HERE'S a look at some of the stories which made the headlines in the Irvine Times in mid May 2003.

Who can you spot in these pictures?

Irvine Times: The Burns Tavern celebration in 2003

THE Burns Tavern's first birthday bash really drew the punters... with a caricaturist on hand to capture their best bits.

Top artists from the Scottish Cartoon Art Studio spent two hours sketching 35 of the pub's customers.

Revellers turned out in droves to help the pub celebrate its first year of trading.

The party-goers were also thrilled with the free booze which flowed all night.

Everybody was given a free shot and the beer was running like water.

Staff also got into the spirit of the occasion by dressing up, with Steven Boyce doing his best Fred Flintstone impression and bar person Lynn Wilson dressing up as Sleeping Beauty.

Irvine Times: Redburn's Friday Night Club loved their new equipment

REDBURN'S Friday Night Club had much more to keep them entertained after a donation from North Ayrshire Council's staff association.

Council employees raised £275 for the club, which is attended by young people with learning difficulties.

The money was used to buy a brand new pool table and a giant Connect Four game.

The Redburn Friday Night club are pictured showing off the pool table and giant Connect Four they received from North Ayrshire Staff Association.

Irvine Times: Kickboxers John Anderson and Jamie McDaid

KICKBOXERS from Irvine School of Martial Arts struck gold - and bronze - at the recent World Karate Association National Championships.

John Anderson and Jamie McDaid, pictured, were the gold medal stars at the showcase event, and are now eligible to compete in the World Champions in Ireland.

John came first in the under-90 kilo section while Jamie,19, landed two golds in the under-55 kilo section.

The pair were just two of six fighters from the Irvine club competing in the championships at Perth.

Fellow kickboxers Clare McAlpine, 24, Lillian Tyrie, 32, Ross McKie,19, and Darren Holme, 19, also recorded successes, scooping a bronze medal each at Bellís Sports Centre.

Irvine Times: Age concern donation from Irvine Trades

DELIGHTED workers at Bourtreehill's Age Concern drop-in centre picked up another cash boost from Irvine Incorporated Trades.

The organisation handed over a cheque for £250 to the ladies from the cash-strapped centre.

And the figure was made up to a nice round £300 with a £50 cheque from Irvine Hammermen on the same day.

Jean Reader of the drop-in said: "Irvine Incorporated Trades and the Hammermen are very, very good to us, we always get something from them.

"Weíre fundraising all the time and it is a lot of pressure, so this will take some of the pressure off us. We're really, really grateful to them."

And finally, bosses at Nacco Materials Handling in Irvine were due to meet politicians for talks over the future of more than 500 workers at the factory.

Brian Donohoe, Labour MP for Cunninghame South, bluntly claimed manufacturing staff would be axed in a shake-up of the company which has already seen heavy manufacturing equipment being transported from Irvine to Craigavon in Ireland earlier this year.

Staff at the Irvine plant had already been to the Czech Republic to train workers there in jobs which are currently being done locally.

And the firm - who make Hyster and Yale electric trucks - admitted there would be ‘changes to manufacturing personnel’ .