The next concert hosted by Beith is a return visit of Bobby Wishart and friends and is a programe of easy going jazz. Sunday March, 20 at 2.30pm Beith Community Centre Tickets £8 and concession £5. Pay at the door.

Jimmy Seggie, well known Beithite of the town’s Laburnam Avenue celebrated his 85th birthday last Wednesday. Jimmy, who served in the Royal Navy during the war, enjoys a glass of rum and he received a special surprise when his friends in the Smugglers Tavern put on a party to mark his birthday.

Jimmy is a regular in the Tavern and is very well known about the town. Everyone will join in wishing Jimmy a happy birthday and many more years in which to enjoy a wee tot of rum.

Barrmill Community Association are a holding a children's Easter party when the children are to be dressed up to represent Easter and also a decorated egg competition from 2pm till 4pm in the Barrmill Community Centre.

All children under the age of 16 most welcome and the cost is a £1 per child.

Beith Mens Fellowship are making good progress in all competitions, with most of them now reaching the finals stage. The normal bowls competition was again very closely contested this week with the finalist being Willie Crangle and John Coffin, 5 shots up after two rounds, and the President/Vice President team of John McGibbon and Ian Buchanan, who were 10 shots up after two rounds.

Ailie Crane (13) of the town’s Lancaster Avenue has been a keen dancer from her very earliest years. She was selected after audition to appear in the Lyric Theatre Company’s production of Me and My Girl which was staged last week in the Kings Theatre, Glasgow. Ailie spent 6 months in rehearsal with the Lyric Players and the show was an outstanding success and played to full houses last week.

Kilbirnie Floral Art Club will meet in the Walker Memorial Hall on Tuesday March, 1 at 7.15pm. prompt. The demonstrator will be Mrs Jo Goldsworthy from Stonehaven. The title of her demonstration is "More Pot Luck". Visitors are welcome at this meeting, come along sit back and enjoy a pleasant evening watching Jo create beautiful floral designs. You may even be lucky and win one of the designs in the raffle. Tickets for non-members £3 on sale at the door.

Greenhills Rural met on February, 16 in Barrmill Community Centre. President Mrs Sheila Craig welcome member and visitors and thereafter introduced Mr Mike Pool who gave an excellent demonstration on wood turning. He brought along examples of his skilful work. At the end of the meeting Mrs Nancy Brown gave a comprehensive vote of thanks.

Scotland has a proud history of producing some of the world’s great curling players. Over the years Beith has also produced a number of curlers who have shown a special prowess in the sport.

Two of the up-and-coming local lads are Michael and Gavin Reid of Netthlehirst, Greenhills. Michael (13) and Gavin (12) are former pupils of Gateside Primary and both are now at Garnock Academy.

Everyone ready for some keep fit, eh? Locals have been wondering what is happening at 17 Wilson street! The good news is that the premises formerly occupied by Kids R Us will shortly open as a fitness centre. The owner is Mandy Mack and she has been busy overseeing the major changes to the premises to create a modern fitness centre.

At last week’s meeting of Beith and District Community Council concern was expressed at Scottish Water’s failure to repair leaky water supply pipes resulting in hazardous conditions for pedestrians and drivers in a number of streets in the town. Councillor Jean Highgate will monitor the situation and liaise with Scottish Water. It was reported that the proposed changes within the precinct of Barrington House are of some concern to a few residents who live nearby.

President Allan Richardson introduced Iain D Shaw and Donald L Reid at last week’s meeting of Beith Historical Society held in the town’s Eglinton Inn. These two cronies of the ever-so-merry Jolly Beggars Club gave a first class illustrated lecture entitled: Robert W Service – Poet of the People. Following the presentation the speakers responded to a number of questions about the poet. At the end of the evening a comprehensive vote of thanks was given by President Allan Richardson.

Diary date. Beith Civic Week fete will be held in the grounds of Beith Primary School on Saturday June, 11. Write it down, folks! A committee has now been formed to make arrangements for Civic Week, but other volunteers will be warmly welcomed and meetings are currently held each Sunday evening at 7.00 pm in the lounge of the Eglinton Inn.

President John McGibbon welcomed a good turn out of members to the meeting of Beith Trinity Mens Fellowship last week. After a bible reading by Ian Ross, the president introduced the speaker. For the second time in as many weeks the speaker was indisposed, and fellowship member Andy Simpson filled in at short notice with a talk and slide show on three visits to Hungary between 1994 and 2000.

The Garnock Valley Ex Presidents Bowling Association AGM was recently held at Ardrossan Indoor Stadium. There was a good attendance of members who were warmly welcomed by President Hugh O’Neill. The diligent secretary, Hugh Barclay of Beith then read the minutes of the 2004 AGM and these were unanimously adopted after a few points were raised and answered satisfactorily.

Beith Juniors are holding a Race Night on Saturday March, 12 in Beith Community Centre and the first race is at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £5 and available from any committee member or contact Boyd Jamieson on 01505-503935.

Last week was a milestone in the lives of well known Beithites, Willie and Sadie Gladstone of the town’s Beech Avenue. Willie Gladstone and Sadie Burns married on 26 February 1955 in Glasgow, but both have lived in Beith all their lives. The best maid at the wedding was June Mercer (Jamieson) of Balfour Avenue, a tireless worker in the town’s go-ahead Thrift Shop.

Calling Beithites who would like to attend a First Aid Course! The Safety Forum’s next first aid course is now booked and due to start in BEITH Community Centre, Sports Hall area. The date set is Monday March, 14 from 7.00 pm – 10.00 pm. The course will cost £15.00 this cost is for certificates which will cover you for three years, and examination fees as independent examiner is required to assess at the end of the course. The £15.00 must be paid on the first night. The tutoring of the course and handouts will be free.

Beith’s historic Townhouse, built by public subscription in 1817, is nearly at the end of a major refurbishment of the outside of the building to keep it wind and watertight. This included renovating the distinctive tower and removing and repairing the bell. Last Sunday morning a huge crane arrived at the Strand and the refurbished bell was very quickly raised into place. It will be nice to see the building finished and hopefully this will be completed soon and the scaffolding removed.

Duncan Winning will be presentaing a slide show on his recent trip to Greenland- Garnock Academy Thursday 10th March @7.15ish. See you all there.

Councillor Jean Highgate writes: “The residents of Hawthorn Crescent must have been pleased to see workmen from Scottish Water at long last stop the flow of water from a burst pipe late Saturday afternoon. It is disgraceful that it took an elderly lady to slip on the ice before action was taken especially as it had been reported to the call centre several times and I myself had spoken to the Water Commissioner over a week ago.