It’s the custom in the Ooters to decide on the next week’s walk in the pub after this week’s one. Suggestions are offered and counter-suggestions are made. Then counter-counter-suggestions are proffered until we eventually decide on a walk that suits most, and stuff the rest. However, in Biddy Mulligan’s last week when Johnny mentioned morning coffee and scones at his place and soup in the afternoon as well, an immediate decision was made - we would leave from, and return to, Johnny’s. And it was this gastronomic enticement that caused eleven Ooters – Robert was the only missing one today – to rendezvous in Irvine at nine.
The intention of the day, after coffee an
d scones of course, was to take the bus to Ardrossan and walk back the Ayrshire Coastal Path route to Irvine. That’s why the good people of Ardrossan witnessed eleven auld codgers, toting rucksacks and dressed for the worst that the March weather could throw at them, decant from a bus on the South Beach esplanade. Not that we needed to dress for poor weather for it wasn’t that bad, in fact it was kind to us, much kinder than the forecast suggested and much kinder than we could have expected given the overnight snow and the snell north-westerly blowing off the sea. But the morning was dry, the wind was on our backs and we were in carefree mood as we set off along the esplanade.
The walk itself was relatively uneventful even if not entirely uninteresting. Immediately Davie took to the sand and walked in splendid isolation there, while the rest of us kept to the esplanade. This wasn’t at all to do with something we said - he wouldn’t have heard it anyway - but so that Holly could run free. And run free she did; after having been cooped up in the car then the bus for best part of an hour and a half, she revelled in her new-found freedom. But she wasn’t free for long, though. At the end of the south beach we entered Saltcoats and Davie was forced, by the rocky nature of the shore here, to rejoin us on the esplanade. And Holly was forced back on to her lead.
We stayed on the hard surface for the rest of the walk, coming round the harbour to the East Shore. The esplanade here lies between the gloopy sands of the shore and the railway, scenically a most uninteresting part of the route. And today it was greasy. Allan almost fell on his a - a - posterior as his feet found an exceptionally green and greasy spot. But his equilibrium was soon restored, and we walked on, some of us now on the relatively safe passage of the road. Then we left the shore and came slightly inland, still paralleling the railway, past the caravan park and among the houses and buildings of Stevenston. Some of us managed to cross the level crossing before the klaxon sounded and the barriers came down, some didn’t and were trapped on the seaward side much to the jollification of the first group who indicated this by visual signals and whoops of delight. We had to wait ten minutes for the train to pass and the barriers to lift before we were united again.
We crossed Stevenston and Ardeer Park and left the ‘Three Toons’ behind taking the minor road by Ardeer Mains for Kilwinning. At Ardeer Mains a group of donkeys (What is the collective noun for donkeys anyway?) stood in the field chomping on the grass. Only one curious beast raised its head to watch us pass, standing stock still and only moving its head in time to follow our progress. And our progress was towards Todhills Local Nature Reserve and coffee.
After coffee we continued to follow the road into Kilwinning. What a depressing sight greet
ed us in that town. Our path – the official Ayrshire Coast Path no less – came into an abandoned industrial area, and area of derelict concrete foundations broken by grass and scrubby buddleia bushes, broken-down fences and abandoned roadways. And litter. Not just ordinary litter, the poly-bags and paper that can be seen anywhere, but metal drums and frames, old toilets, scraps of timber etc. What must strangers to our county, walking the coastal path, think of us when they see this? We were glad to leave this part of Kilwinning.
Back under the A78 then, back into the countryside. We left the road beyond the Civic Amenity Area (the coup) – no, not the one at Kilwinning, the official council one – and took a path on the Irvine Moor stopping only to comment on the new housing at the Ravenspark Hospital (the Puirshoose) (see archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/...01/0917475830), the excavations for the new waterworks and Burns statue.
Then we crossed the town and came back to Johnny’s.
We had just settled into Johnny’s for our soup when the rain came. Once again we had been lucky with our weather.
