happy days. when I was much, much younger than smcc ( and also encountered hee-haw buses in George Street.)
September 21, 201610 yr 1 hour ago, saintnextlifetime said: . .anyway , back on topic . . . .there was once a cycle shop in Johnston Street in Paisley. . Showing your age, snlt!
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