Willowbank Challenge

Thank you from the Management Team of “Friends Of Willowbank” and from me.

You will remember a fundraising event I have been taking part in over the past year to raise funds for the children of Willowbank Special School in Kilmarnock where my granddaughter, Emma, is a pupil.  The event was called the “Willowbank Challenge” and it involved 100 volunteers, each in their own way, raising £100 to help the pupils who all have complex and life altering disabilities. The £10,000 raised was to then form the foundation for other normal annual fundraising events throughout the session. The event was scheduled to finish at the end of June 2018.

This letter is to update you on my progress and to express my thanks and the thanks of the “Friends of Willowbank” for the considerate way you responded to my plea. You will remember that to raise money I undertook to do jobs for any person who would hire me, and they in return sponsored me at a rate of £7.50 per hour. Over the year I have undertaken lots of different jobs, and received lots of donations to this worthy cause. Your response has been outstanding. When I worked I was rewarded well above the agreed rate and those persons who didn’t have any jobs gave generous donations to the cause.

The “challenge” finished on the last day of June and whilst I tried to raise £100 at this date, with money still coming in, I have now raised over £850.

My wife, Ann, was also participating. She did this by clearing our loft spaces, and sending some items to auction, and selling all the other items at a car boot sale at Ayr. She has raised £750.

The project as a whole is still receiving monies as it comes to an end, and to date has raised nearly £25,000.

You have been part of a huge success story and have thoughtfully provided support for those children who can do little to help themselves.

I thank you again for your support with this cause.

Alan Stewart

Muirkirk Circular aka The Lunky Hole Walk 4 July

Alan, Alan McQ, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Gus, Ian, Jimmy, Malcolm, Peter, Rex, Robert

The brilliant spell of weather continued as we set off from Kames (or is it Kaimes?) on the path out to Tibbie’s Brig. The bench in memory of Councillor James Kelly gave us the opportunity to have a team photograph before we continued, skirting the Garpel, and taking the path on the old railway line down towards the Covenanters memorial. As per usual, coffee was called for, but, today, this shaded spot was infested with midges so little time was spent before we continued past the River Ayr and up to the opencast site which has now benefitted from landscaping. We reminisced that it was not too long ago that we could see to the bottom where men and machines were still working and wondered how deep the water was now. Peter left us at this point and followed the A70 back to his car. Crossing the main road, we stopped briefly at the bridge over the Ayr to take on fluids in preparation for the next section which would be the hottest part of the walk. We followed the road across the Sorn Muirkirk road (closed at the moment for some works apparently) and passed Netherwood Farm, before making our way up to the entrance to Burnfoot Farm. In a change to tradition, we stopped here in the shade of the trees and took lunch. The aforementioned shade and a wee breeze made for a pleasant fifteen minutes and allowed the more sweaty of us to change shirts.
Continuing on, we crossed the bridge over the Greenock Water and made our way up the track to the site of the old opencast, now covered in trees. Indeed, some tree felling had already taken place. It is not too long ago that the whole area was barren. Given the dry weather we, for the first time in a while, were able to take the lower road (usually flooded) and before long we emerged at the Muirkirk to Strathaven road and turned right towards Muirkirk. Our junior member was underwhelmed by the lunky hole in the drystane dyke and matters were made worse since the information board had been vandalised and the details had gone.
Almost to a man, the decision was to head straight back to the cars from here rather than take a detour through the woods to the churchyard, and so Kames was reached at ten to two, three and three quarter hours or so after having set off. The distance was averaged out to have been nine and a half miles, quite enough on such a warm day.
FRT was taken in the Empire Bar, where old friendships were renewed.

Tibbie's Brig

Today's starting eleven

The guid auld days?

The big hole in the ground

Holly cools off (normally the track is flooded at this point)

Arrangements for Wednesday 11th July 2018

Meet in Durisdeer at 10am for Morton Castle walk.

Bridge of Weir to Kilmacolm 27 June

Allan, Davie C, Gus, Ian, Jim, Johnny, Kenny T, Malcolm, Paul, Rex, Robert

The glorious weather continued as we set off from Bridge of Weir on our way to Kilmacolm. The sign on the cycle path said three miles and that would be enough on such a warm day. Twenty minutes down the path we turned off and headed for Quarrier’s Village, which was looking resplendent in the sunshine. Last time we were here coffee was taken in the Three Sisters Bake, but, on this occasion, we decided to sit on the benches outside and refresh ourselves with whatever was in our rucksacks.

All too soon it was time to move on, up past the big church and across the field behind it, then following the river to the road bridge, which took us over the river and enabled us to rejoin the cycle path half a mile further up. Two miles to Kilmacolm from here said the sign and it was a pleasant enough walk with there being enough shaded sections to help us along. We turned off the path (which goes on to Port Glasgow) at the Pullman Bar and Restaurant (obviously an old station), turned down Lochwinnoch Road and then took a left into Milton Wood. The twenty-minute walk down the path offered us plenty of shade before our leader, Kenny, took us off left down to Pinewood Trout Fishery. Here, on a shaded spot, we partook of a leisurely lunch. The banter was, as usual, lively but there was a sharp intake of breath as Kilmarnock’s fashion guru, yes, Robert of all people, suggested that Paul’s attire lacked a certain sartorial elegance! Re-arrange into a well-known phrase or saying: kettle, the, calling, black, pot, the.
Leaving the fishery, we did not return back up the track but took a left and headed down to the road, and, by turning left again, we regained the cycle track in about five minutes. With the sign saying two miles back to Bridge of Weir, we were in good spirits, but it proved to be a long two miles.
Three and a half hours and eight and a half miles in the scorching heat was long enough and we took the sensible option of sitting inside at Amaretto’s for a very welcome FRT.

Pause for thought

Impressive!

The shade on the path to the fishery was welcome

Lunch spot

Cool dudes!

Lunkey Hole walk Muirkirk Wed 4th July

This is to satisfy a special request from our junior member Alan McQuiston. Meet at Kaimes  Outdoor centre about 9.45a.m. for a 10.00 a.m. start.