The complete text of the headlines above follows.

March 2005

Cross resurrected! Following our story last week Maybole Cross has been reinstated on the High Street. When Amey employee Michael Cooper read the story he contacted his firm to try to trace what had happened to the cross and discovered that it had been scooped up with the road surface as part of a renewal programme a couple of years ago. The old surface had been left near Minishant and Michael and his colleagues found the cross at the weekend and replaced it early on Sunday morning. The cross plays a significant part in the history of Maybole whose charter was confirmed on November 14, 1516 by King James V, or rather his guardian John, Duke of Albany, as the King was a young child at that time.

The townspeople were granted full power and free faculty to buy and sell within the town "wine, wax, cloth and all other common merchandise”, with the "power and liberty of having and holding in the said Burgh, bakers, brewers, fleshers and vendors of flesh and fish informal and all other tradesmen belonging to a free Burgh of Barony". The Charter also stated that "there be in the said Burgh free burgesses and that they have power, in all time to come, of electing annually Bailies and all other officers necessary for the government of the said Burgh".

It also granted the right to the townspeople to hold a town market each Thursday and public fairs at Lammas and to have a Market Cross set up forever. The old town cross, erected about this time, stood in the centre of the High Street until it was removed in 1773 as it was causing obstruction to traffic which had increased considerably in the second part of the eighteenth century. Parts of the original cross are now in Maybole Castle grounds. When told the news Maybole Historical Society spokesman Dave Killicoat commented, “It’s nice to see the cross back. I have taken a photograph and will publish it in our March Newsletter with the heading "Thank you and well done - the cross is back!"”

Members of Maybole’s Baptist Church are looking forward to welcoming their new minister this weekend. Tom McVicar and his wife Elaine are giving up the sunny climes of Tenerife to come to the Capital of Carrick. Tom has previously been in churches in Ayr, working alongside Rev. Noel McCullins for around three years. He ministered in churches in Lancaster and Aberdeen, but most recently spent three years in Tenerife and still retains strong links with the church in Tenerife.

Tom will begin his ministry in Maybole on March 27 (Easter Sunday). Baptist church spokesman Tom Barry said, “We would like to welcome Tom And Elaine to Maybole and pray that God would bless their time here.” He continued, “We are really looking forward with anticipation and excitement to Tom's ministry here in Maybole Baptist Church and we as a fellowship would pray for God's blessing during this time.”

It is nearly ten years since South Ayrshire Council was established, and I am delighted that the Carrick Gazette has given me space to reflect on some of the activity that the Council has been involved in over these years for the benefit of the town of Maybole. At the same time I would take the opportunity to mention some that are ongoing - and to reemphasise my continued commitment, both as Leader of South Ayrshire Council, and local member for North Carrick and Maybole East, to my long-held quest to have a by-pass for the safety of the people of the town. To mention everything that has taken place would fill your newspaper, however let me touch on a range of examples.  The rest of the story.

Members of Carrick Academy Association have been busy planning and organising their next event and this time the focus is on adults! They have organised a disco on Friday 22^nd April and tickets, which cost £5 including a buffet, are available from committee members or from Carrick Academy (01655) 882389. So get on your dancin’ shoes for a great night out. Karen Walker tells us, “The Association is a great way to support the school, meet new people, find out more about how the school works and fundraise for those extras that help to enrich your children’s education.” The next meeting of the Association will be on Tuesday 12^th April at 7pm in the staff room in Carrick Academy where new members are always welcome. If you would like any information about the Association contact Karen at Carrick Academy (01655) 882389.

The Gents Section of Maybole Golf Club will hold its opening competition on Monday April 4. The Ladies captain will officially open the 2005 golf season by striking the first tee-shot at 5.30pm. This will be followed by a 9 hole competition. The April medal will be played over 18 holes on Monday April 11. Anyone who would be interested in becoming a member of Maybole Golf Club is more than welcome to go along and join members.Office bearers for 2005 are: Sam Coulter, Honorary President; Ricky Scott, Captain; Ramsay Eccles, Vice captain; Drew Ferguson, Secretary; Colin Harvey, Treasurer; Michael Thomson, Match/Handicap Secretary. Committee members are John Cuthbert, Paul Ferguson, Gary McCulloch, Alistair McDowall, Peter McLelland, and Derek Smith.

