Lochwinnoch 2 September

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Gus, Jimmy, Johnny, Rex, Robert

A folly good show!

Jimmy and Rex had brought their bikes so they set off along the cycle track towards Paisley and on to Pollok Park, whilst the rest of us took to foot along the same track. The weather was ideal: dry, reasonably bright, warm in the sunshine (but not too warm), and little wind, so progress was good with the first stop for coffee at the Temple (or folly) on Kenmure Hill. Here Davie, the biologist, found a dead bird of prey and decided to take the ringed feet to the RSPB centre later in the day for identification.

Looking back at Castle Semple Loch

Through the rather large keyhole

Rejoining the track, and avoiding the multitude of cyclists, we headed towards our usual lunch stop at the bridge on the outskirts of Kilbarchan. Robert turned back before then as he had a family engagement to attend prior to him departing for Denver in the morning. We wished him a good holiday and reminded him to take his bus pass. There were tears in our eyes as we saw him walk back alone to his car - he had not left his fiver for the kitty!!

The return journey was uneventful, but we did notice that the wee Collegiate Church, a sometime coffee stop, was fenced off. The Visitors Centre, was reached at bang on one thirty, the agreed time to meet the cyclists. However, it was another twenty minutes or so before they arrived, not a problem since the pleasant afternoon sunshine gave us ample opportunity for a leisurely blether and to watch a couple of bus loads of college students try their hands out on kayaks, or was it canoes?

FRT was taken in the Brown Bull where, as well as other things being discussed, we reminisced about Kilmarnock’s exploits in Europe. For info: Eintracht was in season 64-65, Real Madrid was in 65-66, Leeds was in 66-67 (semi-final of Fairs Cup), Shelbourne was in 97-98 and Kaiserslautern was in 99-00. Full details can be got by googling ‘Kilmarnock FC in European football’.

Another successful day out!

I had a bike like this when I was a boy!