From the archives of the Ayrshire Post

25 YEARS AGO

There will be no relaxation of existing traffic restrictions in Ayr High Street. Requests that it be opened to all vehicles in the evenings have been turned down. Defending the ban, Strathclyde divisional roads engineer Alistair Gow said the number of reported crimes in the High Street had dropped, and road traffic accidents had been virtually eliminated. But the decision has dismayed residents and people with businesses in the High Street.

50 YEARS AGO

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines resume their scheduled DC- 8 jet service between Amsterdam, Prestwick and New York, from April 1, 1969. The loss of a DC- 8 plane, together with much equipment in a hangar fire at Schiphol International Airport contributed to the decision to temporarily suspend services from Prestwick in November. This had ended a 22- year continuous KLM service which began with DC- 4 flights from Prestwick to New York in the 1940s.

100 YEARS AGO

Presentations are made in Rankinston to three returned and discharged soldiers - James Graham, William Sloan and James Wilson. The first two served the whole duration of the war - in Dardanelles, Egypt, Palestine and France. Graham was wounded in Dardanelles and Sloan in Palestine. Sapper Wilson joined up at the beginning of 1915, and had three years’ service in France. Mr M Smith presided at the gathering, and schoolmaster Mr Brown handed over wrist watches.