Ayrshire: When a van plunged into the Gogo Burn in 2008

A Largs tree surgeon had a new kid on the block after becoming a dad again on Christmas morning.

Stephen Blair’s wife Victoria gave birth at 12.28am on December 25, 2008, to Stewart William Blair, weighing in at 8lb 2oz at the Inverclyde Royal Hospital, in Greenock.

Little Stewart was the second birth registered on Christmas Day in the whole of Scotland.

A major operation to rescue a driver who had crashed his Mercedes van through a roundabout and down the Gogo Burn took place in the middle of the night in Largs.

The vehicle shot down Irvine Road at high speed, according to eyewitness reports, before losing control and heading through bushes between the entrance of the local Morrison's store and the Gogo Bridge, and veering into the Gogo Burn some 20 feet below.

The Gogo Bridge was a hive of activity as three fire engines, police vehicles and paramedics rushed to the scene amid icy temperatures.

The driver was believed to have suffered from head and facial injuries as a result of the crash and had to be rescued by firemen.

It is believed that the momentum of the van resulted in it reaching the far side of the Gogo before rolling down into the burn and landing on its right-hand side.

Fire officer Peter Bowyer said: "The van went right into the burn after it went through the gap between Morrison’s signage and the wall of the Gogo Bridge.

"The man was not trapped and we managed to get him out within 10 minutes and put him on a spineboard. The van was badly damaged to the front and had rolled down into the burn.

"He is a very lucky man to still be alive."

It is not often that a 'brown owl' wins the Largs Citizen of the Year but that is exactly what happened at a special Largs Rotary Club presentation as Elspeth Martin won the coveted prize.

Elspeth has served in this role for the First Largs Brownies for over 20 years and received high plaudits for her community work and dedication to the people of Largs.

Mr Ian McEwen, of the Largs Rotary, said: "As well as being a brown owl, Elspeth has been a supporter of the North Ayrshire Blythswood Support Group.

"She has linked her Brownies to the orphanage in Romania which the Rotary club founded and each year her Brownies send Christmas shoeboxes full of gifts to the abandoned children."

Elspeth also volunteered with a local charity shop and the long-running “Meals on Wheels” service for elderly citizens in the town.

Meanwhile, Nardini's Restaurant finally opened after a three-year hiatus.

Editor Drew Cochrane opined: "The directors, John Fox, David Equi and Sep Marini kept us on tenterhooks for about three years in a will they, won’t they cliffhanger. I have never known a story which ran and ran with so many headlines of ‘Nardinis to open in.....’ fill in the blank.

"They have done a magnificent job, especially when you consider the economic constraints on businesses. It is a merging of the art deco style in a modernistic setting which surely makes it the finest and most attractive cafeteria in Britain."

James Fisher Defence built a rescue submarine for the Republic of Singapore Navy in a record 22 months and launched it before Christmas in Fairlie.

There was a naming ceremony for the Singapore Navy's new rescue submarine, simply known as DSAR6.

The event saw Simon Harris, managing director of James Fisher Defence and company chairman Tim Harris, handing it over to the chief of staff of the Singapore Navy and Jeannie Tan, his wife who performed the ceremony.

To mark the naming of the Scottish-built rescue submarine, representatives of the Singaporean Navy travelled to Fairlie. 

It was felt the local docks would be an ideal place to carry out sea tests.

James Fisher Defence had an outstanding history of submarine rescue.

In 2005, the rescue crew was called out to provide submarine rescue services to seven submariners off the far eastern coast of Russia.

Elsewhere, all the pupils of Cumbrae Primary were entertained in the school gym hall to a performance of ‘Robin Hood’, which was an M&M Production.

The show was provided by Lodge Kelburn and each child received a Christmas gift.

Lodge Master Dugald McIntyre and secretary John Young attended as guests.

Also pictured were John, Dugald, Ciara Metcalfe and Catriona Campbell.

Cumbrae Parish Church Sunday School and Fun Club dressed up for the nativity play.

Ciara Holden was Mary, seen holding the baby, and Andrew Metcalfe as Joseph on her right, with Guides and Brownies.