From the archives of the Ayrshire Post

25 YEARS AGO

Councillors have pulled back from a straight management “buy- out” of Ayr’s Masonhill Crematorium.

Instead tenders are to be prepared for the lease of the operation. The move was confirmed by the Tory administration at last week’s meeting of Kyle and Carrick District Council’s policy and resources committee. And it was hailed as a “sensible climbdown” by Labour. Labour Group leader Ian Welsh said: “The Tories have made themselves a laughing stock throughout Ayrshire and beyond.

“They are blunderingly naive.”

50 YEARS AGO

Three Troon women were more than a little puzzled when a strange plant began to shoot up in their garden in St Meddan’s Street. They decided not to disturb it and their puzzlement increased with the growth of the plant - for it went to a height of six feet. Then Miss Alice, Miss Molly and Miss Eileen Herbertson received a clue about its identity. They read a news article about an Indian hemp plant used by drug addicts so they notifed the police. The police took it into custody, identifiying it as cannabis. The ladies suspect it had fallen as a seed from the bird table.

100 YEARS AGO

The Dalmellington Iron Coy for the year ended June 30 says that after making provision for excess profit of £ 48,110 and adding £ 3074 brought forward, there is a total of £ 56, 124. Depreciation and deferred repairs absorb £ 24,827. The directors propose a dividend of 6s 3d per share, making ten percent for the year, free of tax.

For the previous year and taking account of war taxation, there was a profit of £ 54653. Deduction for depreciation and redemption amounted to £ 17,030, while the ordinary dividend totalled 15 percent.