Contents of time capsule at former school revealed
A £70,000 grant has allowed Biosphere Bikes to add to its seasonal seafront hire hub by opening a shop and community hub in Girvan.
South Ayrshire Council gave the not-for-profit social enterprise charity the grant through its Place Based Investment Programme.
This, along with funding from Foundation Scotland, has allowed Biosphere Bikes to purchase premises in Henrietta Street in the town and begin the redevelopment of the property.
The new shop and community hub means the charity can not only continue to hire bikes, but they can sell refurbished bicycles, equipment and even run workshops.
Biosphere Bikes was first granted Certified Business status from the Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere in 2020, underlining their commitment to sustainability.
Val Scholfield, project officer at the shop, said: “Owning our charity premises is not just about having a physical space; it’s about owning our future and solidifying our commitment to serving our
THE contents of a century-old time capsule found at the former Carrick Academy have been revealed.
Earlier this year, contractors who were working on the demolition of the former building in Maybole discovered a time capsule that is almost 100 years old.
The capsule dates back to the year the school was constructed, in 1925, only six years after the end of the First World War.
The time capsule, which is made of glass, was transferred to the Ayrshire Archives centre in Ayr for opening and inspection by expert archives staff.
When the team opened the capsule, they found numerous archival records.
These included coins with the official effigy of King George V, newspapers, Education Authority documents, and some business cards of local contractors who it’s presumed worked on the building project nearly a century ago. community.
“This achievement is a testament to the unwavering support of those who believe in our project including South Ayrshire Council’s Community Wealth Building Team, Kilgallioch Windfarm through Foundation Scotland, ARPL Architects and Lockharts Law.
“With this ownership, we can foster greater sustainability by using bikes as a tool to create lasting change for the people of Girvan allowing them to pedal, connect and thrive.”
Councillor Bob Pollock, economic development portfolio holder for South Ayrshire Council, said: “The charity is already well established but having a permanent base which can be open all year round, will make a big difference.
“Biosphere Bikes always go that extra mile to ensure everyone has access to bikes no matter their age, ability, or background; they are an inspiration.”
The community hub is open Monday to Wednesday from 9am to 3pm and Friday and Saturday from 9am to 3pm.
Unfortunately, water had penetrated the time capsule over the years and as a consequence, the records became damp and damaged.
However, some parts of the items were still legible, including front pages of local newspapers and an envelope which the team managed to clean enough to transcribe.
It read: ‘Who find may keep. Present day coins of the Realm. William Reid, Master of Works, Ayrshire Education Authority.’
The contents of the capsule underwent a process in the archive centre workroom that allowed the records to dry out.
Once this stage was complete, archives staff cleaned all items using smoke sponges. All of the documents that were recovered from the capsule have since been placed in melinex, an acid free clear sheeting that’s used to store archive records.
All items are now in the Ayrshire Archives store, where the temperature and humidity are monitored to ensure the longterm preservation of records, so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come.
A member of the Ayrshire Archives team said: “As the official archive service for East, North and South Ayrshire Councils, we were incredibility excited when the time capsule was transferred to Ayrshire Archives for opening and inspection.
“While the records were damaged by water, we were able to successfully recover all the records. The collection is now safely located in our archive store.”
On inspection, the archives team decided that the items found inside the time capsule were too fragile to be out on permanent display.
However, plans are underway to create large vinyls that depict images of the capsule and its contents.
These will be installed inside the new Maybole Community Campus, creating a lasting legacy that pupils, staff and visitors can all enjoy for many more generations to come.