The promised soup turned into stovies. Not that we complained, in fact we were quite delighted for stovies is rapidly turning into the staple diet of the Ooters and we almost salivate at the prospect. How we enjoyed stovies, beer and home-made bread. Thanks must go to Johnny for the repast. Well done again, J.
The intention of the day, after coffee an
d scones of course, was to take the bus to Ardrossan and walk back the Ayrshire Coastal Path route to Irvine. That’s why the good people of Ardrossan witnessed eleven auld codgers, toting rucksacks and dressed for the worst that the March weather could throw at them, decant from a bus on the South Beach esplanade. Not that we needed to dress for poor weather for it wasn’t that bad, in fact it was kind to us, much kinder than the forecast suggested and much kinder than we could have expected given the overnight snow and the snell north-westerly blowing off the sea. But the morning was dry, the wind was on our backs and we were in carefree mood as we set off along the esplanade.The walk itself was relatively uneventful even if not entirely uninteresting. Immediately Davie took to the sand and walked in splendid isolation there, while the rest of us kept to the esplanade. This wasn’t at all to do with something we said - he wouldn’t have heard it anyway - but so that Holly could run free. And run free she did; after having been cooped up in the car then the bus for best part of an hour and a half, she revelled in her new-found freedom. But she wasn’t free for long, though. At the end of the south beach we entered Saltcoats and Davie was forced, by the rocky nature of the shore here, to rejoin us on the esplanade. And Holly was forced back on to her lead.
We stayed on the hard surface for the rest of the walk, coming round the harbour to the East Shore. The esplanade here lies between the gloopy sands of the shore and the railway, scenically a most uninteresting part of the route. And today it was greasy. Allan almost fell on his a - a - posterior as his feet found an exceptionally green and greasy spot. But his equilibrium was soon restored, and we walked on, some of us now on the relatively safe passage of the road. Then we left the shore and came slightly inland, still paralleling the railway, past the caravan park and among the houses and buildings of Stevenston. Some of us managed to cross the level crossing before the klaxon sounded and the barriers came down, some didn’t and were trapped on the seaward side much to the jollification of the first group who indicated this by visual signals and whoops of delight. We had to wait ten minutes for the train to pass and the barriers to lift before we were united again.
We crossed Stevenston and Ardeer Park and left the ‘Three Toons’ behind taking the minor road by Ardeer Mains for Kilwinning. At Ardeer Mains a group of donkeys (What is the collective noun for donkeys anyway?) stood in the field chomping on the grass. Only one curious beast raised its head to watch us pass, standing stock still and only moving its head in time to follow our progress. And our progress was towards Todhills Local Nature Reserve and coffee.
After coffee we continued to follow the road into Kilwinning. What a depressing sight greet
ed us in that town. Our path – the official Ayrshire Coast Path no less – came into an abandoned industrial area, and area of derelict concrete foundations broken by grass and scrubby buddleia bushes, broken-down fences and abandoned roadways. And litter. Not just ordinary litter, the poly-bags and paper that can be seen anywhere, but metal drums and frames, old toilets, scraps of timber etc. What must strangers to our county, walking the coastal path, think of us when they see this? We were glad to leave this part of Kilwinning.
Back under the A78 then, back into the countryside. We left the road beyond the Civic Amenity Area (the coup) – no, not the one at Kilwinning, the official council one – and took a path on the Irvine Moor stopping only to comment on the new housing at the Ravenspark Hospital (the Puirshoose) (see archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/...01/0917475830), the excavations for the new waterworks and Burns statue.
Then we crossed the town and came back to Johnny’s.
We had just settled into Johnny’s for our soup when the rain came. Once again we had been lucky with our weather.
The promised soup turned into stovies. Not that we complained, in fact we were quite delighted for stovies is rapidly turning into the staple diet of the Ooters and we almost salivate at the prospect. How we enjoyed stovies, beer and home-made bread. Thanks must go to Johnny for the repast. Well done again, J.
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