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Heathmount hotel


latviaman

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Yes, there was an ironmongers in Hamilton Street. It was called Mitchells and in the years before it closed down it was owned by Gilbert Ross. When it did shut down quite a few of the staff were moved to Gilbert Ross's big shop in Invergordon.

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That's it - I remember now! That's how I got it confused with Mitchell and Craig!

Was it not a more 'industrial' ironmongers - I seem to remember that they also did tinsmith work, angleiron welding to make frames and key cutting (before keycutting became part of the shoemakers trade!)

Across the road from them was the outside stair that took you up to (??) the restaurant that sat above the curved shop looking down Academy Street or maybe even up to the Carlton lounge/dining room. I was in both of those establishments but do not remember going up that outside steps, maybe the forerunner of Health and Safety was not too happy with tipsy folk sliding down the bannister and closed it.

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Across the road from them was the outside stair that took you up to (??) the restaurant that sat above the curved shop looking down Academy Street or maybe even up to the Carlton lounge/dining room.

Might these steps not have led into the Carlton where I remember my mum used to take me late 1950s and there were still waitresses in te old traditional black and white uniforms?

On the other hand I may be wrong since my memory of Hamilton St. seems to be a bit shaky (!) although I have a clear recollection of Scoobies getting BB parades up and running out of Washington Court off the same street.

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That's it - I remember now! That's how I got it confused with Mitchell and Craig!

Was it not a more 'industrial' ironmongers - I seem to remember that they also did tinsmith work, angleiron welding to make frames and key cutting (before keycutting became part of the shoemakers trade!)

Across the road from them was the outside stair that took you up to (??) the restaurant that sat above the curved shop looking down Academy Street or maybe even up to the Carlton lounge/dining room. I was in both of those establishments but do not remember going up that outside steps, maybe the forerunner of Health and Safety was not too happy with tipsy folk sliding down the bannister and closed it.

absent friend, was the restaurant that looked down Academy Street called Stuart's restaurant?

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You have a better memories than me but you are correct it was Stuart's and they also had waitresses with the black clothes and the white aprons. Great spot looking down 'people watching' always lots of movement as there were bus stops outside the Station hotel, now the bar. One bus went up to Raigmore Hospital but I can't remember where the other went.

Incidentally, the hotel balcony above where the bus stop was, looking across at Grant's the furniture store, was where Queen Salotte(?)- the reigning Queen of Tonga - came out and waved to us all when she was in the UK for the Coronation. She was a BIG BIG girl with a big big .......... personality and Emundo Ross, the leader of the best Latin American band in the UK, was so taken with her that he made up a song about her.

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Frankie Jew, used to make me laugh, as during the week, he would (at my time in school) charge us 6p, (which went up to 7p by the time i left) for a single cigarette during the week.

Then on a sunday, i would go to church(yes church, not a synagogue), and who would be one of the Church elders, who just happened to pass around the collection plate, yep, the very same Frankie.

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Frankie Jew, used to make me laugh, as during the week, he would (at my time in school) charge us 6p, (which went up to 7p by the time i left) for a single cigarette during the week.

Then on a sunday, i would go to church(yes church, not a synagogue), and who would be one of the Church elders, who just happened to pass around the collection plate, yep, the very same Frankie.

In my day, although I was never a smoker, Frankie Jew charged 3d for a fag and an extra ha'penny if they needed a match to light it with.

Clearly Frankie extended his expertise in extracting money from people to Sundays as well!

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I remember the Stewarts Restaurant, not for being in it, but for waiting to get into the Playhouse Cinema on a Wednesday afternoon (after juping from school, which we did every Wednesday in 4th year). We had to hide until the teachers came out from Stewarts Restaurant, where they had their lunch, and only then could we go into the Playhouse for the 1/9d seats! (the back row of the front stalls).

I remember the Carlton Restaurant vaguely - was taken there on special occasions like birthdays, for a treat. (obviously before being a 4th year jupe).

Was much too young to know about drinking in the Heathmount until much later on!!!

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That's it - I remember now! That's how I got it confused with Mitchell and Craig!

it not a Was more 'industrial' ironmongers - I seem to remember that they also did tinsmith work, angleiron welding to make frames and key cutting (before keycutting became part of the shoemakers trade!)

Across the road from them was the outside stair that took you up to (??) the restaurant that sat above the curved shop looking down Academy Street or maybe even up to the Carlton lounge/dining room. I was in both of those establishments but do not remember going up that outside steps, maybe the forerunner of Health and Safety was not too happy with tipsy folk sliding down the bannister and closed it.

Thinking cap back on - was the place in question not called Mann's - a locksmith or was there an ironmongers there too?

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Thinking cap back on - was the place in question not called Mann's - a locksmith or was there an ironmongers there too?

Donnie Mann was the locksmith if I remember correctly but I can's get a mind's eye picture of his premises. However I have a feeling that these MAY also have been in Hamiltion Street.

He was definately the one I remembered when I mentioned Tinsmith/welding in the post above.

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