October 2004

The complete text of the headlines above follows.

October 29th 2004

Maybole Golf Club is holding its Trophy Presentation & Dance on Saturday November 13. Committee members are hoping that there will be a good turn-out in an effort to make this an enjoyable and successful occasion. The Gents Section of the club is holding it Annual General Meeting on Monday November 15 in the clubhouse stating at 7pm. Anyone who would be interested in becoming a member of Maybole Golf Club is welcome to attend the meeting.

October 22nd 2004

Maybole Resource Centre is gradually making itself known to local organisations and project manager Peter Walker attended this month’s meeting of the Community Council to explain what the project is all about. His staff, however, are also making a name for themselves internationally as they help people with tracing their family roots. Elizabeth Blair and Eleanor Jamieson will be contacting local groups very shortly to tell them more about what the Centre can offer but they have also been very helpful to overseas visitors to the town.

A few weeks ago Patricia Bender from Ohio, U.S.A. visited Maybole in search of her ancestors’ history. Patricia’s 5^th great grandfather, Samuel Kennedy, left Scotland in the 1740s and she believes that Samuel Kennedy was related to the Kennedys of Culzean. When she arrived in Maybole Patricia realised that she would not have as much time as she imagined to carry out research, as there was so much else she wanted to see and do during her thee day stay in the town. The Resource Centre staff arranged for a visit to Maybole Castle and asked Murray Cook from Maybole Historical Society to help them. Not only did he agree to do that but he also gave Patricia a tour through the town visiting places of historical interest.

Bob and Florette Gray from Ormiston, Australia who were also visiting the town in search of family roots joined them on the tour. A few days later Colin Goudie and Christine Crone from New Zealand also visited the town in search of information on their ancestors. Resource Centre staff were again able to help out with the search facilities available and Murray Cook provided the coupe with valuable information as well as a tour of Maybole Castle.

Last weekend an email arrived via the Maybole web site www.maybole.org from Patricia Bender which said: “Just wanted to drop you a ‘quicknote’ and tell you what a delight your Maybole was. I have told all my Ohio and Virginia, New Jersey, cousins, friends, etc to come there, when visiting Scotland, to get a real feel for history.

I am SO GLAD I didn’t go to Edinburgh or Glasgow this first time there. Normally, a person would, but by being in contact with your Eleanor Jamieson, (by they way she is FANTASTIC) and her directing me so well to B & B’s, restaurants, historic sites, etc. it made my very ‘custom designed’ visit to Maybole, Scotland WONDERFUL. Give her a raise!

Of course my visit was a genealogy one and that was my focus. My cousin Kate Young, who has our Kennedy Website on Rootsweb, has been in contact with her, and now has been in contact again. As also, my cousin Susan Kennedy has now, she in particular hadn’t been to Maybole in a long while and is now, since I’ve encouraged her to, planning to visit, and IS in contact with your Eleanor. I can’t say enough good about that group of yours in Maybole, with Mr. Murray Cook, as your historian extraordinaire! Unbelievable for 80 yr. old! I thought, oh boy, how is this older gentleman going to do the tour of the castle.Hours later HE had worn me out! And was still going! So helpful too, showed me where my B & B was. Went way beyond the ‘call of duty’ as a docent.

Again, it was such a total delight, I’m encouraging my cousin, Kate Young, who IS coming there next year during the British Open (her husband loves golf more than genealogy) to do EXACTLY as I did – let Eleanor and Murray show her around Maybole, and stay at Holmlea, it is so convenient for walking to and fro.My visit to the Welltrees Inn too. He has a very unusual pub, so clean, neat, no smokey atmosphere, the gardens, the bird! So neat! Is it on your Website? If not it should be. I’ve shown the CD to my family, Friends, Travel agency too! I’ll continue to sing its praises too.

