Robert Barr, secretary, Dalry Burns Club, writes: Dalry Burns Club are organizing a jaunt to the annual Holy Fair at Mauchline on Saturday May 24. Members of Barrmill Jolly Beggars Burns Club and partners and the ever-so-famous Kilbirnie Rosebery Lads and lassies are also cordially invited.

The bus leaves Beith Strand at 10.00 am; Garden City at 10.15 am and Dalry Cross at 10.20 am.

This was the 75th anniversary year of Beith Bowling Club’s annual friendly with Cardonald Bowling Club Interestingly, none of the Beith contingent would admit to having played in the very first game! On this occasion the birthday game was played on the Cardonald green on Saturday April 26.

Beith & District Community Council are organising a 'Spring Clean' of the town and local area. The first event will take place on the morning of Saturday May 24 and will focus on the grounds of the old Speirs School.

Catriona Logan, Gateside School, writes: Gateside Primary Eco-Committee has been very busy this year working towards their Silver Award. Last term they ran a poster/banner competition for all the pupils to promote road/car safety.

Sue Williams, secretary, Beith Historical Society writes: The Historical Society final meeting for this session is a visit to Aiket Castle and gardens on Thursday April 24, please note the earlier time, to make the most of the daylight we will assemble at the Eglinton Inn at 6.45 pm prompt. The annual outing is on Saturday June 21 to the Peoples Palace and Scotland Street School, again, anyone wishing to go, please let Sue know as soon as possible so that she knows what size of coach to order. The group will leave Beith at 9.30 am and return by 6.00 pm.

High Drama presents Chase Me Up Farndale Avenue S’il vous plait! The side-splitting farce takes place in the High Kirk Theatre on Thursday and Friday April 24 and 25 with curtains up at 7.30 pm. Tickets are £4 and available from the Thrift Shop or Tel. 01505-502913 or from any member of the cast or at the door.

The multi-talented cast include Evelyn Anderson playing Mrs Reece, Frank and Mary Carrott and an animal; Isabel Black is Thelma, Brigitte Charot, Jack and Norah Garrett; Janice Bates plays Felicity, Constance Barrett, Fifi and Jojo, Gale Baker stars as Minnie, Roger Parrot, and Jacaques Charot and lastly Willie Fletcher will have the tears rolling down your cheeks as Gordon, George Barrett and Virginia Parrot.

Dr Clare McCormick MB BS MRCP deftly removed her stethoscope from around her neck for the last time on Monday March 31, quietly taking leave of the Mains Road surgery where, for the past 20 years, she practiced with Dr Paul Waterston and Dr Christine Kirk. Reflecting on her early days as a doctor she said: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

At my interview for medical school I rhapsodized about being inspired by people like Albert Schweitzer bringing healing to people in far off places, so ending up in a lesser known part of the West of Scotland wasn’t so strange.”

Sue Williams, secretary, writes: Beith Historical Society held their last meeting for this session was held on April 24l. They visited Aiket Castle and grounds. Aiket Castle had been a stronghold of the Cunninghames, Robert & Katrina Clow bought it and have done a superb restoration.

Terry Williams, Group Scout Leader 102nd Beith, writes: Beith Scout Group will be holding its annual Coffee Morning and Plant Sale at the Community Hall on Saturday May 17 from 10 am until 12 noon. There will be a baking stall, bottle stall and raffle. All are invited to attend this major fund raising event. Entry will be £1 at the door or by ticket bought from any Scout Group member.

Barrmill Community Association are holding a Whist Drive in aid of hall funds on Thursday May 22 at 7.30 pm. Anyone wishing to take a table is invited to contact Jean Gilbert on 01505-502521.

Willie Clark of Garnock Rotary Club writes: The Community Services Committee of Garnock Valley Rotary Club would like to invite clubs, organizations and individuals to take part in our annual sponsored walk. This popular and successful event will take place in the beautiful grounds of the Blair Estate, Dalry on Saturday May 10 and will be marshalled by members of Rotary.

It is timed to take place from 10.00 am till 12.30 pm. Last year the supporting clubs and organisations raised in the region of £4000 which was used entirely for the benefit of the cause of their choice.

