Maybole Community Association is holding its A.G.M on Monday 8^th September at 7.30pm in Maybole Maybole Town Hall In a letter to all local organisations, June Dunlop, Association secretary, says, “We are pleased to say that we feel that we have had a successful year so far in 2007-2008 with the Christmas Bazaar and Summer Gala earning, at a conservative estimate, over £4,000 among the individual local organisations who took part in both events.”

She continues, “We would like as many groups and organisations as possible to attend  he Maybole Community Association A.G.M. as over the past few years interest in the Association has waned considerably; affiliation at one point was over 50 groups but in the last year has dropped to only 14. “Unfortunately, if we don’t receive enough interest in the Association and the events it runs we have reached a point where we will have to seriously consider the viability of the organisation continuing in its present form.

“The Christmas Bazaar and Maybole Gala, in the past, have always fostered great community spirit and cooperation by bringing a wide range of different groups together and helping them raise much needed funds for their individual voluntary organisations. However, these are now the only two events we can currently organise because of lack of people to help us. “We would like to widen the scope and number of events we organise, especially in the Burns’ Homecoming year in 2009, but cannot do so without more input from other individuals and groups.

“We hope you will give some consideration to attending our A.G.M. as it would be sad if your Community Association had to be abandoned or scale back its activities. “Remember it is your Community Association so please attend our A.G.M. and let us know how you think we should move forward with new events and be of more help to the community and your group.”

This year has been a bit special for Maybole’s Ali Roy. Ali was awarded Scottish girl player of the year at the beginning of the year. Her main achievements for the award were British Under 12 Girls Champion, British Chess Association Under 12 Girls Rapidplay Champion, Scottish Girls Champion 2006 and 2007, and Scottish Under 1500 grading Champion.

Ali plays for Carrick Chess Club and was unbeaten in seven of her league games which proved an important factor in helping Carrick move up to division one for the first time in thirty years. Siegrun Macgilchrist taught her twice a week for 5 years from 2000. Aside from playing chess, Ali has developed and applied her skills as a coach in her school and chess club. She has also helped run competitions at her local club. In July this year the Scottish Championships were held in Glasgow where Ali defended her title for the third year and is Scottish girls champion 2008.

Ali is also the youngest player to have captained Scotland's Faber Cup team and last month in Liverpool's John Moores University she was absolutely delighted when the girls fought hard to win some very tough games, were runners up and received silver medals. Ali has just returned from the British Championships which was held in St George’s Hall Liverpool where she had an excellent tournament. She was the only Scottish player this year to bring back a title, winning the British under 13 girls title.

She was third overall, defeating Welsh Internationalist and board one Faber team player Megan Owens who has been selected to play for Wales at the 2008 Olympiad Women's Team which takes place in  Dresden ,Germany later this year, Megan offered Ali a draw when it was down to a tricky end game but Ali was confident of winning as she had previously been shown a similar endgame by her coach International Master Stephen Mannion. Some of Ali,s games on the top boards were live on the internet ,which enabled her  Aunt Marie in Malasyia to follow her success.

Ali has also been selected to represent Scotland in the European under 14 girls championships in Montenegro later this month but her parents have had to decline the invitation due to other commitments. Ali is an active member of Carrick Chess Club along with her little brother Zak and dad Charlie and has moved up to board three this year in their local chess league. Board one and two Dr.Kenny Brooksbank and Erick Mackinnon are a great inspiration and are always giving Ali friendly matches using different openings and tactics which is a great help to Ali when she is competing internationally.

Ali is willing to coach children between the age of 5yrs and 10yrs who would like to learn how to play chess. The junior section takes place on a Wednesday evening in Maybole Town hall at 6.30pm.

A WORLD war couldn’t stop them getting together. And now Jack and Annie Hearton have celebrated 60 years of marriage. Jack and Annie, both 82, met at a dance in Maybole Town Hall when they were 17. Young Jack was later called up to serve his country in the Second World War, and its aftermath. He served in the British Army of the Rhine (BAOR) with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers (KOSB). But Jack Hearton’s thoughts were with pretty sweetheart Annie Haggerty back in Maybole. Eventually the couple were married, in 1948, in the town’s former King’s Arms Hotel. It once stood in the High Street, just a stone’s throw from the town hall.

