Gateside Baby and Toddler Group resumes on Thursday August 23 at 9.00 am in Gateside Memorial Hall. Parents and carers are invited to come along and join with any child 0-5 years between 9.00 am and 11.00 am any Thursday during the school term.

The children are given the chance to really enjoy themselves as they play, sing, create and much more, while providing the adults with the opportunity to relax and meet friends old and new. For more information please call Elaine on 01505 506449 or Pauline on 01505 504802.

With the unexpected passing of Ian (John) Lennox (81), on Wednesday July 18, the town lost a quiet-natured and gifted gentleman, whose journalistic and business career was inextricably linked to the town’s popular newspaper, spanning one hundred fascinating years of local reporting.

Ian Lennox was very proud of being the last owner and editor of the Beith Supplement, leading the paper to its centenary and somewhat paradoxically, in the same year, overseeing the closure of the business with the Supplement incorporated into the pages of its friendly rival, the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald.

The Barrmill Flyer, John Raeside, was back in top-notch motor cycle racing action last weekend at the Knockhill Circuit. Following his last race in June in which he was badly let down by his bikes in the 400 and 600 series, his luck held on this occasion.

In the formula 400 races he came home safely in 4th and 5th position. In the formula 400 production races he was again in top form finishing 2nd in both races. These excellent results put the Flyer back in contention for the Scottish championships. The Barrmill speedster’s next outing is during the week of August 13 - 18 when he takes part in the Ulster Grand Prix at Dundroden.

Hugh Ferguson who left Beith over 40 years ago to join the Metropolitan Toronto Police is currently in town visiting his sister, Sheila Gardener in Trinity Crescent and he hopes to meet with many of friends of yesteryear.

Hugh retired from the police several years ago and makes regular visits back to what he describes as the best wee town in the world – Beith.

On July 27, at Beith Community Centre, there will be a ladies Clairvoyant and dance night in aid of Beith juniors Development Fund. Sally Buxton and Margret Dryer are the clairvoyants for the evening.

There will also be music from the 60's to the present provided by the J.J McNab Roadshow and Ayrshire 2006 pop idol winner Julie Daniels. For Tickets and further enquires please call 01294-279702.

Tickets cost £5 and can also be bought on the night.

The green-fingered gardeners of Barrmill having been putting in lots of hard work in their gardens in the last few weeks. This can mean only one thing! It’s once again time for the Barrmill Community Association best kept garden 2007 competition.

Judging will take place between 1 – 15 July for the village and surrounding rural areas. The judge’s details will be kept secret until the prize giving to be held in the village community centre on Wednesday July 25.

Beith Scout Group are holding a Family Car Treasure Hunt on Friday August 24. The event starts at Beith Co-op Car Park at 6.30 pm with the last car leaving at 7.15 pm.

The cost is £10 per car including a barbeque at the end. This is sure to be a fun event and is suitable for all the family.

A memorable milestone in the life of Lodge Beith St John’s No 157. RWM Bro Warnock Longridge had the honour of leading proceedings involved in the re-dedication ceremony to mark the 100th year of Lodge Beith St John’s (Kilwining) No 157 Masonic Temple, 1907 - 2007.

As well as many local and visiting brethren there was a large and distinguished deputation from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Ayrshire headed by PPGM Bro John H Ralston.

Looking back in time and remembering is always humbling and revealing, very often highlighting the far-reaching changes in Garnock Valley social life occurring in a few short years.

The history of the Gurdie Row, formerly located between Beith and Longbar and adjacent to Whitestanes Farm, is close to the heart of Kilbirnie’s Bill Cairns (61), who lived there as a boy together with his parents, Bill (Sen.) and Betty, elder brother, Tom, younger brothers Jackie and Gordon and younger sisters Annette and Maureen. The baby of the family, Angela, was born after the family moved to Kilbirnie.

A charitable karaoke/cabaret evening featuring the inimitable Big Jim Stirrat takes place on August 4 in Beith Masonic Club kicking off at 7:30pm until 12 midnight. Tickets are £3 and all proceeds are going Billy Haining’s top-notch Beith Cancer Support Group, so please come along for a great night out to support a charity which does so much good work locally.

Tickets available behind the bar of the Masonic Social Club or you can pay at the door.

John Pinkerton, President, Beith Bowling Club has kindly provided an update of recent activities at the club, formed in 1864 at the end of Boghead, its location being a former field overlooking the town known as “the Wee Acre.”

This was sold to the club by local joiner, Hugh Love. The official opening of the club took place on Saturday June 17, 1865, so the club has a long and very distinguished history.

Here is the latest report dated July 2 from the internet blog prepared by Beith’s Richard Cree (34) and his two companions, Glen Morris and Stephen Doughty, as they kayak in the Artic.

This week Glen records the following on his internet blog: “On Monday July 2. Local time is 10.40 pm. Our position is 69 degrees 45 minutes north, 131 degrees 55 minutes west. We have just got in after a hard slog.

The Monday bowling group are having a open day on Monday July 30 from 2pm till 4pm. You do not need to be in a team or a bowling club to come along or you just want to come along and watch. You are all most welcome.

It is free on that day, but there will be a raffle held. Anymore information contact Margaret on 01505506923 or Jean on 01505502521.

A Beithite abroad, Bill Christie (91), died in New South Wales, Australia on July 4 2007 having fallen whilst out walking near his home. He was born at 2 Church Road, Beith in 1916, the youngest of five children: John, Jimmy, Jean and Annie and while he spent the last 56 years of his life in Australia, his heart was still very much in Beith.

Bill and his family were regularly in contact with Donald L Reid, the Herald’s Beith correspondent, for news about the town and they regularly received the Herald, keeping them up to date with Beith. Bill’s mother was Elizabeth Kerr and his father was William Christie whose family originally came from a farm in Forfar called “Washingdales.”

Beith Primary School produced the own version of TV’s X-Factor, suitably called the B-Factor.

The show proved to be a first class production and judges, the ever-green Joyce A Walker, herself a 2006 participant in the early rounds of TV’s X-Factor; former Depute Head, Elaine McDonald and Donald Reid, the Beith correspondent, were star-struck with the standard of performance produced by children from the very youngest at Nursery to the P7 class.

The Barrmill Monday bowling group are having a open day on Monday July 30 from 2pm till 4pm. You do not need to be in a team or a bowling club to come along or you just want to come along and watch. You are all most welcome.

It is free on that day, but there will be a raffle held. Anymore information contact Margaret on 01505506923 or Jean on 01505502521.

The famous Garnock Girls, Rosslyn Anderson, Jean Glen, Lynn McGowan, Tracy Main, Dawn Brocket and Alison Livingston, took part in the recent Edinburgh Moonwalk raised for Breast Cancer.

After successfully completing the grueling 26.2 mileMoonwalk in a very commendable 8 hours, they report that they have raised am amazing £3215 between them.

Beith Primary School held their annual prize giving ceremony on the last week of school under the chairmanship of headmaster, Tom Mabon. He began by thanking all the pupils and staff for their dedication during the past session and thanked the parents for their ongoing support making special mention of the Parents Association and School Board.

He said he hoped that everyone would enjoy a refreshing summer holiday and return suitably invigorated for the new term. He also made mention of those young people moving on to secondary education and he wished them great success.