Troon pair are top of the gongs
Near neighbours honoured
A king of jewels and an ice queen have been honoured by Her Majesty in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Stuart Laing gets a glittering OBE for nearly 50 years hard graft in the shiny world of jewellery.
And Kirsty Letton is now an MBE after more than four decades of dedication to Scottish curling.
That they live within 500 yards of each other in Troon is highly noteworthy in that NOBODY else who lives in mainland Ayrshire received anything this year.
Stuart,68, has been honoured not just for running the family’s firm Laings, but his foundation of a UK consortium that allowed independents to flourish.
He said: “I am thrilled and delighted to speak about it . . . this has been very difficult not to mention.
“I am proud and honoured, but also very humbled as well.”
In 1970 he joined the family firm which was begun 130 years earlier.
He expanded it to seven branches and started the Houlden (his mother’s maiden name) buying and professional services group for independent jewellers.
Stuart remains active as executive chairman of Laings, though his son-inlaw Joe Walsh is now chief executive.
The father-of-three and now grandad-to-five has been such an influence in the jewellery market he’s regarded by the trade throughout the world.
He said: “Strengthening and creating a strong, independent retail sector and giving the UK industry a global identity has been extremely rewarding.”
“But this honour is for my entire family and colleagues as a lot of people have been with me on this journey.”
Stuart and his wife Lynda have three children - son Simon and daughters Susanna Laing, and Wendy Walsh.
Stuart added: “I would like to pay tribute to my wife Lynda, she has been a wonderful support, a real rock.
“We have travelled the globe together representing the UK trade.”
He also created the ‘Jewellers of Excellence’ brand, which is a hallmark of trust within the industry.
Stuart has been involved in all aspects of the industry and was the only UK Director of SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), a renowned association of the best jewellers in the world, in co-operation with high-end watch houses.
Curling champion and coach Kirsty Letton reckons her MBE is an accolade for the entire sport.
She says: “Of course I am thrilled and proud. It was a big surprise, I must admit.”
And so are the family husband Jimmy and children Avril, who now lives in Ascot, and Keith who is in Grenada.
Superfit Kirsty - now a 77-year-old grandmother of three - is still playing on the rink as well as coaching at Ayr and manages to find the time to grab an oar for some coastal rowing.
Last year she picked up a Sportscotland lifetime volunteering award.
And although moving to Ayrshire 21 years ago and joining the Troon Portland club the link with her orginal Glasgow four has never been broken.
The highlight of Kirsty’s playing career was winning senior silver in the World Championships in Finland in 2008.
She is particularly proud of motivating South Ayrshire primary pupils to have fun on the ice, with 269 youngsters participating in her taster sessions last season.
As well as inspiring the stars of tomorrow, Kirsty instigated the strongly contested World Senior Curling Championships in 2000. She also set up the Glynhill Ladies Curling International event, which attracts world-class teams.
Kirsty added: “I don’t know where I would be without curling. It has been a huge part of my life for 40 years.
“Last week Ayr Curling Club got the active schools gold award for South Ayrshire and it is things like that which keep me going.”
Ayrshire’s LordLieutenant Iona McDonald congratulated the pair.
She said: “They have made a considerable contribution to our communities and I am sure that this award comes as a great surprise, as many of them do not seek any recognition for the work that they do.
•The Edinburgh-based business grandee Sir Brian Gammell Ivory, gets a CBE for his chairmanship role at Dumfries House.
Sir Brian,69, joined the Dumfries House Trust in 2009, resigning only last year.
This has been very difficult not to mention