Annbank to Ayr 29 April

Allan, Davie C, Gus, Kenny, Malcolm, Peter, Robert

What a difference a week makes! Last week the weather was beautiful, this week had seen wind, rain, sleet, snow and hail. The forecast for today meant we could expect more wintry showers and as we assembled at the bowling club the rains came. Some were reluctant to leave the cars but Robert was champing at the bit to get going, so we bit the bullet and set off a few minutes after ten. The rain soon eased and from Annbank to the Wallace/Burns monument we had some light rain, but it was mainly dry.

Coffee was taken, as is our custom, and when it started to rain again we packed up and moved off. Luckily again, the rain didn’t last long and it was to remain dry until just short of the stepping stones when it came on with a vengeance. Not surprisingly we hadn’t used the stepping stones, as they were well under water, and had crossed the river using the bridge, and it was this bridge that afforded us shelter and provided a dry spot to take lunch.

Twenty minutes later and the sun was out and was to remain so for the remainder of the walk into Ayr, where we arrived just in time to catch a bus back to Annbank.

We were back at the cars just over three hours after having set off and partook of FRT at the Tap o’ the Brae.

A much better day out than we could have hoped for!

*In the middle section of our walk we passed a newly ploughed field with a sign pinned to a gatepost which said ‘Site of Potato Trials’.

For those interested, the Maris boys (Bard, Peer and Piper) got off, whereas Desiree, Nicola and Charlotte were found not proven, but voluntarily agreed to be chipped. King Edward, the Jersey Royals and the Saxons were all found guilty. After a roasting from the judge, who was determined to Smash this criminal ring, they were told that they had frittered away their lives. Sentencing will take place on a crisp morning at a later date. The prosecution are pushing for the chop whilst the defence reckon they should be given a Rocket and sent to the trenches to allow them to develop.
P.S. The boys were accused of stealing the Pentland Crown, the girls of spending a night with the Duke of York, and the convicted of howking out the eyes of the Arran Pilot.