I am also giving all this info to my AAA Travel agent here in Mansfield, OH. She sends people to Scotland and Ireland all the time, as well as herself travelling there.She was very grateful for the B & B info on Holmlea and Drumellan. And the Pub there. I told people I met at Culzean about your little Maybole too. I met people from my state even, and Cleveland OH. Also, on the plane home, I told a Mr. Wilson, from China, how to come there, and visit a small Scottish town that is so warm, friendly, and personable. We exchanged emails, and he IS also bringing his wife to visit there. I’ll let Eleanor know when that happens. By the way, the tour guides at Culzean Castle think the world of your Murray Cook too.

Again, I can’t say enough good about your excellent staff, and their knowledge of Scottish culture, I loved them trying to teach me a Scottish tune, etc. They are exactly what I was hoping to meet, but never dreamed I’d find!

Sincerely,

Patricia A. Bender,

Mansfield, OH USA

The next meeting of Maybole Historical Society will be held at 7.30pm on Monday November 1 in their new venue at Maybole Castle. The speaker will be Marion Stewart (Archivist with Dumfries & Galloway Council) and her topic is “The Treasures in the Archives”. She will talk about the archive resources available in Dumfries and Galloway and the ongoing project to make them freely available on-line. The Society is delighted with the response to a booklet they recently published and which recently received an excellent revue in the “On Your Doorstep” section of the October issue of the Scots Magazine. The booklet is “The Covenanters of Carrick” by David Hunter and it is available from the Society committee and also from Maybole Resource Centre, 48 High Street. Dave Killicoat , Society vice president, commented, “This revue has resulted in an upsurge in requests for copies and these requests are now coming from people who have local connections but have not yet seen the Maybole website. Not only has “The Covenanters of Carrick” now become our best seller, the inclusion of a membership form for the Society and a full publications list has resulted in requests for other books as well. All this generates very welcome revenue for the Society.”

Maybole Amateurs had their first competitive fixture of the season on Saturday, in the 2nd round of the Famous Grouse Scottish Amateur Cup. Their opponents were fellow premier league side West Kilbride and the committee would like to thank the players who turned up on Saturday to allow this fixture to go ahead. They would specially thanks to club captain David Brown, Jim Carmichael, Chris Kennedy and Steven McBirnie who have remained loyal to the club through this difficult period. Maybole, only provisionally accepted as members of the Ayrshire Amateur football league, have not been allowed to play any league fixtures so far this season. This has therefore left the team decimated with a lot of last year’s side playing junior football. The players are completely disillusioned with the Ayrshire league and would rather now play junior football than amateur.

Maybole’s therefore new look side, started the brighter and within the first five minutes Chris Kennedy hit the cross bar with a well directed header. Chris, not known for his heading ability, two minutes later agonisingly watched his pass back trickle over the line to give West Kilbride the lead.

Maybole however showed great BOUNCEBACKABILITY when Steven McBirnie equalised on twelve minutes after a good move down the left involving Michael Thompson and Robert Simpson. Five minutes later John Roach narrowly missed the target with a solidly struck shot. That surely brought some old memories flooding back as John last donned a ‘Bole shirt back in the mid nineties. In the thirty-eighth minute another Maybole oldie, Gary McCulloch, bent it like Beckham and saw his well directed free kick flash past the post.

At half time the sides went in all square. The second half started with Maybole again doing most of the pressing. How much longer could Maybole keep this pace up as there were a few old legs starting to tire. On the hour mark West Kilbride took the lead once again. After a quick and decisive break out their number ten blasted an unstoppable shot past Derek Bell. West Kilbride then took a two goal lead after a debatable off side decision went against the home side.

However, Maybole pulled one back after another Beckham like free kick from Gary McCulloch, and this time the West Kilbride goal keeper couldn’t get near it. The heavy conditions under foot was by now taking its toll on the Maybole brave hearts and West Kilbride scored another two goals in the last five minutes to move through to the next round. The score line did flatter the visitors, their superior fitness being the deciding factor.

