Issue 048

The roar of the 18,000 crowd creates a dramatic soundtrack as up to 30 racehorses gallop round the four mile course of the Coral Scottish Grand National negotiating 27 fences on the way.

Still Going Strong

Practicing the martial art of judo since 1949

The Ayr United Manager talks to AM

There was an emergency when driving to The Woods, a site near Alva, when a red light began flashing on the dashboard. With no handbook and all words on screen in Japanese, I was up a creek without a paddle! A sign with directions to a campervan dealer near Perth saw me swing off the A9 into a forecourt full of impressively luxurious vans. Had I gone through the looking glass? I approached the receptionist in the plush entrance.

(Young) Man of Many Cars

Friend, Not Foe

Travel is firmly back with few if any restrictions left in place. But, having had a few years of people not travelling, I am finding that more and more clients are booking what I call BUCKET LIST EXPERIENCES.

A Fun Day Out for the Whole Family

On a clear day, the striking view of the Ayrshire landscape from Gallowlaw Cairn, outside Newmilns, can take your breath away, as can the walk to reach it. It is an uphill pech for over two miles.

Sibling donkeys find their forever home

Small enough to care, big enough to trust

Ayr shorefront is the place to be for this inaugural spectacle taking place on Friday 8th to Sunday 10th September.

“Hands up who likes people!”
My lecturer asked this on day one of my new degree course. I looked around. I wasn’t sure I actually liked people so I kept my hand down.

Introducing Corum’s new Ayr
office

2023 Ayrshire Market Report

Gone are the days when we would fully carpet our homes. Remember when carpets in bathrooms were a thing? Thank goodness that trend is over.

Sometimes it can seem that taking the easy path in life is the best way to go. Who needs additional stress when you are already juggling family life, work life and all the additional balls that it throws at you?

Taste the Best of Scotland at Ayr’s Brand New Eatery

Colour. Flavour. Texture. Fragrance.

By Hugh Gallagher INGREDIENTS You will need1 whole shoulder of lamb1 rack of lamb1 eggMilkBreadcrumbs Marinade1/2 sprig thyme leaves1 whole garlic bulb (peeled)Salt and pepper50ml olive oilI tbsp Arran mustard Sauce3 tbsp redcurrant jelly1 tbsp tomato pureeSplash lemon juiceSplash Worcester sauceReserved cooking liquid from the shoulder with the fat removed (should have solidified over night)100ml…

Created in the 1920s at The Pegu Club, an ex-pat gentleman’s club in Rangoon, Burma. The club was named after the Pegu, a Burmese river, and its members were those Britons who were senior government and military officials at the time.

When we talk about Witchcraft Trials, Salem automatically springs to mind, and the 19 people that were executed there in the 17th century. Until very recently, I, an Ayr native had no idea about the brutality that took place in my hometown but, thanks to Ayr North Time Team and their recent theatre production, Hystayria, I’ve learned that 29 women and one man were tortured and sentenced to death in the streets we walk to this day.

There is often a moment in the lives of our favourite artists where they find their own voice. Where the inspiration of the artists before them melt into their own thoughts, feelings, style and unique creative practice. For Glasgow born filmmaker Harvey Gardner, this moment was not a bombastic revelation nor a defining moment of trauma. It was a comment from his most trusted audience; his family.

Musical Director, David Moore, talks to AM

It’s one of those days. One foot still in winter, a hand grasping for spring like a toddler reaching for sweeties. A liminal day where anything might happen.

The Fergus McCreadie Trio

We visit a diamond in the coalfields

AM talks to Flora Fleming, founder of the charity’s Ayrshire Branch

It was a Sunday morning in August 1975. I was 11 years old. Dad and I always went to church together, but his behaviour that morning was strange.

When it comes to a family day out, it doesn’t come much better than Harley’s ‘Rock the Nile’ all day live
music event.

Spring is almost upon us. Soon we shall be gorging on Easter eggs like a dug eating peanut butter, and piling into beer gardens even though it’s still Baltic.

Ah, finally. The days are getting longer, the mornings brighter. The wind is dropping, the rain is lessening, and everyone’s mood is a little lighter.

I was reading an article recently about the things people had left behind in hotel rooms. This included
a £5,000 bottle of whisky, a 24ct gold photo frame and, most bizarrely of all, two professionally trained sheepdogs.

Emma Millar, Goldsmith and Gemstone Setter at Laings Jewellers, has spent the past ten years honing her skills within the industry and is a recent graduate of the prestigious Alexandre School in Antwerp. Her incredible knowledge and skills allow her to add extraordinary elements to bespoke designs at Laings.

A true success story. That’s MKM Kilmarnock which first opened its building supplies and home improvement branch in the town four and a half years ago, and has rapidly expanded ever since.

Buying a house can be a daunting experience. Whether you’re a first-time buyer, in need of a bigger
property, or looking to enter the buy-to-let market as an investment, the last thing you want to be worrying about is the mortgage.

Tristan Cole Interiors and Moogal Builders are trusted businesses already well established throughout Ayrshire.

The new hairdressing academy that’s a cut above