Garrison cafe closed during weekends till Easter holiday

The closure of the Garrison Cafe during winter weekends has been taken due to commercial reasons.
On behalf of a number of concerned residents, Frances Melling wrote to Cumbrae Community Development Company (CCDC) on the matter.
She said: "When CCDC announced in early December that they planned to closed the cafe in the Garrison building on Saturdays and Sundays until spring, many of us were concerned, and signed and sent a petition questioning the decision, and asking for a re-think. It would seem that the museum cafe and the toilets are out of service for foreseeable weekends. All of these are serious losses for any visitors in this season's rainy weather but the closure of the toilets is a very serious event for residents and visitors alike."
CCDC Chief Executive Michael Bertram explained: "The reasons are purely commercial. The Board of Garrison House and CCDC; both reviewed the current situation, and it was felt that operating the cafe during the week to assist users of both the medical centre and library, was the best solution.
"There are other cafes operating over the weekend in Millport, so we felt that under the current situation, this was the best solution to deal with our issues. We would end up losing money where the cafe currently makes a small profit to assist with the annual maintenance costs of the Garrison."
Speaking to the 'News', Mr Bertram said: "The pond redevelopment is ornamental; not for swimming. The Garrison is currently open until 12 noon on Saturdays, and the rear of the building is open for the courtyard shops. Normal service will resume on the 18th March (Easter)."