During WW2, Kilmarnock like many other towns, received evacuees heading for safety. There are stories of John Finnie street lined with cars when trains were due in – people ready to pick up the children and take them to their temporary homes. Lots of the children were from Glasgow, a target due its ship building, however many came from south of the border to stay including Liverpool, Derby and Newcastle to stay with relatives or often with complete strangers. Some stayed days, some stayed years.

Recently a chance finding on the internet led to a fascinating story being uncovered. Peter Poole and his sister, Nora, were evacuees in Kilmarnock. His daughter put out a plea through Kilmarnock District History Group for any information on their time here. We were able to confirm they had attended Grammar School whilst living with their aunt and uncle in Howard Street. Their uncle was John Carnie, Provost of the town in the 1940s.

Peter’s daughter said her father spoke very fondly of his time in Kilmarnock attending Grammar School first before moving into Kilmarnock Academy as he got older. Here he is in a photograph taken at that time:

Peter went on to have an amazing life, emigrating to Australia as a young man and becoming a highly acclaimed cowboy! In fact he became a national rodeo champion and went on to write a book on the subject too.

Here is a picture of Peter after being inducted into the Australian Rodeo Heritage Centre Hall of Fame. A legend in his field!

What an amazing story of a young boy once evacuated to Kilmarnock and who attended Kilmarnock Grammar School. Thank you so much to his proud daughter Natalie Brownlie for telling us his story and supplying us with these wonderful family photographs.