Building contractors Skinners officially open
new Southern Office in Cambridgeshire

By: Murdoch MacDonald

AYRSHIRE-based building contractors William Skinner & Son have officially opened the new premises of their Southern Office in Meldreth, Cambridgeshire. It was formerly in Saffron Walden, Essex.

The official opening ceremony was performed by Andrew Lansley CBE, MP for South Cambridgeshire on Thursday 17 March 2008.


[Pictured: William Skinner & Son chairman John Quinton (left) and managing director Sandy Cunningham (right) welcome Andrew Lansley to the new premises of the company’s Southern Office in Meldreth, Cambridgeshire.]


[Pictured: Andrew Lansley CBE, MP for South Cambridgeshire about to cut the ribbon to officially open the new Southern Office premises of Ayrshire-based building contractors William Skinner & Son. CLICK ON PICTURES TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSIONS.]

Founded in 1964, Skinners made their first move down south five years ago, renting a site and offices in Saffron Walden in Essex from which to carry out the substantial amount of refurbishment work they were then doing for supermarket giant Tesco.

But the company’s recent expansion and diversification into new areas of business including renewable energy and tree houses has made necessary the purchase of their own larger facilities comprising an 8,000 sq ft yard, 1,900 sq ft of office space, and a 1,620 sq ft warehouse.

William Skinner & Son managing director Sandy Cunningham said: “Our commitment at Cambridge is a measure of the importance to us of the market in London, the South East, Midlands and East Anglia.

“The Meldreth base provides high quality warehouse, workshop and office accommodation from which we can develop and control our market penetration. It has capacity for expansion to support several times its present level of activity.”

Combining the expertise and manpower of their Ayrshire headquarters on the perimeter of Prestwick Airport and the new site at Cambridge, Skinners have recently completed a second tree house for UK hotel and conference venue company De Vere at Shirrell Heath near Southampton.

The first tree house that Skinners built for de Vere at their Theobalds Park venue in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire has been a commercial success for the client as an unusual conference and seminar facility.

Sandy Cunningham commented: “Tree houses have, of course, been used for many years – as offices, play rooms, workshops, studios, tearooms, spare bedrooms.

“But whereas they might once have been seen as expensive, eccentric and extravagant, current building costs and the availability of new materials have resulted in their becoming a practical alternative to conventional construction.”

In addition to tree houses, William Skinner & Son has also made a successful entrance into the solar heating market, attracting a large number of new clients in England and Scotland.

The aim now is to offer general advice on the suitability of any of the available renewable energy techniques, or any mix of them, to solve individual energy supply problems, and they are developing a consortium of available local expertise to help them develop that.

Managing director Sandy Cunningham concluded: “William Skinner & Son is now expanding satisfactorily on all fronts from our headquarters in Ayrshire and our new base in south-east England. We are traditional building contractors who have developed a diverse range of untraditional new skills, and we want potential clients in England and in Scotland to be aware of the comprehensive building skills and experience that we offer.”

For further information visit www.williamskinner.co.uk

William Skinner & Son
Cunningham House
Highfield
St Quivox
Ayr KA6 5HQ

SOUTHERN OFFICE:
College Farm Business Centre
North End
Meldreth, Cambridgeshire
SG8 6NT

Telephone: 0845 051 9070
Fax: 01763 262916

Contact: Sandy Cunningham
Managing Director
Tel: 01292 671188
Fax: 01292 671133
E-mail: scunningham@williamskinner.co.uk

This article on Skinner's website CLICK HERE

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Alloway Auld Kirk and Graveyard
re-opened ahead of Homecoming 2009

By: Murdoch MacDonald

ACCOMPANIED by South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond today (Friday 18 April) officially re-opened the Alloway Auld Kirk and graveyard in Alloway, Ayrshire, following the completion of extensive conservation and repair work that has been taking place since July 2007.



[CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

Together South Ayrshire Council Provost Winifred Sloan and the First Minister (pictured above) saw the improvements that have been carried out in Alloway Auld Kirk, which is a key visitor attraction in South Ayrshire because of its connection with Rabbie Burns and his famous poem Tam O’Shanter, forming part of the rich cultural heritage of the area.

Provost Winifred Sloan said: “I am particularly pleased that the restoration and repairs have been completed prior to the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth, which has been designated as the ‘Year of the Homecoming’ in 2009. The work has been carried out in a very sympathetic manner, with 68 headstones being stabilised or repaired and vegetation that was damaging or covering headstones removed. During excavation a considerable number of bones were uncovered, which had obviously been disturbed over the centuries. These were catalogued by archaeologists and re-interred at the end of the project.”

The nearby Burns National Heritage Park and Burns Cottage Museum are one of the top visitor attractions in Scotland. The current building, which is ‘A’-listed and a scheduled monument, can be dated to no later than the 16th century but is likely to be significantly older. Towards the end of 2002 there were increasing concerns about the stability of the bell tower, which subsequently proved to be at risk of collapse and was temporarily dismantled. Given the importance of the site in both wider historical terms and its Burns connections, the Burns National Heritage Park Trustees commissioned a study to undertake a fuller assessment of the condition of the historic fabric of the building, and the work necessary to conserve the site in the long term for prosperity.

In 2007 funding was secured from the Heritage lottery fund, South Ayrshire Council, Historic Scotland and Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The story of Tam O’Shanter is a reminder to every Scot of the wisdom of hurrying home. It is here at Alloway’s auld, haunted kirk that Tam came to appreciate that wisdom. That’s why I’m so pleased to see the kirk and graveyard restored in time for the Year of Homecoming, for all to enjoy.

“Robert Burns is an integral part of our cultural heritage, the nation’s Bard, and loved across the world. Here in South Ayrshire we come closest to connecting with that heritage, with the kirk and graveyard adding to a historical landscape that includes the Burns National Heritage Park and Burns Cottage Museum. Burns’ poetry has breathed eternal life into these attractions.

“The year of Homecoming 2009 will make sure that Burns’ history, and the cultural jewels on display in South Ayrshire, are as much about Scotland’s future as its past. It is an opportunity to showcase our distinctive assets and to forge direct links between Scotland and the world. The Alloway Auld Kirk and graveyard are just one example of Scotland’s pulling-power, acting as a literary touchstone among the tombstones.

“I’m proud to officially re-open this historic site and hope that Scots around the world will join in my excitement as one more cultural connection brings imagination to life. Mind you, I hope that for those thousands who return to Scotland in 2009 the journey will be less traumatic than was Tam O’Shanter’s!”

The Auld Kirk is an important part of the history and archaeology of South Ayrshire. Critically it forms a major part of the Burns tourism infrastructure. The National Trust will take over management of the site as part of a planned exciting development to upgrade and consolidate the Burns heritage attractions in and around Alloway.

Various conservation and repair work was carried out including:

* Removing vegetation from the wall heads of the Kirk and making sure they are safe.
* Stabilising movement cracks within the Auld Kirk and providing secure access to each of the chambers of the building.
* Refurbishing the entrance area to the graveyard to provide safer access.
* Stabilising a number of unsafe headstones.
* Cleaning and regilding of the headstone of William Burns, Robert Burns’ father.
* Stabilising the boundary wall to secure its long-term stability.

New interpretative signboards, which are currently being worked on by the National Trust, will be installed to assist people to understand the historic features of the Auld Kirk and the graveyard.

Burns featured the graveyard in one of his most famous pieces of work, Tam O’Shanter. This is a famous ghost story involving our hero Tam, a Carrick farmer, known to Burns, who enjoys spending market day in an Ayr pub with friends, flirting and ‘getting fou and unco happy’ – much against the better judgement of his wife who nags him on the perils of drink.

