Not a scene you see every day!

Local residents could have been forgiven for thinking that they had travelled back in time when they witnessed a cyclist on a penny farthing headed from from Inverkip to Largs before heading down the coast to South Ayrshire on Sunday.

It was all part of a UK charity venture, and the Penny Farthing was certainly turning heads wherever it was going!

Peter McLardy took this happy picture of psycotherapist John Woolner who is cycling from John O’Groats to Lands End in an effort to raise funds for Exeter based charity ‘Ride-On Cycling For All’.

The money is being raised specifically for two specially adapted rickshaws, as developed by Cycling Without Age in Denmark, to enable older people to get out on a bike and provide them with the right to ‘wind in their hair’.

Everyone was curious about the project, even including the local police who managed to enjoy a friendly chat with John.

PC Stuart Grace commented “John arrived in North Ayrshire at Skelmorlie this morning, and in no time at all was heading through Saltcoats towards Irvine - no mean feat on a Penny Farthing. It was great to catch up with him and we wish him well for the remainder of his journey.” The photo of John cycling his Penny Farthing past the panoramic sight of Arran proved highly popular on Facebook, and attracted over 500 likes.

On the Largs ‘News’ Facebook site, Deborah Gurton said: “I saw him at Inverkip on Sunday morning. Good effort!” Gideon Williams remarked: “It beats a Sinclair C5!” Valerie Gumley of Largs said: “I spotted this chap on Greenock Road this morning, a wobbly ride!” And after John’s long cycle, David Gilliland added: “John is now at Prestwick holiday park for an overnight in his one man tent.”