Hello

It's brilliant to find someone who feels the same about the old Aviemore as I do. 
I have many fond memories about Aviemore, my family moved to Aviemore from
Paisley 30 years ago, in those days the winters were fantastically harsh with
blizzards and white outs.   I remember one of our first winter's the pipes burst,
the roads were blocked, the snow blower was piling up the snow at the side of
the roads, people couldn't get out of their houses in some places - I believe we were
completely cut off from civilisation - a helicopter had brought down the power and
telephone lines, it was fantastic !!  As a child I thought this was brilliant - no doubt
the older villagers weren't too pleased though. 

I went to the village primary school - my first teacher there in "primary 5" was
Mrs Smith.  I remember the year that the playing field flooded and we almost floated
away in a porta-cabin which was our Year 7 classroom, the whole school was
surrounded by rising flood-waters...

I spent most of my teen years in the ice rink, figure skating - I would be at the rink
6am before getting the bus to Kingussie to high school, back in the rink after school
until closing time - I still skate but not to that extent thankfully!   My instructor at
the time was Jill Sharp (Patterson ?).  I also skated briefly with Jackie Dryborough
and the kids who came down from Aberdeen to steal our great ice - they didn't have
a rink at the time so we had to share.  Every Weds night I would help out by teaching
the local kids at the Skating Club - we put on a few Xmas time shows which all the
village would turn out to see - those were the days!  And yes, I was part of
"It's a Knockout" - although I think I was in the reserves as I was one of the
younger skaters (but, hey ! I did get paid for it !!)

I have fond memories of under age drinking at the Rock Night in the Osprey Room -
it used to be filled to capacity - then there was the experimental split disco in the
Fraser room 57th and 67th Street or something like that - strange concept but it
seemed to work briefly, our 2 resident DJ's who seemed to be there throughout
all the changes - Dave Gilfillen and Chris (?) brilliant !  Of course, going even further
back there used to be the U-18's disco when it really was The Fraser Room.

I live in London with my partner and my 2 children now, I've been down here
since 1987, how time flies !  In the early years I would constantly reminisce about
Aviemore, about how great Hogmanay was in the square, how in the Summer you
could skate in shorts and t-shirts and then come out to the square and listen to a
band performing on the fountains (which would be covered up !!),  the amazing snow
and the way that everyone seems to know everyone else.  It's all changed now, I find
it very sad each time I go home the old Centre has gone, swallowed up by a hugely
expensive corporate centre - the ice rink is gone, gone too is the swimming pool and
even the rickety old cinema.  It's now all about money, I find it astonishing that the
teeny little pool is so expensive.  Living in the "South" you kind of get used to high prices
for some things, but I wouldn't take the kids to that pool - it's really overpriced. 
When we do go up to Aviemore we spend a  lot of our time in Inverness or down at
the "Coylum" - we'll never grow tired of "Cyril the Squirrel's Playhouse", nor the
outdoor play area.  I cant say I miss the old outdoor ice rink that was there as it was
always really cold and a bit of a trek to get to.

There used to be a lovely board walk down by the Spey and in the Summer the lupins would
come out and you could sit on one of the benches or swim in the river.  My friends and
I used to run up the steep concrete slope under the road bridge then slide down on
our bums - now that was very scary !!!   I took my son there a few years ago to try it -
it's just as much fun!

There was the games room (arcade) right next to the ice rink - our dad was the manager
there.  He kind of faded into Aviemore history and passed away recently.

I think the only thing that hasn't really changed is Craigellachie walk.  The trail up and
over the hill is slightly eroded now but it's still there if you know where to look. 
I miss the old times - maybe it's just sentimental memories and a longing for childhood 
But Aviemore was a brilliant place to grow up, it doesn't hold much interest for me now
except to visit my family.  There are too many housing developments and not enough
things to do!  Where the locals once had the centre there are now no leisure facilities
actually in walking distance, and as Aviemore grows beyond Dalfaber that walking
distance is surely getting bigger.

Dawn Hannay