Give Belleisle a big miss

If you have not wandered or golfed in Belleisle Park recently, well don’t!

At least stay away from the small wooded area beside the 18th tee of the Seafield golf course.

The destruction to three majestic beech trees is truly horrendous, and there seems no obvious reason for this.

Surely this cannot be for personal gain, but the loss does not appear to be to improve any golf hole and the trees were certainly healthy.

Also, there was wildlife even in this small area. This very morning my dog pointed a cock pheasant and last week I spotted a bullfinch.

I am inconsolable at the insensitivity of South Ayrshire Council in this, but I sincerely hope that its reply to my “urgent” e- mail will make me eat humble pie.

Meantime, if they have the stomach for it, I encourage walkers and golfers to investigate, and complain should they see fit.” McDowall.

Our group are furious that he has announced that the Labour group is supporting the WASPI campaign, when Labour joined the Conservatives at the recent full South Ayrshire Council meeting to vote down the opportunity to revisit the motion in support of the WASPI campaign.

Labour have used the local WASPI campaigning group as a political football and they know that the Scottish Government is unable to act on pensions as it is not within the Scotland Act, a fact that the councillors should be well aware of.

Perhaps this epiphany has happened now that the May council elections have come into view. I have moved back to the Ayr area in the last year and I am appalled with the state of The Auld Brig, namely dog muck.

Every time I have walked across there are at least three piles of it. What can be done about it?

Are there laws in place to deter their owners? What about the mums and dads pushing prams and getting the wheels covered in it?

Also what about the tourists who come to see this attraction, I don’t think they would be impressed.

I appreciate in the big picture it’s not a heinous crime, but it’s not very nice. I hope you can do some investigations into this. and eating the flowers, roses being their favourite.

I hope this helps, to know it is not humans doing the damage. Further to Forbes Robertson’s letter regarding the missing pubs, I think they were as follows.

At the top of George Street was the Olympic Bar ( nicknamed Doubties), between it and the Horseshoe was the Craigie Inn, in John Street was the Clachan Bar, in Wallace Street was the Wallace Inn. It was near Golds, the furniture and draper shop at Symes Lane ( ie Piggy Lane).

Hope any of these help. Re the letter regarding missing pubs, John Street was the Wheatsheaf.

The top of George Street was the Olympia, the other one in George Street was the Craigie Inn and the one in Wallace Street was the Masons Arms. Further to Forbes Robertson’s letter of 17th March, I delved into my copy of the Ayr and District Directory 1949.

Unfortunately I was unable to completely solve his queries, but if I may, I will report on what I did discover.

Although I fully appreciate that business names do change over time. At that time, the only spirit merchant in John Street was at number 7 and was run by David Mitchell ( no other trading name). It was next to Allan Reid ( Ayr) Ltd a garage with a Whitletts connection which presumably became McCalls garage. At the top of George Street ( no. 145) was a spirit merchant run by William W Kechie ( again no other trading name). Between that bar and the Horseshoe bar was Alfred Campbell’s bar at no. 125/ 127 ( again no other trading name). Finally, I could not locate any Thow the Glaziers in Wallace street, but they were in George Street at no. 33. In Wallace street itself there were two pubs. At no. 12 was Hugh D Montgomerie’s and at no. 43 there was Blaney Quinn’s ( again no other trading names). Clearly the absence of pub trading names rather defeats the whole purpose of the exercise. However if any of this information is of any help then my work has not been in vain. With reference to Forbes Robertson’s old pub poser, or in his case Old Poseur’s Pub the pubs are:

George St. The Olympic, down a little The Clachan, original Lucky Star fish and chips, The Craigie Inn, into John St. The Wheatsheaf and finally Wallace Street, The Masons Arms. The reason I know this local history is I attended the original St. Margaret’s school before it got burned down. The Olympia was frequented every lunchtime by one of our beloved Masters Mr. P ( paddy) Furlong, Oh Glory Days! What in God’s name is South Ayrshire Council doing to our town?

It’s as if they are helping Ayr to crumble and fall. Why withdraw funding from one of the few treasures we have left? Do they not realise the revenue the Gaiety brings to the town? The tradition, the community spirit? They are quite happy to spend over £ 130,000 laying and ripping up a ridiculous cycle path which none of our towns people were consulted about yet will not spare a measly £ 50,000 to maintain our beloved theatre. I feel South Ayrshire Council are almost willing our town to decay. All the promises of regeneration are unfulfilled. They should be ashamed of themselves.