French connection

I have just spent a long weekend in St Germain-en-Laye in France.

So what, you may say.

Well St Germain is the twin town of Ayr and the French twinners are about to visit as part of the silver anniversary celebration of the signing of the twinning agreement. And as I was having lunch with some of them they were chatting excitedly about their visit to Ayr and what a lovely town it is. Good Lord, I`m thinking, when did you last visit? Twenty five years ago?

St Germain is a town of comparable size to Ayr and both are prosperous even in the current climate.

St Germain however has had a massive clean-up over the past quarter century. Old buildings have been preserved and restored; no weeds and trees growing out from the stonework; no chewing gum impressed into the streets; no litter lying around;a beautiful park, loads of flower beds which were all being re-planted while I was there, from Spring to Summer flowers; a brilliant new library next to the theatre, an Olympic size swimming pool etc etc

The town centre was buzzing, loads of litle shops; bakers, butchers, cheese shops, shoe and clothes shops, retaurants and cafes - no big name chain department stores. No `For Sale` or `To Let` boards blotting the town centre. Parking in the main, now underground - the market square a delight to walk across.(It used to be crammed with parked cars on non-market days)

And after such a visit you tend to ask - if they can do it why can`t we? I don`t have the answer but I know I am appalled at the thought of these French visitors walking down Ayr`s main shopping streets, seeing the dereliction and neglect. I am tempted to say to the twinning hosts -`steer your guests out of town!`.

But on a positive and optimistic note the new chairman of the Ayr Renaissance Board, Alan McDonald, of Dawn Construction and joint owner of Ayr Racecourse, said he was determined to see Ayr rise again when he spoke to the full council last Thursday. He said that there would be some `instant fixes` so the residents could see things were being done; he wanted to get rid of the For Sale and To Let signboards; the re-opening of Ayr Gaiety was a top priority he said as part of the Rennaissance programme.

All good positive stuff. Unfortunately it can`t all happen tomorrow - but at least we seem to be on the right road.

And by the way, as a postscript in case anyone asks in these days of questions about politicians` expenses, I was on a private visit to friends I made in St Germain when I travelled there 25 years ago to cover the signing of the twinning agreementfor the Ayr Advertiser. No cost to the council was involved even though I did meet French politicans - St Germain councillors - while I was there.