At the Maybole Charity Shop AGM on Monday 28^th February, Mrs Estella McEwan reported that once again the shop has had a very successful year with the shop being fully booked in 2004. “Floor repairs were completed in January 2004,” she commented, “and a new piece of carpet put down to replace the part which had been damaged when lifted and the committee had cleaned the whole shop prior to opening on 2^nd February 2004. The committee ran the shop for two weeks at the beginning of March and sent £1,000 to C.H.A.S. towards the cost of building a new hospice at Loch Lomond for children.

“However,” she added, “once again there was subsidence in the main shop when it closed in December and more work had to be carried out at the beginning of January 2005.”  The shop is completely booked for 2005 already and letters of thanks from NHS Ayrshire and Arran Neonatal Unit and from a Gambian charity were noted. The committee, which is made up from people from local community groups, was re-elected for 2005. Mrs McEwan thanked the committee for their support and all their hard work over the past year.

The Compass Club is performing an Alan Bennet play “Habeas Corpus” at Maybole Town Hall from Wednesday 16th – Saturday 19th March at 7.45pm. The group usually performs in Ayr but since the closure of the Civic Theatre they have moved to Maybole to perform and this is their first performance in two years.  The play is a comedy set in a Brighton Doctor’s surgery, with characters such as the middle aged doctor, his neglected wife, a son whose name he can never remember, his sister a 33 year old spinster who has had a 10 year 'romance' with a thrusting young Vicar. The play deals with breast enhancements, and medical ethics in a light handed manner. Tickets are £6 (£4 concessions) and the Advanced ticket hotline number is 01292 590862. Also available from J. Dunlop (Florists) 37 High St, Maybole. Teas, coffees and bar service available and the play is in support of Save the Children

Carrick Chess Club lost the last two home matches in a row:

Irvine B beat them 3.5 - 2.5 with results:

Siegrun Macgilchrist 1/2 Robert Gourlay;

Steell McFadzean 0-1 Robin Yates;

Kenny Brooksbank lost a very exciting game against Robert Loughran;

Stuart Lampard1-0 Steven Clark;

Alastair Muirhead 0-1 George Harkins

and Ali Roy won by default.

Ayr beat them 4 -2:

Siegrun Macgilchrist 1/2 Stephen Hamilton;

Kenny Brooksbank 1/2 T. V. Melrose;

Stuart Lampard 0-1 Ian Gardener;

Alastair Muirhead 0-1 Vincent Tedeschi;

Ali Roy 1-0 Alan Willocks;

Athol Macgilchrist 0-1 B. Skirving.

In this match all the Carrick players were winning: Siegrun overlooked a tactic on move 14!, Kenny misplayed the ending, the other three made mistakes near the end (Athol lost on time), only Ali kept cool and coasted to victory! A few weeks ago she'd lost to her opponent in the Ayrshire Rooks championship. So it was sweet revenge for Ali! She has now 6/7 points in the league and is winning the best league trophy! Since there are no more home matches Carrick can resume their monthly blitz competition and play the club championships. The UK chess challenge is well under way with the 3rd round played on 9th March.

Maybole Angling Club recently held its AGM and all members are asked to pay their tickets before March 15. The club has vacancies for new members and it has approximately two miles of the River Girvan with nine named pools available for fishing salmon, sea trout, and brown trout. Membership is £40 and anyone interested should contact E Davidson on 01655 889927.

At the end of February Maybole Castle notched up its 250th visitor in 2005 - and it’s still another month until the local Historical Society officially opens for the season! Sixteen members of Kyle and Carrick Civic Society (the group that organises Doors Open Day in September throughout Ayrshire) paid a visit and warmed up with a cup of tea before being given an outline of the history of the Castle by Murray Cook of the Society. They were then divided into two smaller groups for a full tour of the Castle led by Helen McAdam and Dave Killicoat. Finally the whole group were taken down and shown the Old College.

