Ayr

[paladin]

Spent a few hours in Ayr recently and even though I had been there plenty of times in the very distant past for race meetings, I never noticed this building.....


Was impressed by the cleanliness of the beach whilst in Ayr, can't recollect it ever being so spruce.

[Apollo]

There are some cracking buildings to be spied there for those us running the Look Twice rule.

I'm a long time regular visitor, and one of the things I noticed was the lack of control (and I'm guessing here) around the 70s. In the midst of the more traditional houses that populated the outskirts in particualr, and the areas that had a sea view, anywhere there was a space, or an old house demolished, something modern and square, usually with a flat roof, would appear. This applied to larger buildings too, and to this day, I think there are 3 small blocks of flats that stick out like a sore thumb behind the green on the seafront.

The beach and sand has always been great, and the start of the various monitoring schemes must have helped this. Years back, I was disillusioned to see tractors and rakes etc. appear in the evening and straighten everything out, ready for the next day. I thought it just looked that way naturally

[paladin]

There has been quite a development of seafront properties in Ayr and the beach is very clean (courtesy of the trawling tractors).

Suprised me that what it lacks now is visitors, as on a nice Sunday afternoon it was practically deserted.

And there is even free street parking.......what more could you ask for ?

[Vladimir]

Ayr is nice.

Pity the buildings above will be described as 'carbunkles' in about 20 years time

[paladin]

'carbunkles'

They are very expensive 'carbunkles' Comrade.

'Carbunkles'........Classic.

[Apollo]

The lack of visitors is down to the looney parking voucher system they brought in some years ago. I never visit during control hours, or since I don't mind walking, park on the outkirts if I want to go to the shops.

I knew a chap that opened a bistro near the harbour just before it was introduced, and he reckoned it would restrict his passing trade and leave him with evening business only. Well, he's not there any more. Don't know if it's the same now, but he told me they used it to scam the visitors too. As you have to go purchase parking vouchers in shops, they would pounce and issue tickets while folk were away getting their vouchers, claiming they were away from the vehicle longer than necessary just to get a voucher. Ignores the effect of queues and day visitors that don't know about the system until they arrive.

[paladin]

As far as we were concerned the street parking near to the harbour area was free, no sign of any charges or officials with tickets at the ready.

Although it wasn't that busy on the Sunday we were there, what did make me laugh was the boy-racer crews riding round the front with the bass-boom-bass music on max. It looked so comical seeing them drive round in circles all day almost having their 'big' exhausts pulled off by the speed-bumps.

[Apollo]

Yep, back of harbour's good if you're lucky enough to get a space.

The flats pictured occupy the old fish market area and part of the space where the fair used to be a permanent feature. All gone now of course, together with the ice factory, as is much of the area to their right, which used to house kid's rides, play areas and a miniture train and rail track.

Most of the cars are the Ayr Shore Cruisers, who are trying to work with the police to retain the shore as a place they can meet with official blessing.

Unfortunately, while most of them are people who've invested heavily in their cars, outsiders inevitably travel down to pick races and fights. The result has been a near constant war with (some of) the nearby residents, who have been responsible for the expenditure of a ridiculous amount of money on the humps and road-narrowing you saw, together with other plans aimed at blocking off and restricting the side streets and shore access roads too.

[PlasticDel]

Ayr's a fantastic place. I was just commenting today (2nd visit of the day) it's much nicer than Irvine or Killie.

I'll post pictures later when I get home.

As for parking you gotta wisen up guys! The old ASDA store has free parking and always did! Park there and walk oor the Auld-Brig and badda-bing! You're in town!

[Apollo]

As for parking you gotta wisen up guys! The old ASDA store has free parking and always did! Park there and walk oor the Auld-Brig and badda-bing! You're in town!

Asda? Do you realise that would be a further walk than harbour

I've never had to try it, but I seem to recall signs warning about dire consequences for those parking but not shopping. Dunno if they actually do it there, but I have seen security staff tagging cars in Glasgow and Hamilton.

Anyone else mourn the passing of the "Push the button and see the place light up" map that used to sit along from the Sandgate, towards the traffic lights. There for decades, they took it away a few years ago to open the door it was sited in front of.

[PlasticDel]

Anyone else mourn the passing of the "Push the button and see the place light up" map that used to sit along from the Sandgate, towards the traffic lights. There for decades, they took it away a few years ago to open the door it was sited in front of.

I remember those things... We had one here too!!! They were notch, man!!!

[My Kitten]

Anyone else mourn the passing of the "Push the button and see the place light up" map that used to sit along from the Sandgate, towards the traffic lights. There for decades, they took it away a few years ago to open the door it was sited in front of.

I love those maps, I used to play on the one they had in Scarborough for hours on end, i think i eventually killed it

[Apollo]

PC touchscreen and graphics, no matter how fancy, just don't seem to have the same magic as things you can touch.

I never saw it, or at least don't remember it if I did, but when I asked the same question in Rothesay a few years ago, was told by many that there used to be one there too, near the pier, and everyone there remembered playing with it and being sad and surprised to see it go.

Simple things for simple minds

[paladin]

Simple things for simple minds

That's one thing I like about Ayr......it's only got 3 letters.

[Apollo]

That's one thing I like about Ayr......it's only got 3 letters.

We must've passed one another at least once somwhere in Dumfries and Galloway then, as there's a place called Ae there