Cornton – Our Story

Immediately after the Prefabs were built a block of five shops was built at the Junction of Strathmore Drive and Johnston Avenue.

Enquiries of the Old Stirling Facebook page provoked quite a few responses but there were too many shopkeepers for the five shops.

Those figuring in the recollections of the participants included, Post Office, Paper Shop, Chemist, Grocer, Butcher, Sweetie Shop, Wool Shop and Baker. One respondent suggested that there might have been a Chippy somewhere but then suggested his memory could be playing tricks on him.

Most people who have responded positively about the Paper Shop recall a Mr. Murie being the man in charge. There is no mention in the valuation roll of a tenant at the adress so Mr. Murie may simply have been employed there.

Scrutiny of the valuation rolls, however reveal, in 1951: –

1a Robert W.H. Bennett – Newsagent

1b John Copeland – Chemist

1c George Wilson – Grocer

1d Malcolm McPhee – Butcher

1e Alexander Fraser Cobbler.

Six years later, in the 1957 Valuation Roll, the Newsagent, the Chemist and the Grocer are still there. The Chemist, however is listed as Mrs Robert Copeland. The Butcher is occupied by Edward McEwan and there is no mention of the Cobbler. There is, however another name, Walter Prentice, who is not credited with a profession. The difficulty lies in the fact that in the 1957 Valuation roll there are no street numbers attributed to the names and occupations of the occupants of the shops.

The conclusion therefore is that the Newsagent and the Post Office are one in the same. The Chemist, Grocer and Butcher all remained (albeit with a different Pharmacist and a different butcher) but the Cobbler was replaced by Walter Prentice whom we must assume was the Sweetie Shop that so many of the respondents recalled was at the other end of the block from the Paper Shop. Gus Binning’s response to the Facebook enquiry suggests that this is correct. Doug Marshall tells us that the Sweetie Shop was also the location of the Haberdashery.

The following map shows where the shops were in relation to the present development: –

The shops were lost during the redevelopment in the early sixties but a fresh provision was created further along Johnston Avenue.

Initially it was the Cooperative that occupied the end shop. Latterly it has been Morrisons. The Library and Chemist are at the other end of the row. and Asian Style Takeaway and Scotfrica fill the spaces between.

There are reports in the Facebook responses of “Jimmie Murie” moving to “The new shops” along with the Butcher and the Grocer. The shop premises currently occupied by Morrison’s was initially operated by the Co-op and the “Asian Style” Indian takeaway was once a Fish and Chip shop operated by Pat & Cathy Giannandrea.

Further along Johnston Avenue was “The Chalet” Public House which was built in the 1960s by Ronnie Wilson, son of George and Nettie Wilson who had the Grocer Shop.

This has recently been converted and is no longer a Pub. Ronnie had previously owned and run the Kingsgate Hotel in King Street.

Two of the Facebook respondents, coincidentally, recall memories of the old shops having experienced much the same trauma: –

Jennifer Pollock says: –

I know they were there in 1959 because my brother was born that year and my mum lived in Cornton road at that time and she used to tell of the first time she walked there with the pram and she left him outside the shop and walked home. As soon as she realised she looked and could see the pram sitting outside the butchers from the front garden and ran back to get him.

Mags Benviel says:

Me the exact same .. new mum and I was at the butcher, Grace and John had the shop . I got home carrying my bag and then I realised something was missing . Ran as fast as I could but only to find my baby cradled in Grace’s arms in the shop and she was all cuddled in . So I went through the back and made a tea for us all as Grace was in her glory . Hehe .. good people so they were

Other responses are as follows: –

Aly Mc says:

I don`t remember what shops were there but definitely was a row of shops at the bottom of Johnstone Ave and Cornton Road round about late 50s early 60s. before any of the flats were built.

Andrew McEwan says: –

Yes If I remember right there was a chemist, butchers, sweetie shop I remember going to at lunch time when the old Wallace High School was just over the railway bridge.

Sandra Monteith says: –

There was a newspaper shop, Mr Murie, I think then a chemist shop a grocery shop a butcher, Mr Campbell then another wee sweetie shop was at the other end. If my memory serves me well

Iain McRobbie says: –

It was Jimmy Murie’s, I delivered papers for him from there and when he moved to the new shops.

Mag N Alf says: –

Post office was next to Paper shop Murie’s. The shops were still there when prefabs were in Cornton our gran stayed in Hardie Crescent at the back of the shops.

Vivien Hamilton says: –

I remember the shops being there, we lived in the prefabs in Johnston Avenue for 8 years when I was a wee girl.

Maureen Cadoux says: –

Mr and Mrs Murie had the paper shop, Vera had the post office and John the butcher (Campbell). The Wilson’s had the grocers and most of the produce was loose. They all moved up to the new shops in the middle of Johnstone Ave.

Gus Binning says: –

Yes. Bottom of Strathmore Drive. Muries paper shop, Vera Post office & Chemist, Wilson’s grocer, Campbell butcher and Prentice sweetie shop. Post box at Muries end next to Johnstone avenue. Happy days

Bill Kerr says: –

I worked for Jimmy Murie as a paper boy and used to buy ‘penny singles’ from the sweet shop at the other end. (I think it was penny singles)

Hetty McLashin says: –

At far end there was a wool shop. The Wilsons owned the grocers. The shop nearest Johnsone Avenue was a newsagent. Shops looked out over Bridge of Allan Road and you could see over The Forth.

Eileen McArthur says: –

Me and my family moved to Stirling in 1961 and lived in one of the prefabs in Hardie Drive which was behind the row of shops. These prefabs, and all the others in the surrounding area, were eventually all knocked down and replaced by flats and houses including No. 6 Johnstone Avenue which is where we were moved to. The row of shops was also demolished when the new shops were ready. The Wilsons had the grocers shop in the old set up. I’m sure lots of people will remember George Wilson who many years later ran the Borestone Bar in St. Ninians.

Norrie Black says: –

I stayed in Johnstone Avenue. I remember going with my sister to get sweeties at the shops at the start of the scheme clutching the wee ration book just before the end of rationing.