Back in civvy street, Jack worked as a travelling salesman in Ayrshire. And Annie worked in the warehouse at Lees – one of Maybole’s legendary boot and shoe firms. Away from work, Jack is keen on golf, and Annie loves her garden. The couple went on to have a son and a daughter. And they are immensely proud of three university-educated grandchildren. One of their grand-daughters is an architect, the other a nurse, while their grandson is a teacher. Jack and Annie’s diamond anniversary featured a family celebration in Ayr’s Ellisland Hotel. And HM The Queen’s congratulations were specially delivered by Deputy Lieutenant Richard Vernon. Jack and Annie live right in the very heart of Maybole, in Welltrees Street.

 Maybole’s Danielle Connolly made a scoring debut with Celtic Ladies in Sunday’s comfortable League Cup victory over St Johnstone.  The central defender scored twice from corners and was denied a debut hat-trick when another header crashed of the under-side of the crossbar.   Danielle was a signing target for the Glasgow club during the summer and they tempted her to take the step after last season’s successful ‘player-of-the-year’ spell with Troon Ladies.

Danielle said, “Troon Ladies is a great club with a great coach and lots of great players, but when Celtic came calling and were very keen for me to sign I couldn’t turn down this opportunity. I improved as a player with Troon and I will need to continue that improvement to hold down a place at Celtic.” Any doubts the 18 year-old had soon disappeared, “as soon as we drove through the gates at Lennoxtown I knew I had made the correct decision, the facilities are incredible and anyway, my brothers would never have forgiven me if I hadn’t gone!”

Danielle hopes to be involved in a piece of history this Sunday with Celtic’s opening league game, a first ever Ladies Old-Firm derby against Rangers! She added, “We are all looking forward to the game but Rangers are a new team this season and we are a bit apprehensive, but we’ll give it our best.” 

An outbuilding at Our Lady and St Cuthbert's church, Maybole, was the victim of an arson attack as the sun shone last Friday afternoon. Two children set alight the contents of the buildings and fire quickly spread into the roof. Willie Fraser, a delivery driver from Tesco, was just leaving the church when he saw a neighbour run across the road to say she had seen two boys enter the building and that it was now on fire. The boys left the scene and were uninjured. The Tesco employee used fire extinguishers to douse the fire but it continued to spread into the roof. A fire rescue team arrived from Ayr and extinguished the fire, dismantling part of the roof to ensure the fire was properly out. The buildings will need to be partly or fully demolished because of the damage. Fr Stephen McGrattan, parish priest, said, "Lives were put in danger by the children's actions last Friday. Fortunately there was no injury or loss of life, but the damage to the church outbuildings and neighbours' garages and gardens could have been much more serious. Thank you to neighbours, Willie Fraser from Tesco, the fire service and parishioners who helped deal with the incident. The buildings, which were used for storage, have been cleared and sealed off until they can be pulled down and the area made safe. I would urge all parents to do everything they can to highlight the grave danger children place themselves and others in when playing with fire."

Parishioners from Our Lady & St Cuthbert's, Maybole, and friends enjoyed a pilgrimage to Dundrennan Abbey on the Solway Coast, recently. Despite gloomy skies and driving rain during the early part of the day, when the group arrived at the Abbey ruins the weather was dry and they even caught a few glimpses of sunshine. Led by Father Stephen McGrattan, the group visited the ruins of the abbey church built by Cistercian monks in 1142, during the reign of King David who was a great patron of church building. These early churches inspired and styled later Gothic architecture in Scotland. After exploring the abbey ruins and learning some of its history, the group celebrated Mass together, remembering the faith and efforts of those who worked to spread the Gospel in medieval times. The pilgrimage was made complete with high tea in Castle Douglas which satisfied the hungry pilgrims on their journey back home.  

On Sunday the Tackety Bit Club went to the Moffat hills and the Grey Mare's Tail. Some think it got its name from Tam`s mare in the poem Tam O`Shanter, while others think it's from the Gaelic`Greith mear eas tadh ail` which means "the glistening cascade gushing forth from the rocky ledge". From the car park they climbed the path up the side of the Grey Mare`s Tail ,which was quite spectacular as there had been a lot of rain recently,and on up the side of the Tail burn to Loch Skeen. After going round the East side of the loch they climbed the steep slope onto Lochcraig Head then going round to Firthhope Head, Firthhope Brig and to the highest point of the day White Coomb giving views of the Eildon Hills and across the border to the Lake District. From there they headed back to the Tail burn and down the path.

Jock’s Garden is Taking Shape. The area behind Maybole One Stop Shop, which used to be a dumping ground, is being transformed into a beautiful sensory garden, which will be a fitting tribute to Jock Barr, founder of Over the Rainbow. Over the last three months, lots of work has gone in to the project from a whole range of people to make the changes happen.

