To mark the 75th anniversary of their club, members of Ayr Roads Cycling Club presented South Ayrshire Provost Gordon McKenzie with a special photograph, which will now have a new home in the archives of Carnegie Library in Ayr.

The photograph was presented to the Provost by Mr Bert Mason, who at 92 years of age is still an active cyclist and has been a member of the Club since 1931.

Provost Gordon McKenzie said: “I am very honoured to have accepted this photograph on behalf of the people of Ayr from Ayr Roads Cycling Club.

“By donating the photograph to the Carnegie Library archives it will ensure that it is preserved and enjoyed by people for many years to come.

“Cycling is a great way to keep fit and with the increasing number of cycle lanes in South Ayrshire I hope that it will encourage more people to cycle regularly.”

Ayr Roads Cycling Club was established in 1930, and is the successor to the original Ayr Cycling Club that was formed in the 1890’s.

A lasting memento of the original cycling club is an original framed photograph from 1895 of members of the original club and their names, together with the town’s Dean of Guild. For many years the Club has been custodian of the ancient photograph.

As part of the Club’s anniversary celebrations during 2005, which coincides with the Royal Burgh’s 800th anniversary, the Club felt it fitting that the photograph should be gifted to the Carnegie Library as a cycling archive.

Four trophies can be clearly seen in the photograph, one of which is the Buchanan Trophy that was gifted to the Ayr Cycling Club of 1895. It was later presented to Ayr Roads Cycling Club in 1953 by Mrs E Picken whose husband Ayr butcher Andrew Picken, was a keen cyclist and track man and was the last winner of the trophy in 1900.

Ayr United Football and Athletic Club have one of the other trophies seen in the picture, as it came into their possession through an anonymous donor in the early 1960s.

It is believed that members of the Ayr Cycling Club would have competed for the trophy at track events held at the original Parkhouse Football ground, which is now the site of the Matalan store in Ayr.

Somerset Park the home of Ayr United Football Club also staged cycle track events in the early years of the stadium.

The whereabouts of the other two trophies in the picture are unknown.

However, there is now a new trophy for the Ayr Roads Cycling Club as Provost Gordon McKenzie presented the Club with a trophy to mark their 75th anniversary.

An exhibition is currently being held at Carnegie Library in Ayr during May that shows cycling over the years and tracks the history of the Club.

Ayr Roads Cycling Club members and officials gather round Provost Gordon McKenzie after he presented a special trophy to mark the club’s 75th anniversary.


May 2005