From the Archives of the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald published on the 25 April 2007
100 YEARS AGO Friday April 26, 1907
THE stationmasters at Saltcoats and Stevenston who were dismissed after the accident at Saltcoats last August have been reinstated in the service, as a result of representation made to the Railway Company by local gentlemen
ON Sabbath last at the forenoon service in the North Parish Church, Saltcoats, the dedication took place of the new Communion plate and the new vestry. obtained through gifts from two members of the church, Mr AJ Ritchie, Annavilla and Mr William Edgar, Netherby.
AT the annual meeting of the Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenston Choral Society, office bearers appointed were: - President, Mr James Stewart: secretary, Mr James Laurie; treasurer, Mr Dugald McC Miller; librarians, Messrs W McGeachie and AB Rine; conductor, Mr WB Burgoyne and accompanist, Mr JB Lawson
MR O'GRADY, MP asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in the House of Commons, whether he was aware that Beith Academy ha been deprived of its status as an intermediary and secondary school, owing to the report of the Chief Inspector for the Western Division of Scotland. The Secretary of State replied that Beich Academy had not been deprived of any status.
THE employees of Stevenston Co-operative Society on Tuesday presented a handsome gold albert and appendage to Mr Peter Reid on the occasion of his completing 21 years in the service of the Society.
THE office-bearers of Saltcoats EU Church signed, in the name of the congregation, a petition prepared by the minister, Mr Greenhill, to be sent to the local MP in favour of the Liquor Traffic Local Options Bill now before Parliament.
MR JOSEPH Kirkwood, Ardrossan, has passed a splendid examination for First Mate at his first attempt.
50 YEARS AGO Friday April 26, 1957
THE beach at Whiting Bay had an unexpected and unwanted visitor on Tuesday in the form of an object thought to be an unexpected bomb, which was washed in with the tide, and was found wedged among rocks. It was spotted by a local man who was out for a walk along the beach. The Police were informed, and attempts were made to attach a marker buoy to the "homb" which could only be seen at low tide. A disposal unit from South Queensferry were on their way the following moming to deal with it, and an Camination found that the object was in fact a harmless looking dummy depth charge.
ABOUT 12.05mm on Sunday, a private car being driven in Glasgow Street, Ardrossan, collided with the traffic Island which is situated opposite Castlecraigs. The car was extensively damaged and the traffic island was almost wrecked. Part of its base was reduced to rubble and the lamp smashed and dislodged. The driver of the car was unhurt.
THE Kilwinning Troop's four Queens Scouts travel to Windsor this weekend to attend the National Service for Queen's Scouts in St George's Chapel. The parade, with Her Majesty the Queen, taking the salate, will be televised on Sunday afternoon.
AN accident occurred about 12.40pm last Thursday, on the Kilwinning-Dalry Road, near Smithston Bridge, involving a motor lory and a private motor car. No one was injured but both vehicles sustained damage.
AILSA Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Troon are to build for Uskport Steamship Co Ltd, of Newport, Monmoutshire, a single-screw steam-driven vessel of 4650 tons deadweight for delivery in 1959.
OWING to lack of support Lamlash Improvements Committee have decided to resign at the end of the year.
25 YEARS AGO Friday April 23, 1982
THE massive 1,000 workforce of Ayrshire Marine Constructors Ltd has been put on 90 days redundancy notice. Unless a new order can be won for the yard at Hunterston within that time jobs will go. The huge £50m rig being built at present at the yard is near completion and now the trade unions and the AMC management are working around the clock to secure more work
It is a desperate race against time. The 90 days redundancy warning came on Friday, April 16 and as each day passed the threat of Ayrshire losing one of its largest workforces grows stronger. But there is an air of optimism at the yard. Despite management problems in the past during the last 18 months relations have been excellent and the work record superb.
Yard joint union convener Mr Harry Docherty said he was sure the track record at the yard would do a great deal toward attracting new orders.
Mr John Corrie, MP for Bute and North Ayrshire, is working hard behind the scenes to secure more work. He said from the House of Commons on Wednesday: "I have been in very close contact with the ministers for energy and they are pushing as hard as they can to persuade companies to award contracts to AMC. "The recent work record at the yard will go a great deal toward attracting new orders."
PLANNING permission has been given to a new £? million shopping development in Saltcoats and this week work began to build it. It will create an indoor shopping centre housing 20 shop units in Hamilton Street opposite Presto supermarket. It has immediately boosted confidence in the town and created 40 building trade jobs.
Behind the ambitious project is West Kilbride businessman Mr Geo Benedetti, who heads the highly successful West of Scotland Industrial Clothing Services company in Kilwinning. In a time of recession such an investment is a big gamble but Mr Benedetti is confident the centre will be a great success when it opens in September. It will be an indoor, heated and well-finished arcade-type shopping centre with between 10 and 15 shops on either side of it. Above will be three office suites.
Thanks to Tom McGrattan
for the original