A popular place for children in Largs was the Aubery boating pond, wrote former ‘News’ editor John McCreadie, in his 1984 column.

He said: “It is an attractive layout with plenty of seats among the grassy surrounds and flower beds and it also has picnic tables, and paddling pools, and is well away from the traffic.

“I took a couple of grandchildren there last week to let them ‘have a shot’ on the paddle-boats and Mr Gary kennedy, hwo has been an attendant at Aubery for the past three seasons, told me he could do with more.

“Mr Rob McNaught, who shares the attendant’s job with Mr Kennedy, agrees. On busy days in good weather there is often a long queue of youngsters waiting for a sail.

“The way inflation has pushed up prices also strikes one.

“When Provost Bert Acheson opened Aubery Park in 1964, the charge for the paddleboats was 6d, now it 25p - 10 times more.

“There is also a crazy golf course at Aubery (charge 25p) but this is not used to a great extent.” “Mr Kennedy told me that quite a few clients, when they hand back their putters and balls, say crazy golf is boring. I thought in 1963 the Town Council would have been wiser to have laid out a nine-hole putting green.”