The Station Hotel opened in 1885/86 and was a magnificent building, rich in history. Until recent times it offered luxurious rooms and lavish facilities to wealthy visitors who came to Ayr to attend race meetings, enjoy their summer holidays or play golf. It opened up Ayr as a seaside resort and Burns Country. However, it was closed in 2012. Network Rail bought roughly 20% of the ground floor and the remainder was bought by a Malaysian businessman. Since then, the building has largely been neglected. Fire extensively damaged the fabric of the building in May and again in September 2023 and since then South Ayrshire Council has been gradually demolishing as much as is necessary to make the building safe.
There have been many proposals over the years, including to rebuild as a luxury hotel, or to knock the building down and change its footprint to a transport hub or shopping centre. However, the financial costs of demolishing, preserving, rebuilding or changing use have yet to be fully explored and funds secured.
In 2022, Ayr Development Trust (ADT) unveiled plans to set up a new community hub on the site of the former Affleck’s store. The proposal was to draw on the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which enables accredited community groups to apply to take ownership of land and buildings which have been abandoned or neglected and which are detrimental to the local environment. The ADT proposed bringing a tranche of land surrounding the Affleck’s site and owned by Ayr Common Good Fund into community use through asset transfer via South Ayrshire Council, and also using community right to buy initiatives to purchase privately owned neglected premises.
The proposal was to create a Community Hub which would provide space for meetings, clubs and societies, charities, educational purposes and care provision to support vulnerable people living at home and their carers and also provide a heritage attraction. This would rejuvenate a disused area of Ayr by drawing in local people and visitors, and promoting education and civic engagement. This is still an on-going project. Local support is needed.
I was born in Rankinston, where I initially lived with my great-grandfather, Alexander “Sanny” Sloan and his daughter Esther, my granny. I have written a short book about his life. It is published in association with the Scottish Labour History Society.
Although I was only three when Sanny, my great-grandfather, died, I have fond memories of him. I remember that the house was always busy, there were people there and many discussions and conversations going on. I remember that he used to save sugar lumps from his weekly train journeys from London and I would look forward to getting them on Saturday mornings when I got up and found him back home for the weekend! I remember his funeral, which was the first time double-decker buses came to Rankinston.
My granny did Sanny’s secretarial work as well as looking after me. She frequently took me into Ayr, which at that time was a hive of activity. The Gaiety Theatre and the Picture Houses were busy, the shops were bustling and there were plenty of cafes.
When I was nearly six, my Dad relocated our family to Germany. My Dad changed his job frequently, consequently I was at nine different schools, seven Primary and two Secondary. At the age of 14, I came back to Scotland and attended my ninth, and final, school, Ayr Academy, where I settled down and worked hard. I wanted to be a doctor, however in those days working class women didn’t really have the opportunity to go to University to study medicine. I went St Andrews University where I studied history and politics.
Politics has always been an important part of the lives of my family. My great-grandfather was an MP, my mother was a local councilor for twenty years and now my daughter, Sanny’s great-great-granddaughter, is a Regional Member of the Scottish Parliament representing the West of Scotland.
At University, I met my husband, Norman, a medical student. He became a GP and took on many demanding jobs. We lived in Jamaica for three years, during which time our house in UK was let out, so we had a base to return to in due course. Once back in Scotland, I enrolled in a Social Work course, having resumed being involved in fostering children who had had difficult life experiences. I also served on the Children’s Panel as a Member and later on the Advisory Committee.
I was always aware of the need to support people with a wide range of issues. I set about setting up a number of Groups each with a different focus, for example
I thoroughly enjoyed all these activities and I am gratified that I made a substantial contribution to the quality of life enjoyed by many people who otherwise would have felt isolated and alone.
The Alloway Railway Tunnel Project has recently come to my attention. I believe it will make an important contribution to the preservation of our heritage in Ayr. The railways, like the mines, represent a vital aspect of our heritage and we ought to do what we can to preserve what is left. Renovation of the Tunnel will seal its place in the history of the area and will be another attraction to draw visitors to Ayr. This can only be of benefit to the whole community.
Esther Clark
