Free parking will be key

They never let one down, do they?

Yes it is the dreamers at Ayr Renaissance at it yet again. The new Walter Mitty scheme “will revitalise the High Street”.

Will this register the same success as their “cleaning up the South Harbour buildings will encourage people to visit the town”?

A five- year- old can let them know that the reason the likes of Silverburn are successful is free parking! And what is missing in the description of the new pie in the sky “plan”? Yes, you’ve got it, parking.

Still, maybe I am wrong but “views of the Auld Brig and Town Hall” will really make a big difference and have shoppers in their droves making a beeline for the town.

I still remember the one time chief executive saying he was thrilled by the murals on the windows of the empty Woolworths shop! That summed them up. It is time to pull the plug on this useless taxpayer money absorbing set up whose only success so far has been to preside over the demise of our town. of the disease and how would I know, would I just see if I had more fractures?

I was told that the treatment did not work for everyone, but that for the first two years if it worked for me then the condition would stabilise and thereafter bone density would increase. Everyone got a scan after three years so I would see then if it worked.

Once three years was up I heard nothing, I saw my GP who requested a scan which did not materialise.

When I phoned the hospital I was told I would only get a scan after five years. Once that time was up and I heard nothing I again saw my GP and then had a scan apparently now only available on GP request. I was told that I now had improved bone density and would halt the treatment.

I asked if I should continue with the calcium part of the treatment as the levels were not back at normal but was told that continuing the treatments if they were not required was damaging. This seems a bizarre story. I persisted seeking the scan because I found the treatment very unpleasant and did not wish to take it unless it worked.

Had I been less persistent then I would not have got the recent scan and would now be having unnecessary treatment at unnecessary expense and with possible health damage.

I am fine but I am worried about other elderly people where this could be happening. I am concerned about the other hidden cuts too.

The NHS is the best part of what our welfare state ever did, even better than the earlier innovation of building council houses to move people out of disease ridden slums.

The NHS cuts of the past ten years from the Tories in London and passed on with interest by the SNP in Holyrood must stop and we have to rebuild what our working class ancestors fought for, which was a health service for everybody, irrespective of income, and of the best quality .

We should have been using the powers we have in Scotland to stop the cuts and invest in public services and we should do it now for a better future.

We spend the second lowest of all the EU countries on health and the UK is judged to have the second best health provision in the world.

We need to value what we have and maintain it.

We need action not just good intentions and perhaps we should all be pestering our politicians more to get this. I write with regards to the recent Council Outstanding People Awards held at Ayr Racecourse and would congratulate all those who had been nominated for or indeed won an award for their service to the community.

It is certainly nice to see that their efforts were appreciated by the council.

Unfortunately I have to point out that it would be nice to see such appreciation displayed in a fair and consistent manner throughout the council.

I worked for the council for 39 years prior to retiring and didn’t receive any appreciation of the fact from either senior management or HR acknowledging having worked for the council for such a lengthy period of time.

I would add that it all depends which department you happen to be working in at the time as not all staff are treated this way.

All that was required was a simple thank you and appreciation shown. I read in the national press that Scottish Labour want to see regulated rail fares frozen next year. Good luck to them. Here in Ayrshire we have several bargain rail fares which Scotrail seem reluctant to publicise.

With a 60 plus bus pass issued in Scotland I can buy an off peak rail return fare from Girvan to Ayr for £ 1.30. I can travel forward to Kilmarnock for another £ 1.30 but not on a through ticket. There are similar fares to/ from other destinations but Scotrail are reluctant to publicise these. “It’s on the website.” is a familiar excuse. Yes and tell us the good news at the point of sale, also on well read notice boards and shop windows!

We also have buses using a turning circle and bus stop at Girvan station which should connect with the trains. There is a bus from Girvan to Newton Stewart at 0850 and a train arriving from Ayr at 0855.

This and other buses to the Two Pins, Colmonnell, Glentrool, etc, serve such a far flung rural area they should give vital transport and onward connection to residents, walkers and other visitors. Some more effort please, Scotrail. How I enjoyed the letter from Kathleen Bates of Prestwick regarding the two artesian wells at Newton.

I am 92 and my mother Elizabeth used to live above the Brewery Bar and managed it for a time too.

Funnily enough she also used to live above the Harbour Bar!

I clearly remember Turner’s lemonade and the bottles featured a large lemon.

The label also mentioned the water came from the wells beneath, at depths of 345 feet and 285 feet.

Kathleen suggested the wells would still be underneath Ayr Police Station.

But I think they were further along, right where the car park for Lidl is.

It will be interesting to find out if there is any trace of them when Lidl is demolished for a new store.