IN our latest look into the Wee Paper's archives, we turn the clock back to 2010 - and the story of how a West Kilbride family were fortunate to survive an inferno which destroyed their luxury home.
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Only the fact that his car would not start on Monday morning meant that Tony Kelly had to go back into the house in Chapelton Lane to be met by choking smoke.
Mr Kelly told the ‘News’: “The lights circuit blew and there was smoke downstairs. I quickly roused my wife and three daughters from their beds upstairs. It all happened so quickly.
“If I hadn’t had to jump start my car I would have been away to work and they would still have been sleeping when the fire started."
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In a case of love at first ‘Skype’, a Largs woman revealed how she found the man of her dreams on-line, and got married in India after a whirlwind romance of four months.
Linda Lewis and Prasanth Kurian tied the knot in the Indian city of Kochi after physically meeting for the first time the day before their wedding, following weeks of chatting on the internet video phone service ‘Skype’.
They met on the computer screen after signing up to an Indian matrimonial dating website and ‘clicked’, so to speak.
After exchanging contact details, love quickly blossomed via the help of cyberspace, and Linda travelled to her dearly beloved's homeland to wed 32-year-old Prasanth in a traditional Catholic ceremony.
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Heavy snowfall resulted in local disruption and danger for pedestrians and a local man suffered a suspected broken cheekbone after slipping in icy conditions in Largs.
Blizzards and freezing temperatures led to chaos on local streets as cars were forced to turn back on the Haylie Brae, while local taxi services were cancelled.
Largs firefighters were called to clear the icicles, some two feet in places, from the roof at the property above Subway, as fears were expressed that they could fall and injure somebody.
Police cordoned off the area to protect the public over the weekend.
Fire officer Peter Bowyer said: “The icicles were forming in the gutters, and the gutter had been absolutely loaded with water and had frozen over. We removed them as best we could.”
the whiteout led to cars being stuck on the high road between Largs and Kilbirnie and many had to turn back after being confronted with unrelenting conditions on the A760
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The Rotary Club of Largs was delighted to give a formal welcome to its first Brisbane Ambassador, Natalie Sweeney, a final year student at Largs Academy.
The position of Brisbane Ambassador was designed to be an annual one and pioneer Natalie was chosen by an interview panel which included a member of the Brisbane family.
Largs Rotary Club also has close links with Stones Corner Rotary Club in Brisbane, Australia.
While a major part of Natalie’s role involved the promotion of the Brisbane heritage to Largs, primary schools she was also set to develop close links with her opposite number in Brisbane.
The Skelmorlie and Wemyss Bay Branch of Cancer Research UK enjoyed a Christmas lunch in Kip Marina.
The group was formed in the early 1960s and since then many loyal, hard working supporters and friends have raised thousands of pounds for Cancer Research UK
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A local councillor stated that the newly formed Largs Development Trust could play a part in the survival of Barrfields and Vikingar!
Councillors considered a request from the new trust for £1,000 to help its establishment.
While Tory councillor Elisabethe Marshall remained sceptical over the membership and aims of the group, fellow councillor Alan Hill insisted that it could instead pave the way for the community to save facilities such as Barrfields from council cuts.
Councillor Hill stated: “It’s a steering group that is looking at making a development trust. It exists to take forward projects for community benefit. The nearest example is Cumbrae Community Development Company.”
He added that there were “literally hundreds” of such groups across Britain with the Largs Development Trust capable of taking forward projects “on behalf of the community” while North Ayrshire Council continued to cut costs."
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The Scripture Union coffee morning at the Dunn Memorial Hall had a good turnout of visitors in the build up to Christmas with a selection of gift ideas. See below.
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And Christmas party season was in full flow with local primary schools celebrating as festive parties provided plenty of fun activities.
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A young surfer from Millport was making waves after being selected for the national windsurfing team, having honed his skills at the Cumbrae Watersports Centre.
Tristan Levie, 14, took part in four national squad weekends over the course of 2011 after winning a prestigious place in the squad.
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