Areas of Thurso to live

[ragdollyanna]

"Getting back on topic, when I was a lass Mount Vernon was regarded by my friends and I as the posh atomic estate, Ormlie/Pennyland/Castlegreen had its posh bits but it had atomics of all origins and some Vulcans. Springpark was for locals and non-atomic incomers. How much has this picture changed in the last 20 years?

Are Pennyland and Mount Vernon still populated mainly by atomics and Springpark by non-atomics or has population mixing wiped out the distinction?"



Quite interesting to hear that.. my mum was brought up in Springpark. We always wind her up by saying she's from Howngry Hill (just to wind her up, now - don't take offense!)

She always harps on that in her day it was all teachers and doctors that lived up there. Yeh yeh!

[teddybear1873]

"Getting back on topic, when I was a lass Mount Vernon was regarded by my friends and I as the posh atomic estate, Ormlie/Pennyland/Castlegreen had its posh bits but it had atomics of all origins and some Vulcans. Springpark was for locals and non-atomic incomers. How much has this picture changed in the last 20 years?

Are Pennyland and Mount Vernon still populated mainly by atomics and Springpark by non-atomics or has population mixing wiped out the distinction?"



Quite interesting to hear that.. my mum was brought up in Springpark. We always wind her up by saying she's from Howngry Hill (just to wind her up, now - don't take offense!)

She always harps on that in her day it was all teachers and doctors that lived up there. Yeh yeh!

Howngry Hill, brings back memories to the days of the CB radio in late 70's and early 80's.

[crayola]

Quite interesting to hear that.. my mum was brought up in Springpark. We always wind her up by saying she's from Howngry Hill (just to wind her up, now - don't take offense!)

She always harps on that in her day it was all teachers and doctors that lived up there. Yeh yeh!

I remember that the head teacher of Mount Pleasant used to live in Springpark as did some of the teachers from the high school. The head at Pennyland lived in one of the streets off Castlegreen Road, either Brownhill Road or Calder Drive. I don't know where the doctors lived.

Was Mount Vernon really posh or were we reflecting our or our parents' prejudices?

If I had to live in Thurso I'd probably choose Burnside but I'm told there are some nice new houses across the road from Dunbar Hospital which I assume have good views over the river.

[poppett]

When I lived in Pennyland in the 1960`s our Dr lived and had his surgery in
Thorkel Road, opposite the West Church manse. Head of the high school lived in a large old house called "Thorfinn" which was recently up for sale.

Even within the "atomics" there were houses of different kinds for different status of staff and family size.

How things have changed in all the schemes with houses being bought, sold and renovated and extended.........anything goes.

[crayola]

Now Thorfinn is a house I could live in. The decor is oh so not me but that can be changed easily enough. That house would go for a million or more in my neighbourhood!

Funnily enough, I was going to say in my previous post that there are some really nice houses in Duncan Street and also in the surrounding streets right down to Olrig Street and Janet Street. I'd like to buy the Janet Street Club and turn it into my very own home in the town.

You're so right about the hierarchy in the atomics back then, the four-bedroomed families thought they were a cut above the three-bedroomed ones and anyone who had a four-bedroomed house with a garage attached was almost royalty and they thought they glowed in the dark. The irony was that they all looked the same from the outside.

[poppett]

Thank you for the link to the virtual tour.

You are so right about the original housing heirarchy of the atomics. We lived in a wooden hut...but what a view!!

[The Pepsi Challenge]

I used to live in the town centre: above our butcher shop, across from the Chinese restaurant and slap bang next to the Picture House, the post office, the river, and the off-license. Then I moved to Mount Pleasant

[daisychain]

Now Thorfinn is a house I could live in. The decor is oh so not me but that can be changed easily enough. That house would go for a million or more in my neighbourhood!

Funnily enough, I was going to say in my previous post that there are some really nice houses in Duncan Street and also in the surrounding streets right down to Olrig Street and Janet Street. I'd like to buy the Janet Street Club and turn it into my very own home in the town.

You're so right about the hierarchy in the atomics back then, the four-bedroomed families thought they were a cut above the three-bedroomed ones and anyone who had a four-bedroomed house with a garage attached was almost royalty and they thought they glowed in the dark. The irony was that they all looked the same from the outside.

Where excatly did you figure this out from??? In the 60's i was brought up in a 4 bed house in castlegreen rd and it had a garage!. then we moved to the circle down in forss rd and not only did the house have a garage it also had a dining room!!!!- very handy with 6 poeple living there. All the neighbours we had were working class people like us, just incomers., My parents were never snobby or considered themselves above anyone else, neither me or my siblings grew into snobs. I spent many years living in springpark which i loved but i had 2 lots of neighbours who thought that they were well above everyone else and they were local folk not incomers like me. I now live back in Pennyland and the only neighbour who acts like he's above everyone else is a local man!!!

[camor]

The reason there is no one about during the day is that they are all at their work. You should be glad you don't live in Middlesbrough, under the smog!!!

[crayola]

There you have it then.... In the '60s the large four-bedroomed highly-subsidised houses with a dining room and a garage on the Pennyland estate were inhabited by down to earth working class incomers. Nowadays, the only snobs are locals and there are more snobs in Springpark than Pennyland.

What about the Pennyland sheep? Why are there so many in the field below Brims Road? Is it because they think Pennyland is posh?

The question remains, was Mount Vernon posh? Ever?

[Turquoise]

I am intrigued by the possibility that sleepy little Reay may be home to a community of vampires. I will now have to drive through with added caution and trepadation particularly when passing the cemetery outwith daylight hours. And I thought that Sandside Beach was a danger zone!

It's an extremely plausible theory and I do believe they are from the same family as the Portgower type

No daywalkers there...

[Bazeye]

It's an extremely plausible theory and I do believe they are from the same family as the Portgower type

No daywalkers there...

Morayfirth Newsflash. "Man spotted in Portgower".

[ShelleyCowie]

Morayfirth Newsflash. "Man spotted in Portgower".

Dont believe it! In all the times i have passed through there i have never ever seen a person! Ever!!

[Serenity]

It's an extremely plausible theory and I do believe they are from the same family as the Portgower type

No daywalkers there...

Nah, Portgower residents are all shape shifters. Who turn into sheep. Or at least that was always our theory when passing.

[kas]

Dont believe it! In all the times i have passed through there i have never ever seen a person! Ever!!

6 is our record. Everyone in the car was cheering.

[morvenview]

Must of been 1 lost person and 5 in a search party!!