RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Stirlingshire => Topic started by: stirling76 on Thursday 29 December 11 11:08 GMT (UK)
-
How many people can remember Elvis walking around the streets of Stirling in the late sixties?
This was taken in Port Street at the bottom of King Street.
I am looking for any photo's of a character called Soapy Moray (Tam Murray) who was a local Tramp in Stirling in the 50's.
Also, I'm trying to find pics of, The Original Bar, The Argyle Bar and The Bush Tavern, exteriors.
Any help would be appreciated
-
I think there will be a great deal of Stirling folks who remember Elvis.
I never gave him any money, and come to think of it, I don't recall him ever asking for cash, but if I spotted him near the tea stall at the bus station I always bought him a tea and filled (egg, sausage) roll.
While she can't recall exactly whether it was Soapy Moray or another guy called 'Doc'. my wife, in her days of managing the Crown Hotel in the Arcade, circa 1975, said he was allowed into the bar after all the customers had left. He sweep the floor and in return he was allowed to finish of any beer that had left on the bar (there was a pint glass laid aside for his use only) and he would be given any of the days unsold pies etc to take away.
I will ask about to see if anyone remembers more about Soapy.
Cheers.
-
Sorry but it was'nt Soapy, it was 'Doc' Scott who swept the pub floor.
I have asked folks about Soapy Moray and while just about everyone recognises the name, they can't recall the man.
From snippets here and there, Soapy was a wee thin crabbit grey haired man who wore a greatcoat (possibly an ex army one) and always had a sort of kitbag slung over his shoulder.
Often seen in the town center and Drip Rd areas.
I will keep asking.
Cheers.
-
Took this photo a couple of years ago.
what was the Bush Tavern is to the left of the photo.
It is now an office of the Alliance & Leicester Building Society.
The sculpture of a bush (or tree) can be seen on the apex of the gable.
-
Seems there have been people at work who have made it impossible to lay out the photos and text the way we want them
-
Fergie, many thanks for that, I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve walked by that building and never noticed the bush on the apex, what I find!
Re. Soapy, my memories of him are from Baker Street, I remember him wearing the army greycoat, held together with a piece of twine around his waist, and a bunnet. I don’t think it was a kitbag, I remember Hessian sacks that he carried, that used to jingle, jangle with empty bottles that he collected.
But most of all, his stick! When us kids would shout out ‘Soapy’ at him, he would grab the stick at the end and hurl it at us running after us at the same time, I don’t recall him ever catching any of us.
My dad would occasionally help out in Dugald Campell’s or Cullen’s the butchers in Baker Street, and auld Tammie would come into these shops on the cadge for some scraps, which he would always get. My dad would always give him either a shilling or two bob whenever he met him in the street.
I can remember quite vividly one day my dad came round the corner from Friars Street into Baker Street and Tam was standing at the window of Paige’s bar (The Star), my father told me later he honestly didn’t notice him and crossed the street to walk up the Street. Auld Tam was furious, and shouted abuse at my dad saying, ‘Jock, if ye werna guan tae keep it gaunin’ ye should nae hae sterted it in the first place.’ My dad hadn’t given him his ‘tap!’
I remember some of the stories I heard about Soapy was that he slept rough out at the King’s Park Farm, I recall seeing him walking out Dumbarton Road, and it was said that he was very intelligent who had lost everything when he hit the drink. One story about him that was often repeated was that it was said that he could write the Lord’s Prayer on the back of a postage stamp, but these are just memories now.
I’m coming to Stirling within the next couple of months to catch up with some old friends, I’ll ask any of them if the remember auld Soapy Moray, a real Stirling worthy.
Cheers
-
A wee bit of info that came via Friends Reunited saying that Soapy was last heard of as living in Orchard House.
Cheers.
-
Hi Fergie,
Going back to my generation in the 1950s at the HS in Spittal Street, Stirling, we often had 'encounters' with a vagrant called 'Poko Moko' there, and up and down the Back Walk to the Corn Exchange.
Any ideas about who he was .. etc etc. ?
Aye
-
Hello John.
No, never heard that name before.
Perhaps it was a name for the likes of Saopy Moray or some other worthy, that was used only by the pupils of Stirling High.
Cheers.
-
Recall seeing Elvis on many occasions. Also heard that he once collapsed and was taken to SRI and was cleaned up and shaved and that he was quite handsome underneath! Only very vague recollections of Soapy Moray. Think he might have been WW1 veteran and believe kids might have chanted 'Land of Soapy Moray' after him to tease him.
No pics of exteriors of bars you mentioned, but picture of burns supper in Argyll bar featured in Burns and Stirling leaflet in 2009 (my father-in-law was in picture!)
-
Here's a picture of The Original Bar from a glass slide taken about 1930 by an American tourist.
-
Polmont,
what an extraordinary find! The old Original Bar. It shows a wealth of information, the close next to it is still there, leading to the spiritualist church. When this photograph was taken, there used to be a billiard hall above the bar. The entrance was up the close.
Next to that is the tiled entrance, also still there, to what was at that time an annex to the Golden Lion Hotel, later staff quarters.
This really is a great picture. Do have any details where you got it from?
many thanks.
-
Photo of The Original Bar is an original glass slide taken by an American tourist on a motor coach tour in southern Scotland circa 1930. I have no other info except that they were from the Philadelphia area and took several other short tours in Britain and northern France on the same Transatlantic trip. No other Scottish pub photos in the group.
-
Posted this photo in response to a PM by Keith.
As can be seen from a previous photo on this thread, the entire corner building has been replaced by a more modern one.
(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee209/38fergie/Roots%20Chat/StirlingPortCustoms950.jpg)
-
one of my older cousins was a nurse and used to tell us about having to de-louse elvis,and there was no reason for him to ask people for money,according to my cousin,because he was wearing it!!!
-
Soapy Moray roamed Stirling during the day and slept in the market where Tescos is now. It was a sack he carried over his shoulder, which clinked with empty bottles. Soapy was a foul mouthed always angry alcoholic. Soapy had a walking stick and thought nothing of hurtling it at you for no reason. I remember him well as i used to have to pass him at times when i attended Stirling High, now, The Highland Hotel.
-
Came across this on the Old Stirling facebook site
-
'Elvis' was actually called John Bell. I was a Police Constable in Stirling and was given the task of taking him to a special unit adjacent to Bellsdyke hospital for treatment. On our return my colleague and I, and our van, had to be fumigated.
I think the other person mentioned was 'Dot' Scott rather than 'Doc' - he lived at the top of the town
-
Zetland1000, welcome to RootsChat :)
Enjoy you time here.
Monica
-
Aye... I'll second that
-
There was also someone in the late 50`s who I always thought was Ukrainian and he was always dressed with a jacket like a Cockney. Any ideas?
-
Took this photo a couple of years ago.
what was the Bush Tavern is to the left of the photo.
It is now an office of the Alliance & Leicester Building Society.
The sculpture of a bush (or tree) can be seen on the apex of the gable.
i remember soapy mory in the 1950s.my dad run the port custom's bar for the owner johnnie walker who always dressed with the kilt,in the1960s bill henderson