On this particularly dark night, as Tam returns home riding his faithful grey mare Meg, he passes the ruins of Auld Kirk Alloway. It is fully lit and a party is in full swing amidst the gravestones. Tam hides to get a better look, and is amazed to see witches and warlocks led in a wild dance by the devil himself. He is particularly taken by a winsome young witch, Nannie, dressed in a short shirt, and can’t resist cheering her on – “Weel done, Cutty-sark! And in an instant all was dark.”

On his trusty mare Meg, Tam makes a run for it closely chased by the spooks led by Nannie. As he crosses the keystone of the Brig O’Doon Nannie catches Meg’s tail. Fortunately for Tam, Meg’s tail falls off in Nannie’s hands, the spooks are unable to cross the running water, and Tam and Meg escape into the night.

www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk

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Latest Irvine Bay regeneration projects open in Ardrossan Ayrshire

By: Kirsty Innes

PROVOST of North Ayrshire Council Robert Rae has officially opened Core Kitchens & Bathrooms and Coletta’s Italian Deli at 54-56 Princes Street, Ardrossan.

Setting the trend for regeneration in Ardrossan, Irvine Bay Regeneration Company has refurbished these once derelict retail units, bringing them back to life and now trading as a kitchen and bathroom showroom and an Italian delicatessen. This was one of Irvine Bay’s early action projects to kick-start the regeneration.


[Pictured left to right: Irvine Bay Regeneration Company development manager Arthur Watson, Core Kitchens & Bathrooms showroom manager Maxine Pentleton, Irvine Bay Regeneration Company chief executive Patrick Wiggins, Core Kitchens & Bathrooms director Connie Harris, Provost of North Ayrshire Council Bobby Rae, and Nicola McManus, Jackie Shennan and Antoinette Cairns of Coletta’s Italian Deli. CLICK ON IMAGE TO VIEW / DOWNLOAD FULL-SIZE VERSION.]

The building, last used as a careers office and owned by Cunninghame Housing Association, had lain empty for a number of years when Irvine Bay Regeneration Company started the £200,000 refurbishment and its renovation and occupation is a visible sign of things to come for Ardrossan.

Coletta’s Italian Deli is a new-start local company operated by sisters Bernadette McQuade and Antoinette Cairns. Opening Coletta’s – their late mother’s maiden name – has been a lifelong ambition inspired by their Italian cousins who run a bakery in Telese, south of Naples – a business which has been in the family for many years.

Bernadette McQuade said: “We’ve been wanting to open our own business for years when this opportunity came up. The whole Irvine Bay area is being regenerated, and Ardrossan in particular seems to be an up and coming town. With ASDA just round the corner and no other deli-type businesses in the area, the time was right for us to take the plunge.”

Core Kitchens & Bathrooms opened their first showroom in Kilbirnie in 2004 and, with its success, has now opened this second showroom in Ardrossan. Core supply and install a full range of high-quality kitchens and bathrooms from conception, plumbing, joinery, electrics, tiling and flooring.

Connie Harris of Core Kitchens and Bathrooms said: “We were aware of the regeneration initiative in Irvine Bay and we saw the opportunity for a high-quality product and service offering in the area. Our ‘one-stop-shop’ concept of personal service, through design to finished delivery has worked well for us in Kilbirnie, and we are looking forward to securing a firm presence in Ardrossan.”

Irvine Bay Regeneration Company chief executive Patrick Wiggins said: “We are committed to creating an environment where new and existing businesses can thrive. The opening of these two businesses in the area is a tangible example of direct action we can take to stimulate the local property market.”

Regeneration plans are being developed for the five towns of Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Stevenston, Kilwinning and Irvine which aim to revitalise each of the town centres and help to boost the local economy. The plans will identify a vision for these towns over the next 10 years and seek to identify and shape key opportunities for quality physical and economic regeneration. The finalised regeneration plans are expected to be complete by the summer with a series of public exhibitions being held.

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