Memories

Prestwick 1959/62

Barry Wilson who now lives in Lubbock, Texas, has memories of Prestwick from 1959 to 1962. Barry writes:

I did not grow up in Prestwick but I had the good fortune of living there for three years from 1959 to 1962. My father was in the U.S. Air Force and he was stationed there with the 67th Air Rescue Service. I was 12 years old when I went to Prestwick and it has been over 40 years since I left but I remember it as if it was just yesterday.

We arrived in Prestwick in August of 1959. All new military arrivals were temporarily put up in the Towans Hotel. I can remember arriving at the hotel and thinking I somehow had been transported back in time. I came to feel this way about all of Scotland. I was in the midst of so much history at times it seemed overwhelming. We were in the Towans for about a month and my parents find a small place to rent on the shore front. This was a house that the owner was renting out a portion of. It was very small but we made do. The owner was a very nice lady who lived on the second floor. At Christmas time she gave me a Scottish scouting book which I wish I had today. We were only in this house for a few months at which time my parents found a house for rent at the end of Kirk Street. As I recall, as you travelled down Kirk Street, it eventually veered off toward the shore front and ended at the rail road tracks. Our house was located where the street veered to the left, right across the street from the golf course. I had not seen the house yet and I remember my mother giving me instructions as I was going off to school on how to get there. She was concerned I might get lost. I found the place okay and my parents were giving me the tour of the place when the came to my room. I remember the shade on my window was pulled down and when I raised it, that's when I saw the old St. Nicholas church out my window. I almost freaked out when I saw all of the tombstones. I eventually got used to it being back there but I can tell you the moon would cast some very weird shadows on my window at night.

Some special memories of Prestwick include:

Elvis Presley's visit in March 1960. He was on his way home from Germany and stopped in Prestwick for a few hours. I was at the teen club on base when they brought him in. Of course everyone went wild. Kids were taking pictures and getting his autograph. I didn't have anything for him to sign. I decided to pull out my wallet and I gave it to him and he signed it. I don't have that wallet today (unfortunately) but I'll never forget that experience.
I also remember when a friend and I thought we could climb up the Heads of Ayr. We got almost to the top and got stuck. Not only could we not get to the top, we somehow thought we couldn't get down. We were up there until way past dark and of course our parents had called the police and had everyone out looking for us. We eventually got down but our exploring days were over for a while. Our parents saw to that.
My last year in Prestwick I had to make a decision to either go to school in London or go to a local Scottish school. I chose to go to St. Margaret's in Ayr. Unfortunately my most vivid memories of this was getting the belt.

My other memories of Prestwick (and Ayr) include:
- The Saturday matinees at the cinema on main street.
- Fish and Chips
- The outdoor bathing pool
- Butlin's Holiday camp
- Double Decker buses
- The open houses on the base
- Going to the indoor bathing pool in Kilmarnock
- Guy Fawkes (spelling) day
- Watching Arnold Palmer win the British Open at Troon
and a host of others including the wonderful people of Prestwick. I will never forget my visit to Prestwick and hope to someday return. I often imagine that when I return, Prestwick will be pretty much the same as I left it and I'll just pick up where I left off.

Please feel free to contact me at cbwilson722@cs.com

Barry

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