Issue 047
Explore Girvan
Top Stories
Douglas Maxwell
A Respectable Widow Takes To Vulgarity, Fatbaws, Build Your Own Utopia, The Backpacker Blues. Just some of the uniquely titled plays and musicals written by the hugely successful, Girvan-born playwright, Douglas Maxwell.
The Barrstools
There are certain sounds that instantly put a smile on your face. It might be waves crashing against the shore, or a blackbird singing outside your bedroom window. Perhaps it’s the popping of a champagne cork, or the theme tune to your favourite TV show. Or maybe, like me, you find yourself beaming when the sound of live music greets you in your local pub.
Savourna Stevenson
Savourna Stevenson’s biography is so lengthy and so impressive it’s difficult to know where to start. I suppose the beginning is as good a place as any.
The Real Slim Jadey
Carving out her own career path while creating a safe space for women within the online gaming community
Explore Girvan
Explore Girvan
Girvan, the home of Ailsa Craig… and the subject of the recent BBC Scotland documentary, My Kind of Town, which aired for the first time on 5th January. Ian Hamilton and his dog, Major, had visited Ardrossan and Cumnock in earlier episodes, as well as places further afield. If you missed it, don’t worry, it’s still available to view on BBC iPlayer.
issue 047
Butter Chicken
Hugh Gallagher INGREDIENTS Marinade Ingredients1 tbsp fresh garlic1 tbsp fresh ginger2 tsp hot chili powder½ tbsp garam masala60ml natural yoghurtsplash vegetable oil4 large chicken breasts Sauce Ingredients12 tomatoes cut into halves5 large pieces cassia bark(cinnamon sticks can be used as a replacement)4 whole red chiliesChili powder6 cloves6 cardamon pods3 bay leaves1 tbsp chopped ginger1 tbsp…
The Bevy Store
The Bevy Store is an online off sales offering a variety of handcrafted bottled cocktails, premium spirits, wines and beers delivered straight to your door. Based in the south side of Glasgow, The Bevy Store is a hub for local brands, including the vegan friendly brand that launched into the spot light early 2022, Panther Mlk. The infamous oat mlk cocktail is made in the on-site production facility and sold across the UK via the online store.
The Art of Lighting
Most of us have that one room in our house, usually north-facing, which always feels cold or dark and lacks atmosphere and cosiness. This aesthetic can’t be fixed by any amount of redecorating or rearranging of furniture. Here is where lighting is key and where we can drastically change the overall ambience of a room. Lighting of an interior, particularly layering lighting, is critical in extracting the most from a beautifully designed room. Equally though, the wrong lighting can cause a room to feel uncomfortable and overexposed.
Is a Cruise for the Landed Gentry?
When many of us think of cruising it immediately conjures up the thought of unaffordable luxury. In years gone by, cruising was only for the rich and famous, however, that is no longer the case.
Kays Curling
Ailsa Craig has been quarried for its micro-granite since the mid-nineteenth century for the specific purpose of producing curling stones. Kays Curling, based in Mauchline, has the exclusive rights to the Ailsa Craig granite. But Ayrshire came very close to losing this long-standing business.
Darvel Football Club
There’s a rumble of excitement around the town of Darvel. It began on 26th November when non-league Darvel FC defeated Montrose of League One knocking them out of the Scottish Cup with an impressive 5-2 win. Then, two days later, when the draw for the fourth round took place, the excitement grew, gaining momentum like a Mexican wave. Aberdeen were coming to town!
Aimee Pollock
Aimee Pollock didn’t enjoy school. By her own admission, she had planned to drop out despite having no idea what she wanted to do.
Ayr Rugby Club
Despite living in Scotland for over two decades, his origin is obvious as soon as he answers the phone. Originally from Taranaki, New Zealand, Glen Tippett moved to Scotland to play rugby, choosing the UK over the US.
Doddie Weir
“Doddie used to say MND isn’t incurable, it’s just under-funded. We’ve got to keep fighting. We will keep banging the drum.”
River Doon District Salmon Fishery Board
I’d never heard of ‘putty’ before, not in this particular context, anyway. It refers to illegal bait sold on the black market to anglers who use salmon eggs to fish for trout and grayling. Iain Clark, Clerk to the River Doon District Salmon Fishery Board, tells me more.
PERILS WITH BERYL
It was a comfortable first night in Beryl, with a delighted Cleo taking advantage of the lack of space to tuck into my back. Not sure I approve, but it was rather nice. In the darkness of the night, we crept across to the facilities, me in silk dressing gown and wellies, Cleo on a lead attached to a collar of flashing lights. Anyone looking out might think the Martians had landed.
East Ayrshire Car Club
Formed in 1963 through the merger of Cumnock & District Car Club and the NCB East Ayr Area Car Club, East Ayrshire Car Club has grown to hold a unique place in Scottish motorsport, for it owns the only dedicated sprint circuit in Scotland.
Thriving Communities
In the summer of 2021, four services of Community Learning & Development, Health & Wellbeing, Community Safety and Employability merged to form a new Thriving Communities service.
Douglas Maxwell
A Respectable Widow Takes To Vulgarity, Fatbaws, Build Your Own Utopia, The Backpacker Blues. Just some of the uniquely titled plays and musicals written by the hugely successful, Girvan-born playwright, Douglas Maxwell.
The Iris – Kelly Craig
There’s a real buzz about Fresh Ayr Fest, Ayrshire’s new Folk Music Festival. Leafy Rozelle Park will come to life this summer to host a brand-new family-friendly music festival and everybody’s talking about it. There’s going to be camping, live music workshops, outdoor activities for the wee ones, circus workshops and over 25 world-class music acts taking to the three stages that will bring this natural theatre to life in August 2023.
The Iris
Six Upcoming Movies To Keep An Eye Out For In 2023 Ross Hunter With 2022’s overwhelming box office success in Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, we are starting to see the film industry looking a little more assured and audiences looking for their next big screen experience. And 2023 has plenty to offer. Expect to…
Ayr Academy
The Art and Design department at Ayr Academy was approached by Active Schools to be involved in the creation of a mural. This mural was to be painted on a retaining wall at the side of the running track, on a wall that faces towards the spectator stand so would be seen by many people using the facility.
What makes someone want to take on a renovation?
For me, I believe my dad has a large part to play in it. All those years watching Homes Under the Hammer with him fuelled a spark inside me. Taking on an unloved building and transforming it into something bespoke that fits your needs, while being able to create a nice chunk of equity at the same time, sold it to me!