Maybole Ladies Golf Club

Trophy winners 2004

Gail Ramsay Club Champion Silver, Marshall Cup, LGU Pendant

Ruth Donnan Champion Bronze, M McConnol Cup (Silver Belles), Marshall Rosebowl, Fairlie Cup, Vice captain’s prize

Adeline Henderson Jean McCrindle Cup, Captain’s prize

Mary Connelly M McConnol Cup (Grans)

Heather McCormack Thomas Faulds Trophy, Thistle brooch

Marie Nichol Kilhenzie Salver, Betty Jess Trophy, Medal plaque

Elizabeth Colquhoun Robert Carson Cup, Willie Henderson Trophy

Malin Court Cup 1 Gail Ramsay & Heather McCormack

2 Adeline Henderson & Mary Connelly

3 Ruth Donnan & Vera Lothian

A Kidd Shield Laura McSorley & Andrew Ferguson

Some members of the Tackety Bit club went to Shalloch on Minnoch last week. Although it was a bit wet under foot it was a brilliant sunny day, with a cold wind at the top. The views across The Maidens Bed, Tunskeen bothy to the Rhinns of Kells were magnificent. Other members went to Glen Etive at Glencoe where they climbed Ben Starav on what was a very wet day. The Alt Mheuran water was a raging torrent and the Robbers Waterfall and the burns coming off the hills were an impressive sight.

October 15th 2004

The “Tiddlers & Tadpoles” playgroup were raising funds last week to buy new toys to help babies and toddlers with hand and eye co-ordination and also to help fund day trips for the children. The children took part in a sponsored walk round the Glebe Park on Tuesday 5th October. On Thursday 7th October they held a sponsored bounce at Maybole Old Church Hall. Tiddlers & Tadpoles meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 9.30am-11.30am. Costs are £1.00 per child (over 1year old). Juice and biscuits are provided as well as tea or coffee for the mums. The playgroup would be delighted to receive any donations for their funds. Contacts: are Carol Boyd at - findlay@thai-boxer.fsnet.co.uk and Gail Murray at – Gailmmurray@aol.com

Maybole Cubs at District Camp held at Culzean recently. Despite their hall being vandalised recently, Maybole Scout group is still going strong. The boys meet in the hall at Whitehall Court, Maybole at the following times: Beavers (age 6 - 8) Mondays 5.50 - 6.50pm Cubs (age 8 - 10 1/2 ) Mondays 7 - 8pm Scouts (age 10 1/2 - 14 1/2) and Explorers Scouts (age from 14 1/2) > Thursday 7 - 9pm The group is also needing adult helpers and the contact number is 01655 > > 882683.

A new drop-in facility for young people in North Carrick is about to be opened in Maybole. It will be based in the ‘Over The Rainbow’ premises in the School Vennel and will be open on Mondays during lunch breaks from 12.50 – 13.30. It aims to provide young people with a confidential and accessible resource where they can access advice, information and support on a variety of issues relating to their physical and mental health and well-being - for example, diet, exercise, healthy lifestyles, sexual health, drug/alcohol, stress, anti social behaviour, crime, careers, community safety. The background for the drop in comes from the results of a survey conducted with S3 pupils at Carrick Academy, which highlighted that young people wanted somewhere locally where they can access confidential information and advice on a variety of subjects. The results of this concurred with the Ayrshire and Arran Young Peoples survey 2002. A priority with the drop in will be to ensure that young people only receive information and advice from appropriately qualified staff. The School Nurse, Sina Currie, will attend every session with support on a rotational basis from; Karen Walker, Integrated Community Schools Development Worker; Carol George, Community Education Worker; and Chris Griffin, Youth Support Worker. The initiative is also supported by local GPs The drop-in will be monitored through feedback from the young people and staff. Additionally, Carrick Academy Integrated Community School has a multi-agency steering group, which oversees all developments and acts as a quality assurance. A range of appropriate information will also be available within the health room in Carrick Academy which complements the full PSE programme that pupils receive. Young people and parents will be encouraged to participate in the management and development of the resource. For further information about this initiative or if you are interested in joining the management group please contact- Sina Currie (01655) 884344, Karen Walker (01655) 882389, or Carol George (01655) 882105.

