Beith Out of School Care (BooSC) group have enjoyed a BBQ at Spier's Parklands. The 16 youths from the group explored the extensive grounds and visited the Wish Tree to hang their wishes which they had painted and inscribed on slates a few weeks ago, back at their Beith Primary School base.

BooSC also planted up two raised flowerbeds at the Barrmill Road entrance. The beds were specially made by Geilsland School for Spier's and were kindly financed by the Friends of Spiers.

The NAC Garnock Valley Ranger based at Spier's and Eglinton Country Park worked with the BooSC group and their leaders on these projects. Parent helpers also provided invaluable assistance at the event.

A rare Camperdown Elm has recently been identified at Spier's parklands. This tree, first found as a mutation at the Camperdown Estate in Dundee, can only survive as a graft. This particular specimen was planted, at great expense, under the direction of the Earl of Eglinton's head gardener in the late 1880s.

The YMBB youth group removed debilitating suckers from it last year and the Friends of Spiers (FoS) will be cutting back overhanging vegetation to allow more light to reach the elm.

FoS are planning a tree planting project to improve the Spier's arboretum and to replace lost specimens, such as Monkey Puzzle. FoS Chairman, Fergus Highgate, is leading the project and will soon be publicising ideas which will take the project forward.

Brenda Allan, Garnock Valley Community Safety Forum (GVCSF) Co-ordinator, writes: The GVCSF will be holding a Seven Week First Aid Course - HSE at Work First Aid and Paediatric First Aid starting at 6pm and finishing at 9pm, this course is free however there will be a one off charge of £25.00 to cover certificates and independent examiner fees.
A three year qualification will be obtained, and full participation at this course is required.

Warnock Longridge, assistant secretary, writes: Barrmill Jolly Beggars Burns Club held their 2nd Annual Jean Armour dinner in Beith Masonic Hall on Friday May 7, chaired by President James Waite. The company numbering 72 enjoyed a first class meal with club gifts provided for everyone.

The principal speaker with the Toast to Jean Armour was Margaret Wilson of New Cumnock. A teaching assistant at a school in Sanquar, she held the audience captivated as she delivered an interesting and very humorous toast interspersed with several songs, revealing a wonderful talent for the art of public speaking. Past President Iain D Shaw then took the floor with two poems by Robert W Service, I Believe and Poet and Peer.

YMBB Youth Workers receive John Muir Awards

Jane Sutherland, leader of the Youth Making Beith Better Group, received her John Muir Discovery Award from Friends of Spiers chairman, Fergus Highgate at Spier's Old School Grounds at a ceremony held on Friday, 21st May. Gary Byron and Christine Sutherland, youth leader colleagues, also collected their awards.

Jane, Gary and Christine had completed twenty-eight hours of conservation work under the tutelage of the NAC Garnock Valley Ranger based at Eglinton Country Park's outstation, Spier's Old School Grounds.

Pupils from Gateside Primary school recently visited the Spier's parklands on a litter pick and when walking through the woodlands, one eagle-eyed student spotted an unusual white growth on an elm log. The white 'blob' was identified by the NAC Garnock Valley Ranger as a rare False Puffball slime mould, Enteridium lycoperdon.

This very unusual species has never been recorded in the area before and has now been added to the National Biodiversity Network computer database. This slime mould spends most of its life as minute slug-like creatures which fuse together when the food supply runs out and become one large golf-ball like structure which releases thousands of tiny 'seeds'.

Beith and District Young Farmers held the Tractor Driving, Farm Handler, Car Driving and Wheel Changing Competition on Sunday 11th of April at Agricar, Dundonald. The results on the day are as follows: Tractor Driving: 3rd Martin Leishman, 2nd Scott Wilson, 1st William Smith. Farm Handler: 3rd Graeme Hodgart and Jake Alexander, 2nd Scott and William Smith, 1st Alistair Wylie. Car Driving: 3rd Vicky Murdoch, 2nd Margaret Smith, 1st Maryann Smith. Wheel Changing: 3rd Laura Munro and Vicky Murdoch, 2nd Hazel Munro and Scott Wilson, 1st Margaret Smith and Maryann Smith.

North Ayrshire Council has started a roadside verge project which seeks to enhance the biodiversity of a few selected roadside sites as the first stage. The verges have been surveyed by the NAC Garnock Valley Ranger and others for existing animal and plant species. The verges will remain uncut until the plants have set seed and the moths, butterflies, etc have hatched out and completed their life cycles.

One of the sites is on the Barrmill Road at Spier's, near the Marshalland Bridge over the Powgree Burn and an area that does not have any crucial driver 'sight line' problems which might endanger road users and pedestrians. The results of the trial will be monitored and lessons learned applied elsewhere in North Ayrshire.

NAC Grounds Maintenance and partners have been successful in attracting a grant of £68,000 towards woodland works and path construction in Spier's Old School Grounds. This grant has been made by the Forestry Commission as part of the WIAT (Woodland In and About Town) and Forests for People initiatives.

All the Garnock Valley communities will benefit from the improvements to this parkland and wildlife resource, increasing access to the site for school and youth groups and furthering the aims of community groups such as the Friends of Spiers and the Spier's Trust itself.

