Director says loss is a tragedy for the community

The Ayrshire Horticultural Society which ran the show is set to be wound up.

It had its roots in December 2000 when it was formed by enthusiastic amateurs who wanted to keep Ayr Flower Show alive.

The show was started as a civic event in 1960 but South Ayrshire Council bailed out in 1999 as it was too expensive to run.

Only one man has remained a director of AHS from day one - solicitor John Walker.

Over the years many directors came and went, including the influential nurseryman Adam Train and Alloway accountant David Quayle, the last director to resign a year ago.

Official documents show there are six active directors.

Secretary John Walker is on the board with Stewart Robertson and George Courtney, both of Ayr, Peter Linton of Kirkmichael, Kate Lockhart of Doonfoot and John Sloan of Prestwick.

John Walker, who lives in Ayr’s Seafield, is currently off sick from his firm of solicitors.

A receptionist at the Wellington Square office said he would not be back for “another few weeks.”

Director Peter Linton, who used to work for South Ayrshire Council, said he was not interested in a “bun fight” with his former employers.

When told John Walker was being accused of intransigence, he claimed that it was only John Walker who would know whether a move to Ayr Racecourse was a good or bad idea as he had done it.

Peter said: “The evidence from trying it there was that it was a bad idea and it didn’t save us money.

“Although there were good trackside facilities we had to do other things to make, the show work.

“The council has now chosen not to support us and we don’t have a beef about that. They made some vague suggestions about doing this or that.

“This idea about going back to the racecourse has come very recently and there have been no substantive discussions.

“It came for us when we were really past the point of no return and we had to make a decision.

“It is a tragedy for the community and that is the very strong opinion of all the board directors.

“We haven’t done this because we are incompetent.”