It was 1950 when John McCulloch left Cairn school to go to year 1A in the secondary at Carrick Academy. In those days Carrick was also a primary school and the pupils from primary 7 at Carrick also went on to secondary school which was upstairs and in the annexes which had newly been built in the playground. There John met Bill McCubbin who, being a country boy, had received his primary education at Carrick. During the next three years they were classmates and good friends while being introduced to the mysteries of French, Latin, Geometry, Algebra, English and all the rest. In June 1953 Bill left Carrick Academy to seek gainful employment and decided that as television had not long been introduced in Scotland to study to become a television engineer through an apprenticeship with a Maybole TV business.

John continued his studies at Carrick until 1956 and then did two years National Service in the R.A.F. ending in Malaya before joining the Civil Service. He started work at Ayr Labour Exchange at the time when S.A.L. at Prestwick was in severe difficulties with many people losing their jobs. His career spanned 43 years with the Civil Service. He went from Ayr to Kilmarnock and then became careers advisory officer for Paisley, Renfrew, Dumbarton and Argyle. This was followed by a term as Regional Training Officer for Scotland and North East England. He then spent 7 years in London with the Training Services Agency moving back to Scotland to be Area Manager for South Glasgow and North Lanarkshire. After a spell with A.C.A.S. he ended his Civil Service career as a personnel director in London. After retiring from the service he spent a further 2 years with B.P. in recruitment.

In the meantime Bill remained in Maybole eventually taking over the business he worked for in 1968
changing the name to Carrick Television and traded until 1984. After ceasing trading in 1984 he worked in electronics with Prestwick Circuits for 18 years. During all of those years he took an active part in the community of Maybole including serving on Maybole Town Council and Kyle & Carrick District Council.

In the years since 1953 John and Bill had never met and it was a contribution to the maybole.org website which put them in contact. They exchanged e-mails for a time and last week Bill travelled to Paisley and met John for the first time in 60 years!

It was a day packed with reminisces of Leonard White, David Conn, Jimmy Hood, Miss Fulton, Cowboy Anderson, Mr Meiklejohn and many others who were the teachers at Carrick in those years. They remembered their days in the Air Training Corps who had a detachment in Maybole and also time spent in the aero modelling club.

‘Whatever happened to’ was another topic as they discussed the whereabouts and the lives of old classmates all of whom will now be aged 75! Sadly, as is the way of things some are no longer with us but are well remembered by these two former classmates.

After a memorable day Bill and John agreed that they would share more of the same in the days to come.

Cairn P7 1950 - This picture was taken at Cairn Primary School in June 1950. They started at Carrick after the summer holidays.

Back Row - John Gray, William Steel, Robert Campbell, William McDowall, Norman Kennedy, Eric McIntyre, Gordon Briggs, John Houston and Jack McBlain.
Second Row - James Clark, John McCulloch, Alex Lothian, William Stirling, Martin Hay, James McWhirter, Robert Cron, Stewart Qua and James Rorison.
Third Row - Barbara McMichael, Elizabeth Paul, Janette Kiltie, Marjory Davidson, Elizabeth Kay
Jean Gardiner, Frances Kennedy, Elizabeth McKay, Jean McClymont and Margaret Tweedie
Bottom Row - Charlie Reid, Nancy Ramage, Agnes McMillan, Sheena Walker, Nancy Anderson and William Murdoch

Carrick 1A 1950 -This is year 1A at Carrick 1950.

Back - Mary McLintock, Thomas Ewing, Stewart Qua and Sheena Walker
Middle - Stuart McFadzean, Bill McCubbin, Ian Douglas, Norman Kennedy, Andrew Proudfoot, Charles Easton and James Clark.
Front - Frances Kennedy, Marion Douglas, Molly Robertson, Jean Gardiner, Elizabeth Grindlay, Nancy McMillan and Ann MacPherson.
Not in photo are---Hamish Heaney, Francis Kennedy and John McCulloch.

Carrick 5th and 6th year in 1956.

Top Row - John McCulloch, William Chisholm, Mr A.P. Young (Latin), Ian Douglas, David Gray, Stuart McFadzean and Thomas Ewing.
Centre - Allan Bennet, Anne Fraser, Jean Baird, Elizabeth Corbett, Elizabeth Heath, Helen Kelly and Peter Fennie.
Front - Elizabeth McCrindle, Norman Kennedy, Miss Scott (Senior Lady Teacher), Leonard G. White (Headmaster), Mr Fowler (French), James Hood (English), Marion Douglas and Francis Kennedy.