The area was cleared initially by workers from the Criminal Justice Team and then BTCV joined MOSS staff  to help apply for funding and provide lots of volunteers to help with the next stages. Gillian Anderson, Project Manager, told us, “We managed to stage the garden for our 1^st birthday celebration – it was a bit like challenge Anneka that day!

“Once the guests had gone, the hard work really began – slabs were lifted, raised beds have been built, hanging baskets and bird feeders have been installed, the concrete wall has been painted and we even have a lovely pond.

“Mel Balfour has been the driving force behind the work, closely followed by Lynne Campbell, and Julie and Elspeth from BTCV. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of local people and businesses in their donations to the project. Without them, none of it would have been possible.

“The culmination of the work so far came last Friday when we hosted a Green Gym Taster Day, and were joined by volunteers from toddlers upwards who got their hands dirty and planted all the new flower beds. Luckily the weather was fantastic so we didn’t need to provide wellies! Everyone worked really hard, and it’s clear from the photos that lots of progress was made.

All we need now is to make the ground nice and level, so that people with mobility difficulties can enjoy the garden as well, so we are trying to raise funds for 150 slabs, which will finish the garden off.

If you would like to help us, you can “sponsor a slab” for only £4, and we will put your name on it before it is laid in the garden!  If you would like to help, please drop in and see us at School Vennel.”

Maybole One Stop Shop takes on a slightly different shape from Friday 8^th August when staff will be swapping their computers for pricing guns when they take over Maybole Charity Shop for the week.

Gillian said, “We will be trying to raise funds to improve the facilities we can offer to you, so please come and support us, either by giving in donations of anything you no longer need, volunteering to help staff the shop for a couple of hours, or buying a raffle ticket.

The star prize in our raffle for the week is a 4 ball on the world famous Kintyre Course, at Turnberry Golf Course.  Even if you’re not a golfer, most people in the area will know someone who would be over the moon to get the chance to play the course, normally around £100 a round.”

Results for Maybole Golf Club’s McCulloch Cup rounds 1and 2

10th and 13th August

                                                Handicap          Score                                                                                                                            

1^st        Gavin Campbell             15                    127

2^nd        Gary McCulloch            6                      130

3^rd        John Wood                    8                      137

4^th        Malcolm McKay           12                    141

5^th        Tom Foster                    17                    143

6^th        Kevin Nibloe                 13                    144

CSS 66 rd1 CSS 65 rd2

Results for the monthly medal August 20th

1^st        Scott Anderson            14                    62

2^nd        Malcolm Mckay           12                    62

3^rd        Tom Anderson              11                    64

4^th        Alan Brownlee                 5                    68

            Kevin McKeown           18                    68

            Colin McIlraith               20                    68

            Michael Thompson         8                    68

5^th        John  Wood                     8                    69

Maybole Golf Club would like to congratulate Michael Thompson for a hole in one at the par three 9th  on Monday 20th august during the club’s monthly medal competition. 

Maybole Golf Club

Results for the Cassillis Cup held on 27th July are as follows

            Name                           handicap           nett score

1^st        Alan Brownlee              6                      63

2^nd        Tom Anderson            13                    63

3^rd        Malcom McKay           13                    65

4^th        Gavin Campbell            16                    66

5^th        Kevin Nibloe                13                    69

6^th        Michael Robb               16                    74

Non-return Neil McKeller

CSS 65

Results for the monthly medal 30th July.

            Name                           handicap           nett score

1^st        Malcolm McKay          13                    63

2^nd        Gary Steele                    8                      66

3^rd        Scott Campbell              6                      68

4^th        Tom Foster                   17                    69

5^th        John Wood                    8                      71

            Drew Ferguson             13                    71

6^th        Gavin Campbell            15                    75

7^th        Kevin Nibloe                13                    80

Non-returns Scott Anderson and Alan Brownlee

CSS 66

Results for the Carrick and District Homing Society young bird races for the North and South roads. Carrick and District Homing Society would like to thank Scott Anderson (Painter and Decorator) for sponsoring the following four races.

Maybole North Road Club

1st young bird race

Race Point: Livingston

Date 19th July

1st Jamieson and McWhirter

2nd Cameron and Jamieson

3rd Jamieson and McWhirter

2nd young bird race

Race Point: Livingston

Date 26th July

1st Cameron and Jamieson

2nd Cameron and Jamieson

3rd Jamieson and McWhirter

Carrick and District Homing Society South Road

1st young bird race

Race Point Hawick

Date 20th July

1st A Lothian 

2nd A Lothian

3rd A Lothian

2nd Young bird race

Race point Hawick

Date 26th July

1st H Gray

2nd A Lothian

3rd A Lothian