Do you recognise anybody in these photos?
EMOTIONS ran high as staff, parents and children who had attended Saltcoats’ Happy Hours Nursery over the past 18 years gathered to say their goodbyes.
It would be the end of an era when the nursery closed its doors for the final time at the end of June, but at the end of May, to celebrate their success spanning almost two decades, owners Karen Macmillan and Susan Clark invited a few familiar faces along to share their magical memories.
The privately-owned nursery had seen hundreds of children from the Three Towns pass through its doors but numbers had been steadily falling and the management took the difficult decision to call it a day just before Christmas.
After an emotional morning catching up with friends of all ages, Karen and Susan, both from Ardrossan, said: “We would both like to thank our families for their dedicated support and encouragement throughout the 18 years, especially our mums, who have contributed greatly from the start.
“We would like to thank and wish each other every success in future years and will look back fondly on the memories shared.
“To the children and parents who have been very much part of our lives, we would like to extend our thanks also. We have been very privileged over the past 18 years.”
STAFF from Mackay’s clothing store in Saltcoats transformed the Friends of Ayrshire Hospice into catwalk queens during a charity fashion show held in Saltcoats Bowling Club.
The event raised the fantastic total of £400 for the hospice funds with 30 children and 10 adults modelling.
PUPILS at West Kilbride Primary got in touch with the environment at their grounds day.
Green-fingered students studied in groups at a number of outside work stations as part of their eco-schools project.
They also learned that the playground can be enjoyed without a football, Game Boy or mobile phone, enjoying the use of some traditional playtime equipment supplied by the council’s children’s services department.
Our picture shows P6 kids Jamie Bright and Mark Dodds trying the old-fashioned gird and cleak game during the event.
YOUNGSTERS from Ardeer braved the elements to take full advantage of the £55,000 multi-sports pitch built thanks to the Better Neighbourhood Fund.
The fenced-off area, which is clearly marked so games of football, netball, basketball and hockey can all be played, was part of the Scottish Executive’s £3million facelift project for the bottom end of Stevenston.
The custom-built arena, which took eight weeks to construct off-site before being moved to Ardeer for the final fitting, is now ready for use and is open to every member of the community.
Saltcoats Community Police Constable Mary-Anne Cunninghame is pictured meeting with children from Ardeer at the facility.
And finally, the Ardrossan Herald reached the grand old age of 150, making your favourite weekly read one of the oldest surviving newspaper titles in Scotland.
Founder Arthur Guthrie was born in Ayr and, as a journalist, printer and bookseller himself, was ideally placed to launch Guthrie’s Monthly Circular, a single-page newssheet with community happenings, a list of new and upcoming titles obtainable at his shop in Saltcoats and a few lines of verse, in 1853.
It was superseded by The Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald on June 1 that year.
By 1859 the young newspaper was selling thoughout much of Ayrshire and the future was assured.