Alistair Kilgour of Maybole has been put forward by Maybole Access Point (MAP) as a Learning Champion. National training organisation Learndirect are promoting learning and have asked each Learning centre to nominate someone who has succeeded in learning new skills which has helped them to achieve either future learning or employment. Alistair, 22, will be invited t attend a “Celebration of Learning” which will be held at The Hub in Edinburgh to mark the achievements of learners on the 30th November.

Looking for a career in the construction industry, Alistair recently took advantage of local learning opportunities to help him gain skills which would in turn help him find a job. He commented, “I left school at 16 and worked for my dad who runs a property maintenance business, but it just wasn’t for me. After about a year I quit. Things sort of went downhill from there and the next few years were a bit of a struggle but everything has turned around thanks to the help of MAP.” Alistair was hoping to start an apprenticeship in bricklaying but could not identify anything locally. He went on.”During my first two or three weeks with MAP, they made an appointment for me to visit May-Tag, a Learndirect Scotland branded Learning Centre where I knew they had Computing and Environmental projects. I was keen to start my learning as I was fed up sitting about doing nothing.

During my time with the Learning Centre I helped design and construct a patio garden which got a Bronze medal at Edinburgh’s Gardening Scotland 2004 exhibition. It also went on to win a Silver at Ayr Flower Show in August. Thanks to a member of staff at the Learning Centre I was very lucky to have appointments and meetings with the Prince’s Trust programme who agreed, along with MAP staff support, to sponsor me through my JCB licence. I did not end up completing my courses at the Learning Centre, because I was lucky enough to have gained the confidence and the skills and found employment. First of all, a short six week temporary contract and now working full time in a factory cutting leather.

I’m glad to be working as there aren’t many jobs in this area but I do still want to work in construction.. After I get my Health & Safety Certificate next month I am hoping to find a company to take me on so as I can complete the necessary 300 hours of training to be fully qualified to operate an excavator. “My girlfriend and I are expecting our first child in four months and I am just so pleased to be working and bringing money in. I had no idea there were so many learning opportunities available. There aren’t many jobs where I live but I don’t think people realise there are places they can go to learn new skills to help them get a job. Going to MAP and May-Tag Learning Centre has done so much for me. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t gone.”

October 8th 2004

Jeans for Genes Day 2004. On Friday 1st October 2004 staff and pupils of Cairn Primary “denimstrated” they care by throwing off their school uniform, jumping into their jeans, and making a 50p donation to the National Jeans for Genes Appeal. The proceeds go towards helping eight charities, including Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, to fund vital research into genetic disorders. In Britain one baby in 33 is born with a genetic disorder or birth defect – one born every 30 minutes! Primary 7 co-ordinated the appeal, and both produced and performed a ‘Jeans On’ Fashion Show as well as a “Newsroom” skit at the usual Friday Assembly. The P7s were really nervous about performing in front of the whole school and parents, but, as always it went really well, and the parents who came along were very impressed. Everyone in school had great fun and made loads of money for the Jeans for Genes Appeal Last year they raised the magnificent sum of £93, and this year it was a massive total of 94!! (Every little extra help.) Thanks go to all the staff and children for taking part so enthusiastically, and for helping raise heaps of money!

Maybole Tackety Bit hillwalking club went to the Killin area last Saturday, and from the car park near the Ben Lawers visitor centre they climbed Meall nan Tarmachan. It was a good, dry sunny day with a cold wind as they made their way round to Bein nan Eachan, down into Coire Fionn L`airige and to the track which took them back to the car.

Maybole Juniors Sportsman’s dinner this year looks like being another huge success. Planned for Friday November 19 David Paterson will take the chair as usual and guest speakers include Clem Dane, Stuart Cool and Bill Copland who are guaranteed to thoroughly entertain everyone. Tickets are £22 each available from club secretary Alex Meek, 2 Gardenrose Path, Maybole 01655 883419.

