The Auld Brig, Ayr. Old bridge over the River Ayr, from newer bridge:-

The newer bridge:-

Other bridges over River Ayr. The nearest is a footbridge, behind that is the rail bridge and behind that again is another road bridge:-

In the background to my first photo of the Odeon Cinema in Ayr I noted a War Memorial. At First glance it seemd to be a (Second) Boer War Memorial but it’s a bit more comprehensive than that. It’s dedicated to the Officers, NCOs and men of the Royal Scots Fusiliers who died in the First Boer War, Sudan, Burma, Tirah as well as the Second Boer War.

Reverse view:-

Dedication:-

Names; Burma, Tirah, Second Boer War. The central brass plaque also mentions Blenheim, Oudenarde, Ramillies, Malplaquet, Dettingen, Bladensburg, Alma, Inkerman, Sevastopol, South Africa 1879, Burma, Tirah, South Africa 1899-1902. :-

Names; Second Boer War:-

Names; South Africa 1879 and Transvaal, Soudan Expedition, the Nile 1884-5:-

Ayr’s memorial to the two World Wars is a slightly tapered column standing at the centre of Wellington Square. Each of its four sides bears a panel listing the names of Great War dead.  The names for World War 2 are displayed on the steps below:-

Great War dedication and names:-

Second World War dedication and names:-

Great War names:-

Second World War Names:-

In the centre of Ayr there is a statue of Scotland’s bard Robert Burns. I referred to it in my post showing the Odeon Cinema there. Naturally enough the statue is in Burns Statue Square:-

Another Burns related place of interest in Ayr is the Tam O’Shanter Inn, the oldest pub/restaurant in the town I believe. Tam O’Shanter is perhaps Burns’ best known poem. The inn is from where Douglas Graham, the inspiration for Tam, set off on the journey which the poem chronicles:-

I have already noted the Odeon Cinema in Ayr. Apparently the Gaiety Theatre also used to show films. Checking the Scottish cinemas website I now see that one of the buildings I featured here, was also a cinema, the Orient.

While we were in Ayr I also found the former Green’s Playhouse, in Boswell Park, once the second biggest cinema in Scotland, which opened in 1931 as a replacement for an earlier cinema which had burnt down.

Entrance:-

Roofline:-

Detail:-

By the seaside, on the appropriately named Pavilion Road, is the former Pavilion Cinema, which opened in 1911, has been a ballroom and a nightclub but is now a children’s play centre:-

Galbraith’s, on the corner of Burns Statue Square and Miller Road, Ayr.  Curved corner, detailing to top, flagstaff, rule of three in windows to right. (Lower windows completely ruined):-

Art Deco detail:-

Miller Road aspect:-

Curved gable end to Galbraith’s Miller Road facade. Ruined windows, though:-

The Smokehouse, Alloway Place. Curved windows with rule of three, white rendering, flat roof. The upper windows may be original Critall ones. (Or perhaps not, what with their black surround.):-

The windows in the one below are Deco, as are the rooftop projections. The middle portion has an eastern feel though. Overall it’s an odd one. It’s situated on the A 719 where it merges with Main Street.

Frontage:-

On corner of Fort Street and Barns Street:-

On corner of Garden Street and River Street:-

Art Deco detailing on the Kyle Shopping Centre in Ayr, now closed. Carrick Street frontage:-

High Street frontage:-

Art Deco cinema in Ayr. Statue of Robert Burns to right. Memorial to Colonial Wars to left.

Apparently this is the first true Odeon to be built in Scotland. Sadly as the following two photos show it is now somewhat in need of care and attention.

Odeon Cinema, upper portion:-

On our trip to Ayrshire in October we stayed overnight in Ayr. I found plenty to photograph including the Art Deco Gaiety Theatre.  The attached building (Stagedoor) is also Deco in style:-

Photo of Gaiety showing stepped roofline, streamlining, canopy:-

Gaiety’s entrance column:-

Stagedoor from side:-