Planned events for the next few months are:

Monday 4^th April (at 7.30pm in the Castle) – Kevin Wilbraham/Christine Lodge, Ayrshire Archives – “The Archives in the Castle” Details of the Culzean & Cassillis Estate archives collection in Maybole Castle, its condition and future preservation.

Saturday 23^rd April – Scottish Association of Family History Societies’ Conference, Paisley Grammar School, 9.30am – 5.00pm, tickets £10.00 – “Surfing the Past” – further details at www.renfrewshirefhs,org.uk or contact The Secretary, Renfrewshire FHS, c/o Paisley Museum and Art Galleries, High Street, Paisley, PA1 2BA.

Monday 9^th May (at 7.30pm in the Castle) – Tony Collins – “What did you do in the war Dad?” The untold story of The Sparrows (H.M.R.N. Patrol Service)

Saturday 4^th June – Troon History Fair, Walker Halls; further details from the Scottish & Local History Department, Carnegie Library, Ayr.  The Society will have a stand at the Fair.

Saturday 18^th June – Maybole Gala.  The Society will be opening the Castle and participating in several events.  Volunteers needed to help man the Castle and help out elsewhere.  If you are available please let a member of the committee know. James Brown, one of the Society’s members and a past Chairman, is researching the Maybole Templars of the late 18^th/early 19^th centuries.  He is looking for anyone with material on these Templars and freemasonry in general at that time. James can be contacted through his own website at www.baltersan.com or by post at The Wash-house, 7 Southpark Road, Ayr, KA7 2TL. If anyone has an interest in modern day Knights Templar, James will be pleased to help.

Dave Killiocoat this month returns to a theme raised several months ago. In this month’s Society newsletter he writes, “It might not look like much but the small cross in the High Street is badly missed by visitors to the town.  All the Castle guides were able to show everyone the two surviving stones from the top of the town cross which now form part of the gate posts at the west of the Castle garden and then point out exactly where the cross used to be situated from the safety of the Prospect Room inside the Castle.  When the non-slip surface was applied to the crossing the small metal cross was removed and not replaced.  We have now spent a whole season with our visitors asking why it has not been put back – and so far we don’t have any answer!”

Pontoon Golf Club

Presentation of prizes Saturday 5^th March

Monthly Medals

March              S Thorburn

April                 R Scoot

May                 K McSorley

June                 S Thorburn

July                  K McSorley

August              T Anderson

September        R Dobbie

October           S Thorburn

Medal Winner R Dobbie; Medal aggregate S Thorburn

Bogey Comp                K McSorley

Spring Outing               1 K McSorley 2 W Westcott

Stableford                    C Milligan

Summer Outing 1 W Murchie 2 C Milligan

Hannah’s Trophy          R Scott

C Milligan Trophy         R Scott

Judy Shaw Trophy        T Anderson

5 Club Trophy              K McSorley

S Davidson Memorial   T Anderson

Millennium Trophy        K McSorley

Winter Outing               1 K McSorley 2 T Anderson

Birdie Comp                 C Milligan

Winter League              J Barrie

Captain’s Prize C Milligan

SAS Trophy                 S Thorburn

An update  meeting of Maybole organisations involved in the town’s Tsunami Appeal was held in the Town Hall recently. A bank account has been opened by the Maybole Community Council for all monies donated to the appeal.  The three local primary schools in conjunction with the Carrick Academy would like to put on a concert at the Town Hall and Peter Walker agreed to arrange a meeting with the schools, Maybole Pipe Band and Maybole Concert Party.

The British Legion local branch had a ‘Bring and Buy’ sale raising £100 and the Tuesday Club had held a ‘Bingo Night’ raising £100. There was no further information from the Business Association re its fundraising events.  Local groups were asked to advise the Resource Centre of any future planned events so they can be advertised and put into the town diary. The Resource Centre has agreed to post minutes out to every organisation. The next public meeting will be held on Friday 15 April at 10.30am in Maybole Town Hall.