Tuesday the 28th September marked the first meeting of the newly formed Maybole Bypass Action Committee. The meeting was chaired by Peter Mason, vice chairman of Maybole Community Council, and the committee is a joint project between the community council and Maybole and District Business Association. The decision to form the committee was taken to try to ensure that the views of all Maybole and district residents were heard and that a focal point exists, trying to get the interests of the town met in respect of road safety and associated issues for the Maybole area.

The first task of the group is to lend its full support to the current study being carried out by Atkins on behalf of the Nicol Stephens, Road Minister for the Scottish Executive. The aim is to ensure that as many people as possible complete this form to make their views clear on the issues raised by the questionnaire. The members also want to urge residents to think about the space created on the form for additional comments, this being the best place to make opinions known. With preliminary results expected in the New Year, the committee feel it is vital that the strength of feeling in Maybole on local well known road safety issues is communicated to the Executive..

Alan Martin, chairman of the Business Association, added, “We would urge every resident to complete the copy in their Community News and, if required, more copies are available at the Maybole Resource Centre. The bonus incentive for completing the form is the chance to win yourself £100! With collection points at the Town Hall, Library and Resource Centre to name but a few there are plenty of places to drop off your completed form.” The committee is also looking at other ways to make the campaign for a Maybole Bypass gain in publicity and strength and they would welcome any ideas and support that local people, or indeed road users from further afield, can lend to the campaign. Contact details are Mr Peter Mason, Chairman – Maybole Bypass Action Committee, Maybole Resource Centre, 48/50 High Street Maybole, KA19 BZ.

Brian Martin, 25, of 40 Kirkoswald Road, Maybole Road , Maybole woke on Monday morning to find that during the night his car had been written off Another vehicle had ran into his car and knocked it several yards along to completely block his gate. An to Brian's disgust, the other driver had not stopped! Local campaigners will no doubt be following this incident up as further proof that Maybole needs to bypass.

After almost 30 years it looks as if Maybole Community Association has come to an end. At last week’s AGM not enough people turned up to hold the meeting and elect a committee and office bearers. That means there will be no more annual galas with the King and Queen of Carrick, Christmas bazaars, firework displays and pantomimes. Chairman for the past few years Susan Whiteman said it was a sad day but without people to run the events they would have to stop. “With only a few people on the committee,“ she said, “it is really difficult. We need new faces and new ideas.” She continues, “The town does support our events very well and we want to provide entertainment but it is becoming impossible.” The end of the association will mean that fundraising opportunities in the town such as the Christmas bazaar and gala day would also be lost. Pearl Barton, chair of senior citizen organisations said, ”There were hundreds at the Christmas light switch on and at the gala, yet there is a shortage of people who will give up time to organise these events.” As not enough people turned up to hold the meeting Mrs Whiteman did not get the opportunity to present her annual report. She has asked if we could print it so that local residents can see what the association did in the past year - and will be lost in the future.

“We have had another successful year since last September. This year we managed to secure a grant for our winter festival which has been a great help. Our first event was the firework display and we had a very successful evening. I would like to say a big thank you to all who helped especially Carrick Round Table. All who attended, enjoyed the Pantomime; the evening that the Christmas Lights were switched on was a success and the disco was well attended as usual. Our Christmas light competition was a new event this year and a great success. Next came the Christmas Bazaar that was as popular as ever. In January the committee started planning for the Gala, I am sure most of you are aware of the huge amount of effort involved in organising such a big event, the committee all worked very hard.

The Service at Crossraguel Abbey was a lovely service; we even managed to arrange the weather! I would like to express my thanks to the Council of Churches for their help in planning the service. We then had our quiz night that was very successful with seven teams entering. Carrick Sports club Team B won this event. The pet show was as popular as ever. But our Best Kept Garden Competition was not as popular this year.

I was delighted with the amount of groups that took part in the procession and on the field and I think the good weather certainly helped with the good turn out. I have heard a lot of good reports about the Gala, most people seemed to enjoy it - certainly the committee were very pleased with the way things turned out. We had a well-earned rest over the summer and now look forward to another year of events. I would like to thank the committee Bill, June, Glenys, Derek, Anne, Maureen and Gillian for all their support over the past few months. They have worked tirelessly and have been very supportive. I hope the committee can now go from strength to strength for 2005.