10 members of Barrmill Jolly Beggars accompanied by Councillor Robert Barr and Douglas Martin of Dalry Burns Club, enjoyed a first class visit to Kilwinning Abbey Museum last Monday. The visit was led by jovial Jim Millar, museum volunteer, who is steeped in the history of Kilwinning, despite originally hailing from Dalry. Jim is a keen local historian and is also well known in Ayrshire for his dedication to producing the most amazing models of churches and other key buildings, all made from match sticks.

Evelyn Hutchison, writes: The Gateside Fete will be held in the village field on Saturday, June 5 from 2.00 p.m. till 4.00 p.m. Parade leaves the village hall at 1.55 pm. There is a farmyard theme this year so come as a cowhand or dairy maid or a chicken or just come as you are and enjoy the fun. There will be lots of stalls, fun games and bouncy castle.

The Beith Out of School Care (BooSC) group at Beith Primary School have been putting up a hanging basket donated by Eglinton Country Park, planting out Marigolds in their garden, pruning the shrubs and keeping the area neat and tidy.

The BooSC group will soon be visiting Spier's Old School Grounds to hang their 'wishes' on the Spier's 'Wish Tree' and to explore the parklands. The wishes are written on slates and are personal, for family, friends, etc.

The NAC Garnock Valley Ranger worked with BooSC members on these projects.

Geilsland School pupils and staff are contributing time and effort to the rejuvination of Spier's Old School Grounds. One of the projects in which they they are involved, in partnership with the NAC Garnock Valley Ranger from Eglinton Country Park, is the restoration of the 1953 Coronation Garden with its rare Dawn Redwood tree.

NAC Grounds Maintenance staff cleared all the unwanted trees and shrubs away from the site and part of the Geilsland contribution is the first stage of the restoration of the concentric flower bed layout. The school is involved in a number of other projects at the Spier's parklands and is also working with the newly established Friends of Spiers.

The grounds are looking very attractive due to the spring flowers, such as the Marsh Marigolds; the deciduous trees are now flowering or coming into leaf. A rare grafted Weeping Elm, planted by the Earl of Eglinton's head gardener in the late 1880s, is looking well thanks to the efforts of Youth Making Beith Better who removed suckers from it last season.

Winnie Buckley writes: Well known Beith local, Catherine Mc Carter, was the driving force behind the planning of a ladies charity 70s & 80s night on Friday April 16 to raise much needed funds for an HIV & AIDS Project. Everyone was delighted when this raised a whopping £800. This amazing lady even prepared all the buffet herself. It proved to be a fantastic night, everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves. Well done, Catherine and thanks to all who supported the event in any way!

Alec Gardiner, secretary, writes: Beith HC race on Saturday May15 was from Ripon. Seven members sent 115 birds and they were liberated at 8.35 am into a west wind. It proved another hard race for the birds and a waiting game for members with the birds taking just over four and a half hours for the first to arrive. The first ten timed were as follows:

Catherine Clement, press secretary, writes: The members of Gateside WRI enjoyed a talk by7 Ruth Fisher from the RNLI for their final meeting of the season before they enjoy a summer retreat.

Robert Jamieson, President, writes: Last Wednesday saw a bumper turn out of Beith St Inan’s anglers for the Coach House Trophy,with fifteen rods on the water. At 9.00 pm nine anglers weighed in 35 fish, the best catch of the night being the six fish for 12lb 14oz of Stewart McNaughton, with Gordon Thompson 2oz behind. Gordon's catch included a magnificent rainbow of 4lb8oz.Stewart McKenzie took third and Gordon Norwood fourth, both of them also having a six fish bag.The next date for the competition calendar is Saturday June 5, when the West Trophy will be fished, with a 10.00 am start.

Members of the Youth Making Beith Better (YMBB) group were awarded their John Muir Discovery Awards for completing 28 hours of conservation work at a ceremony held in the Spier's parklands on Friday, 21st May. Fergus Highgate, Chairman of the Friends of Spiers (FoS), gave out the awards.

Thirty family members, friends, and invited guests, including Councillors John Bell, Anthea Dickson, and Jean Highgate, were also in attendance. John Bell and Tom Hart, Vice Chairman of FoS, were also representing the Spier's Trust.

YMBB leaders Jane, Christine, and Gary also collected their certificates and YMBB are now working with the NAC Garnock Valley Ranger towards the John Muir Explorer Award which requires an additional 56 hours of conservation work.

Members of Kilbirnie's YKG Youth group were also present and they are already well on their way to achieving Discovery Awards.

Youth Making Beith Better (YMBB) have started work on the restoration of the old Nursery Garden at the Beith Community Centre. The group removed several bags full of accumulated litter, cut back trees, weeded the rockery, removed dead wood, etc.

The group plan to plant their own home grown garden flowers, build a small 'bug hotel', construct a shelter, put up a bird box, clear the paths and much else besides.

The YMBB members are working towards their John Muir Explorer Award, assisted by the NAC Garnock Valley Ranger.

Stuart Wright, match secretary, writes: The Calbeth Trophy was held over the Bigholm Course on April 17 in excellent weather conditions, leading to some good scores from Beith’s finest golfers. The Calbeth trophy was donated to the Beith Club by Stephen Hendry of Hendry Brothers Beith (joiners) and the trophy was named after his two children, Calum and Beth, and was to be played as a doubles competition. 1st Tom Little & David Walker 44 pts; 2nd G McCrea & J Hewitson 42 pts (BIH); 3rd D Mulholland & R Poag 42 pts