Anne Reid, press secretary, writes: Beith & District Young Farmers recently held their Annual Dinner Dance in the Burnhouse Manor, Beith. There was a good turnout of people and £180 was raised from a raffle on the evening which will be donated to the Erskine Hospital. Thank you very much to everyone who helped to raise this.

On the evening the following trophies were handed out to members for their hard work throughout the year competing in various competitions.

Catriona Logan writes: Gateside PS and the Parent Council held their Spring Fayre on Saturday March 28 in Gateside Hall and Gateside PS. Customers had an array of stalls to browse including All About Flowers, Threepwood Sweets, Brownie Baking, face painting, bottle stall, Towel embroidery, Book Stall, Soft Toy stall, Lucky Dip, Wester Highgate Farmhouse Ice-Cream and various fun stalls run by pupils.

The parent council and pupils ran a Daffodil Tea in the Gateside Hall whilst the P123 ran a French Cafe in their class. There was also a very popular chocolate fountain with fresh fruit that was kindly sponsored by Braefoot Nursery - it certainly went down a treat!

Janet Ritchie Kirkpatrick or Lamont (84) of Barrmill, particularly well known in Garnock Valley farming circles, died at Crosshouse Hospital on March 23 after a short illness. She was born on 9 September 1924 at Barcosh Farm, Beith, the third of five children, her parents James and Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, of local farming stock.

Janet attended Beith Primary School and later Beith Academy, leaving school age 14. She worked at home carrying out a full range of domestic and farming duties in support of her parents.

PM Willie Black, Lodge Beith St John’s No 157 was honoured by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire in Beith last Thursday evening when he was inducted as Honorary Provincial Grand Lodge Standard Bearer. Willie has been a very committed Freemason for 54 years and is renowned for his regularity in visiting sister lodges throughout Ayrshire and his attendance at the Provincial Lodge and the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

Robert Jamieson, president, writes: Last Saturday saw the first competition of the new session for the enthusiastic anglers of the Beith St Inan’s Club. The the Crawford Cup, fished in blustery conditions, but fortunately with only one short shower of rain.

Eight anglers took part, but after four hours of fishing only three weighed in. The secretary was hard put to separate the three catches, so close were the weights, but after two weighings the result was as fiollows.

Councillor Robert Barr advises that he has take up the issue with NAC of Barrmill residents in the new housing estate not having been previously supplied with garden refuse bins. These will now be supplied to villagers towards the end of May. Another issue of concern is that the garden refuse is not taken away in a special uplift, but is simply loaded into the general household waste.

Councillor Jean Highgate will no longer be holding a monthly surgery in Beith Community Centre due to lack of demand. Anyone wishing to contact her can do so on 01505-503783.

John Simpson writes: Beith’s top-notch bowlers are eagerly looking forward to the season ahead. Opening Day is Saturday April 19 when good weather is anticipated over Boghead to get the season off in fun and fellowship with some steady bowling. Fees, due on or before opening day, are still set at £87 for full playing members and all other categories are unchanged.

Sheila J Craig writes: Greenhills Rural recently held their monthly meeting in Barrmill Community Centre. President, Mrs Nancy Brown, opened the meeting by welcoming members before they sang the Rural song. She then introduced the speaker, Mrs Elizabeth Maxwell who gave a very interesting and enlightening talk on food hygiene. Margaret Brown gave a comprehensive vote of thanks before the meeting closed with the singing of the National Anthem.

The Reid trophy for a homemade Easter chicken: 1st Nancy Brown, 2nd Margaret Fraser, 3rd Jean Gilbert. The Barrmill Salver for a small tub of fresh fruit salad: 1st Nancy Brown, 2nd Margaret Fraser, 3rd Jean Gilbert. The Gavin Trophy for a butter sponge with butter icing: 1st Margaret Fraser, 2nd Barbara Raeside, 3rd Sadie Gardener.

Donald Reid, the Herald’s Beith correspondent, is keen to receive old photos of people, places and events in the life of the Garnock Valley down through the years. He is particularly keen to access photos of the various work places of yesteryear to include occasionally in the Herald. Such photos are a valuable record of the past and prove very interesting to readers.

All photos will be scanned and immediately returned. Special thanks to Pat McGratton and Jim Thompson (both Kilbirnie) and John Marshall and Robert McDougall (Beith) for photographs.