October 1st 2004

The next meeting of Maybole Historical Society will be held in Maybole Castle on Monday October 4 at 7.30pm. The guest speaker will be Tom Barclay on “Covenanters in the Carolinas” and the meeting is open to everyone with a nominal entry fee of only 50p for non-members. Local people are very familiar with Maybole’s Covenanters Memorial but recently some office bearers of the Historical Society attended the dedication of a new memorial in Galloway. Dave Killicoat told us, “We were very privileged to be part of the congregation at the dedication of a brand new Covenanter Sculpture in St. John’s Town of Dalry.” The sculpture was designed and donated by Bill Dunigan, Managing Director of Mayflower Engineering in Sheffield, a member of the Scottish Covenanter Memorials Association and an old friend of Dave and Gordon Killicoat who have helped Bill in the past with tracing his very strong Scottish roots. The sculpture takes the form of a central stem with three flames and cradled within the fire is a bush with some twenty leaves. The bush is manufactured from stainless steel and several of the leaves have the name of well known Coventanter martyrs representing the veins. The sculpture is 5 metres high, weighs three tons and the fire and flames are made from Corten, a metal with limited rusting properties.

Dates for future meetings are:

2004 Monday 1st November – Marion Stewart – Dumfries & Galloway Archives. One of the best archives and now on-line resources in the country. Monday 6th December – St. Andrew’s Night at Drumellan House. Ticket Price £7.50 – Ticket bookings now being taken PLACES ARE LIMITED. The last St. Andrew’s Night was extremely popular and several members were disappointed as they did not get tickets. Bookings are now being made available to members so if you would like to go please let either Helen McAdam or Dave Killicoat know now or add your name to the list at the next meeting. Tickets must be paid for by 1st November.

2005 Monday 6th February – John Steel – The HMS Dasher Disaster. March & April to be confirmed Monday 9th May – Tony Collins – “What did you do in the war Dad?” The untold story of The Sparrows (H.M.R.N. Patrol Service)

A recent link placed on the Maybole website is a connection to part of the National Library of Scotland collection of Ordnance Survey Town Plans, 1847–1895 and specifically the five sheets for Maybole surveyed in 1856-7 and produced at a scale of 1:500. These maps give very great detail especially of public buildings and show all the old street names which has helped the Society to resolve a few arguments! There are copies of the maps in the Carnegie Library in Ayr but it is hoped that by the spring copies will be available in the Castle for all to see. In the meantime you can use the ever more easily accessible internet to see them at http://sites.scran.ac.uk/townplans/maybole/html

Another site which been launched very recently is PASTMAP, a new on-line information service about Scotland’s historic environment on a scale not paralleled anywhere else in Europe. This is a major joint initiative by Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). The new website will provide information on Listed Buildings of Scotland, Scheduled Ancient Monuments of Scotland and the National Monuments Record of Scotland. Dave said, “Judging by the number of queries we receive regarding listed buildings, the most relevant section is probably that containing the listed buildings with maps precise to one metre. The site can be accessed at www.pastmap.org and contains comprehensive detailed maps showing all buildings concerned. Maybole has a considerable concentration of listed buildings and any area can be selected to obtain full details of individual buildings within it. Access to the site is free and registration is very simple.”

As part of the study into the traffic problems on the A77 in Maybole, all residents of the town have been sent a questionnaire. They are being invited to answer a series of questions that will help the Scottish Executive understand the problems local people face. Everyone who fills in and returns the questionnaire will be automatically included in a prize draw which could win them £100. The study was first announced by the Transport Minister, Nicol Stephen, last December and ATKINS was appointed to carry it out. As well as the questionnaire, Atkins commissioned a series of twelve hour traffic surveys which counted all of the vehicles driving into Maybole on the major roads and all the key junctions in the town. It is proposed to have a public exhibition next year to keep everyone in Maybole informed of the progress of the study. A large print version of the questionnaire and assistance in answering any of the questions is available from Maybole Resource Centre, 48/50 High Street, tel no. 884022.

