From the Archives of the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald published on March 23, 2011
150 YEARS AGO on March, 1861
A ewe belonging to Mr G Harvel Gill, West Kilbride, gave birth to five lambs, two of which later died, but the other three are progressing favourably. The same ewe gave birth to four lambs two years in succession, making her the mother of 13 lambs in three years.
The contractors of mines in the Dalry district have received notification from the mines masters to reduce miners' wages by 6d per day - 3/- per week.
During the last week in March, 2938 tons of pig iron were exported from the Ardrossan Harbour and for the same period 3057 tons of coal.
Barr and Shearer, shipbuilders, Ardrossan, have purchased the ship, "Caroline" from Mr Colvin, Troon, and Mr Hugh Crawford, Ardrossan, has purchased the ship, "Ariel", Limerick.
100 YEARS AGO on March 31, 1911
AT the annual general meeting of Ardeer Ironworks Bowling Club on Tuesday evening the following office-bearers were appointed: - President, Mr Robert Main; vice-president, Mr William Reid; secretary, Mr Thomas Symington; treasurer, Mr James Gilmour; Committee Messrs P Reid, A Wilson jnr, William Vallance, J Patrick, R Murray and W Bell.
On Tuesday evening the congregation of Shiskine Free Church presented a purse of sovereigns to the minister, the Rev W McDougall, on the occasion of his leaving to take up the charge of the congregation of Farr, Sutherlandshire.
At a meeting of the Standing Joint Committee of Ayr County Council on Tuesday, Mr Colin Campbell Robertson, District Inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary, was appointed Chief Constable of Ayrshire in room of Captain McHardy, who recently retired.
50 YEARS AGO on March 31, 1961
AN application for permission to erect a prefabricated building as a motor car showroom within premises at Nineyard Street, Saltcoats, has been refused, subject to the observations of Saltcoats Town Council, by Ayr County Council's Planning Committee on the ground that the proposal would not be in accordance with the development plan and would tend to prejudice development of that
area. Mr AM Rosie, County Planning Officer, reported that the present premises were restricted and formed part of a dwelling house with an extension into garden ground attached to the house. He added that the development plan showed the area as required for a future open space.
A single handrail is to be provided at the steps leading from Ardrossan Road to Caledonia Road, Saltcoats.
In order to provide flowers for the Queen of the Sea ceremony, Saltcoats Town Council have agreed to purchase two dozen rose plants.
I hear that the contractors who are building the new school at Stanley Road, Ardrossan, have been plagued with vandalism and theft. One official on the site has stated that in all his years in the building trade he has never experienced so much trouble of this sort on one particular project. He tells me that a large quantity of cement is missing from the site and that mastic on the window frames has been scraped off while soft. Coping stones on the boundary wall have also been dis- lodged and some of them broken. Timber, which is used to protect precast concrete stairs, has been stolen.
Wednesday of last week was an eventful day for Mr and Mrs Alexander Grant, of the Cross Keys Inn, Fullarton Place, Stevenston. The occasion was the official opening by Provost James Forde of the new public bar at the premises. By now regular patrons will have seen for them- selves the magnificent transformation which has taken place. The building has been extended considerably and comfort is, indeed the keynote.
25 YEARS AGO on April 4, 1986
Ardrossan and Saltcoats residents got the chance to see their local hero this week when the Tartan pimpernel himself visited the area. Robbie Coltrane, along with Stuart McGugan of It Ain't Half Hot Mum fame and other leading comedy actors spent the week in Ardrossan filming for a new BBC television series called "Tutti Frutti". The series features Messrs Coltrane and McGugan as part of an ageing rock group still trying to make it to the top after 25 years. They meet up in an Ardrossan guest house before gigs in the town and in Arran. The series was written by John Byrne- author of the Slab Boys.
Euro MP, Hugh McMahon has issued fresh demands for a full-scale inquiry into the level of radiation in North Ayrshire. His move follows a report by concerned parents claiming that seven children whose parents had worked at Hunterston Power Station later contracted leukaemia or other cancers. A parents' spokesman said this week they were not claiming a direct link between Hunterston and cancers but that the statistics merited investigation. The report has been submitted to Cunninghame District Council.
A decision will soon be made on how £100,000 of council cash is to be spent on environmental improvements at Ardeer and other housing estates in the district. At a meeting of the district council's housing committee on Tuesday, councillors were faced with reports from sub-committees dealing with each project.
The reports outlined how the council would spend £100,000 or less, on each specific project. At Ardeer a phased programme would swallow up the £100,000 in the first year alone. The first phase of improvements would be centred round Caledonian Road and Lundholm Road areas, which is the main approach to Ardeer. This, say the sub committee concerned, would have a major beneficial impact. The proposals include the facelift of houses at the south side of Caledonia Road and the west side of Lundholm Road, with access from Sommerville Drive.
Thanks to Tom McGrattan
for the original