Newton Primary School

[winslowsmom]

Hello All
My Nana was born in 1909 in Ayr, and lived with her family at 44 Russell Street for the 1920 Valuation. I am thinking that being 10 or 11, she would have still been in school, and probably at Newton Primary School, which was nearly across the street. Did children go to the primary school nearest them ? They were working class folks. At what age did they generally start, and finish in those days ?

Is any one around Ayr and might be able to snap a picture for me ? Or even better, help me find an older photo ? I can find one of Ayr Academy, where it seems that students who wanted further education would continue, but even the current website for Newton Primary doesn't have a photo of the building.

Any thoughts or input will be welcome !
Cathy Hatfield
Fountain Valley, California

[rossm]

Hi Cathy,

I can't find any definitive information, but a quick peek on Google Streetview reveals a very modern looking school building, certainly a long way off 1920s. There's also a thread on an Ayr message board suggesting the original school may have closed in the early 80s, so I suspect it's been demolished and rebuilt. In fact, the whole area around the school has changed substantially with a very 1950s or 60s era housing estate having sprung up around it. Russell Street as a whole looks very different than it would have done 100 years ago.

On the more general topic of education in the early twentieth century, I believe schools were largely state run by that time, and attendance was compulsary between the ages of 5 and 13(?). It's by no means certain they would have gone to the closest school, for no other reason than some schools were split along denominational lines (and indeed some still are).

Cheers
Ross

[rossm]

Hello again,

I'll retract my previous message about the demolition of the school. It appears that part of the old school does still exist, but it is now vacant and waiting to be demolished. You can see it on streetview here:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.46749 ... xrQP3A!2e0

The confusion partly lies that the name of the school used to be Russell Street Primary, rather than Newton Park Primary. The original Newton Park Primary was further to the North and was demolished in the 1980s. The new Newton Park Primary stands on the site of the former Russell Street Junior Secondary school. All very confusing! Maybe an Ayr native might come along and clear it up for us

Ross

[winslowsmom]

Thank you so much Ross. I was happy to see some of the building left standing, and can be satisfied with this photo if no other comes up. So it was probably Russell Street Primary when my Nana went there ? I just saw the Newton Primary School on a later map. I am so glad I asked. My cousin might be going to Ayr later this summer and can take some snaps. I realize the area has totally changed. When I went with my Nana in 1980, their old house was gone, only the street names the same, not the look at all.

It would be fun indeed if someone from Ayr could tell us any more.

Thanks again.

[StewL]

Hello Winslowsmom
I went back to Scotland a couple of years ago, and the place (tenement) we lived in was gone and replaced by single houses, and we only left in 1963. Funnily my mothers families old place in Clarkston, Airdrie and cousins places are still the way I remember, even an aunts place above shops is still there.
We lived in Faifley, but I had already been told it had changed.

[john1984]

Was it 1965 Russell street school closed down ? Because mainholm academy took over secondary schooling

Any photos of newton park or Russell street in the 1960s 1970s new to in