This photograph was sent via the Maybole web site with the message "My husband was in Maybole on June and took this photo of three young women from your town. We really liked the picture and we hope that you can recognize them and give them a copy. Thanks so much. Sincerely, Ann Lawson and Wayne Sklarski. Ann was contacted to see if there was any special reason for the visit to the capital of Carrick and she replied, "We are from Calgary, Canada. We spent three weeks in the UK this summer, a week at Brunston Castle in Dailly, a week in the Lake District, and a week in London. Of course we enjoyed Scotland the best, and can't wait to come back. My mother's parents were from Stirling, and as she said once on the back of a postcard that she sent from her pilgrimage to Scotland, "your ancestors stole sheep from these hills..." If anyone recognises the girls tell them you saw this photo of them at the Greenside!

Rev. Richard Martin and his wife Eva Martin said farewell to Maybole Baptist Church on Sunday 26th September. When they came to minister in Maybole, all but five years ago, they did not know how long they would be staying. They could only say, “God opened the door for us to come here and He will show us when it is time to move on.” One of the first things that struck them both was the friendliness of the people in Maybole and their readiness to stop and “blether”. Moving, as they had, from West London, where people tend to keep themselves to themselves, this was a pleasant novelty which they still appreciate today.

They make no secret of the fact that church life is not easy! Whilst they have enjoyed fellowship with the church members, it has been hard and not very successful work trying to draw other people to join them. During the last year the church distributed packets of literature to every home in the town, also at Maidens and in Crosshill. So far, they have not received a single response to this outreach. Earlier, church members had offered copies of the ‘Jesus’ video to friends and neighbours – but interest was limited and again response was nil. Incidentally the Church Secretary Tom Barry still has a few copies, if anyone would like one.

A highlight of Richard and Eva’s time in Maybole was the Millennium Year visit of children from Belarus which the church hosted – with a lot of help from townsfolk. Then in the last six months the baptistry pool was opened for the baptism by total immersion of Fiona Gill. Then Fiona and two friends recently retired to Maybole were received into church membership. Shortly afterwards it was Richard’s joy to marry Fiona and Calum Meney in the church. These were all special occasions and treasured memories. Richard and Eva are now retiring to Barnstaple in Devon where they will be near their children and grand-children. “Maybole and the church will always have a special place in our hearts,” they say. “Our move will open new opportunities for us, and we wonder what God has in store for us next, south of The Wall!” more

Greta and Billy Swan who were married on 24th September 1954 in Maybole by Rev George Anderson. They met when Greta's sister Olive married Billy's brother Ronnie! They have two daughters and a son (deceased), five grandchildren and a third great grandchild is expected in December. Billy was a joiner to trade and finished his working life in the local printing factory. Greta was a receptionist for almost twenty years.

Maybole Memorial Park Bowling Club recently held an adult v junior competition and our picture shows the juniors with their coaches Alex Kelly, Janette Kincaid (right) and Ian Paterson (left). The club’s aim was to attract some young people into the sport and was pleased to welcome twelve boys aged between of 10 and 14. Ian Paterson, vice president, said, “The boys are very keen and the standard of bowling in such a short time is very encouraging for the future of the sport. Next year we would like to encourage some young girl to join the club.” Ladies Day at Memorial Park Bowling Club. Recently the club’s gents treated the ladies to a great day as a “thank you” for all the work they do during the year. An American tournament was held which was won by Janette Kincaid and Mattie Hutton and a lovely meal was prepared by club member Richard Paterson and served by the gents.

Maybole Golf Club’s winter competitions begin this coming Sunday October 3 with the first matches of the Winter League. The league will run through to the end of February 2005. The Christmas competition will be played on Sunday December 12. The starting times will be 8.45 am for the draw and tee off at 9am on Sundays.