Two teenagers have been charged alleged vandalism at Linlithgow Palace.
12.04.2023 - 10:47 / dailyrecord.co.uk
A legendary Ayrshire youth leader has turned 80 - with no signs of slowing down.
Lieutenant (SCC) Bill Mullin RNR's big day came after nearly 40 years' service with the sea cadets.
Over the decades, Lt Bill has led and inspired generations of local youngsters with the organisation.
The father-of-two and grandfather of four was himself a sea cadet before joining the Royal Navy as a stores accountant in 1960.
He served in the far east and worldwide as a submariner, when he was based in Faslane, before leaving the navy in 1970.
Bill, who celebrated his birthday with his family, said: "I went back to the cadets in 1984 at my wife Isobel's suggestion and offered my services for a couple of nights a month - and suddenly found myself a sub-lieutenant.
"I was an instructor at Ayr unit then in 1985-86 I was asked to go to Irvine unit as commanding officer, as it was under threat of closure.
"Irvine only had four cadets and two officers but we managed to turn it around quite quickly and we had 20 cadets within a couple of months."
Bill commanded Irvine unit until 1995 and also ran the sea cadets national engineering school at HMS Gannet in Prestwick full-time for nine years.
He then returned to Ayr unit, TS Mountbatten, where he was commanding officer from 2011-15 before going back to Irvine unit, TS Argyll in Dreghorn, where he is currently an instructor.
Bill, who retired officially as Scottish sales manager for AA Publishing at 65 but worked on to 76, has met dignitaries and many royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth and King Charles.
He used his connections to fix up fun activities for the cadets, such as flights in Royal Navy helicopters and sea trips on the Royal Yacht Britannia and the frigate HMS Argyll, which Bill affiliated
Two teenagers have been charged alleged vandalism at Linlithgow Palace.
An elderly cyclist has been rushed to hospital following a crash in an East Lothian town. Emergency services were called to Dunbar High Street at around 10.14 am on Sunday April 23 following reports of a crash between a cyclist and a silver Vauxhall Astra.
Two teenagers have been charged after a historic West Lothian site was reportedly vandalised. Officers were called to Linlithgow Palace at around 9pm on Thursday April 20 after the historic walls and flagstones were "defaced with paint".
A popular Ayrshire eaterie is on the market as the owners look to sell up.
Eco-conscious North Ayrshire chiefs insist they will refuse to rest on their laurels - despite being one of Scotland’s leading recycling authorities.
A Scots family's holiday to Tenerife turned into a living 'nightmare' after a grandmother fractured her shoulder and spine while unpacking.
Scotland’s most senior trade union leader has warned First Minister Humza Yousaf to ditch the slogans and make changes to the lives of ordinary working people.
Marks and Spencer shoppers are racing to the retailer's review section to share their thoughts on a 'traditional' trench coat.
One of Scotland's hottest DJs is coming back to Ayrshire this weekend.
A boy fell through a manhole cover to his death after a contractor failed to implement adequate safety measures. Shea Ryan, 10, slipped on a ladder inside the hole close to a play park near his home in Glasgow’s Drumchapel on July 16, 2020.
If you're struggling to get yourself into gear today, why not kickstart your brain with a tricky optical illusion?
EXCLUSIVE: Selling Sunset star Chelsea Lazkani has signed with A3 Artists Agency for representation.
Ayrshire residents are being encouraged to talk about money worries as new figures have revealed debt levels across the region.
Stunning Culzean Castle has been named among "the most beautiful" in Europe by a top travel outlet. The grand location in Carrick featured among a must-see list of medieval buildings published by Brazilian travel guide Vegas Pelo Mundo.
The Scottish Government is urging people to check that the tax code on their first payslip after April 6 is correct, as we are now in the new 2023/24 financial year. Changes to income tax have now come into force that are estimated to raise more than half a billion pounds of additional revenue to support vital public services across the country.
Three Ayrshire pubs will do battle to be crowned best in the UK at a prestigious national award ceremony this summer.
A five-year-old boy and a girl aged nine were rushed to hospital this evening after a road traffic incident in the Govanhill area of Glasgow.
A major search and rescue operation involving a helicopter and specialist canoeists was launched after someone reported seeing a person in trouble in Loch Tay.
Cars have been spotted going the wrong way on the A77 as the evacuation from the crash site continues.
“Walter Smith storms down from the stands. He came down onto the touchline - he was pulling, he was pushing, he was organising. I think he had the Playstation remote out to make sure we were all in the right areas at the right times!”