What we do
Largs Probus Club is in the fortunate position in still being able to meet weekly and have fortnightly speakers. Some other clubs meet less frequently and don’t have regular speakers. However, it is up to the members as to what the club does. So in addition to the regular Wednesday meetings, we have a Bowls section which organises a knockout competition each season, and there are always two Putting Competitions, that achieve their primary objective – namely to have fun and win a few games!
The Club also organises various outings, such as distillery visits and clay target (pigeon) shooting. We have been to the Edinburgh Tattoo (on a dry night!) We also have a Burns lunch and a dinner dance annually. Our 2025 holiday was to Sunderland, a great centre for visiting Durham, Lindisfarne and The Beamish Museum. We are planning a holiday to the Lancashire coast this year and also hope to have a trip to the Ardgowan Distillery in Inverkip.
The members are a friendly bunch, but of course we would be delighted to see some new members as well. We currently have about 40 members, with a regular attendance of 30 or so. Unlike in days past, there is no waiting list to join, so why not get in touch. If you are interested in how the club was formed, then please read on, or just contact us by filling our Contact Form.
Early History of Largs Probus Club
Following an exploratory meeting of seven retired gents and a further meeting attended by 14 interested parties, Largs Probus Club was launched under the auspices of the Rotary Club of Largs (sadly now defunct). The inaugural meeting was held in Wham’s Restaurant in Main Street on the morning of Tuesday 6th December 1988, with the attendance of 24 members under the chairmanship of the late Jim Allan. On the 28th of December a current account was opened with the Royal Bank of Scotland in the sum of £1.75!! Increasing numbers and general problems of accommodation were the reasons for subsequent moves to the Queens, Priory House and Willowbank Hotels.
The pattern of weekly meetings in the winter and fortnightly in the summer was adopted from the very beginning — as was the mix of programme comprising speakers, outings, social events etc. The first outing took place as early as February 1989 with a visit to Ballantine’s Kilmalid distillery and lunch at Duck Bay, organised by Larry and Jessie Birkbeck. Trips to the Burrell Collection and Inverary followed and by the end of the year plans were already in hand for the first Club holiday, to Ballater in May 1990.
Under Jim Allan’s guidance the Club continued to prosper with a rapidly increasing membership and an ever-expanding programme; so much so that it became necessary to introduce waiting lists for most of the Club’s social events and holidays – and soon after the trip to the Bulb Fields in Holland in May 1991 it also became necessary to introduce a waiting list for membership of the Club. Jim was President cum Secretary cum Organiser during the first ten years of the Club’s history, arranging a dynamic non-stop programme of events including holidays centred in Maidstone (Kent), Bournemouth (Dorset), Bromsgrove (Worcester), Bath (Somerset), Llandudno (Conwy), Norwich (Norfolk), Lanzarote.
It was Jim who ensured that our social calendar encompassed the Ladies at every opportunity, with theatre visits, lunches, outings etc. with particular emphasis on our annual ‘Ladies Night’ functions. He was created Honorary Life President of the Club at our 10th Anniversary Dinner held at the Priory House Hotel in November 1998.
So that was the early days of fraternalism, fun and fellowship with Largs Probus Club. What next? Why not come and find out.