OUT of this world - that is the programme of events and entertainments zooming in on Ayr during the month of September.

Headlining the annual Septembayr Festival are leading science communicators Heather Couper CBE and Nigel Henbest who will present their entertaining and enlightening show The Secret Life of Space.

It is in Ayr Town Hall on Wednesday September 9 at 7.30pm. The show tells the true stories of the pioneers and mavericks who unravelled the mysteries of the Cosmos.

They will investigate key breakthroughs in mankind’s journey into space. They have produced a book of the same title which will be available at the show.

Tickets are available from the Gaiety Booking Office, Tel: 01292 288235.

Space and aeronautical adventure is also the theme of a primary school project involving Ballantrae, Colmonnell, Ayr Grammar and St John’s Ayr.

The project Reach for the Skies will result in a film premiere on Friday September 18 at 5pm in Ayr Town Hall. Go along to support the new generation!

With community help from Ayr Film Society, there is quite an emphasis on film this year.

Filmfest has three films on successive nights: Magic in the moonlight on Thursday September 10 at 7pm, Fantasia at 6pm on Friday September 11, and Love is strange at 7pm on Saturday September 20.

Ayr Town Hall boasts a very fine Lewis pipe organ, baby brother to the Lewis in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and there are weekly Monday lunchtime concerts arranged through Fort, Seafield and Wallacetoun Community Council.

An innovation is bringing film and organ together for the silent movie Speedy with live accompaniment provided by the inimitable Gordon Cree on Thursday September 3 at 7.30pm.

At St Columba Parish Church, the distinguished Kirklees Borough Organist Gordon Stewart, who was born in Dundee, is sure to attract an enthusiastic crowd, Wednesday September 16 at 7.30pm.

The OIR Tuesday Photographic Group was invited to depict Ayr in an A to Z of photographs.

“We began by defining the boundaries as between the rivers Ayr and Doon with the ring road”, said group leader CyrilFox, “Some letters were easy to represent, but we had to select drastically from many good photographs. Some letters were difficult and some were very challenging indeed!

“Any compromises we had to take add a bit of intrigue to our presentation. We do hope you will enjoy our interpretation of A to Z of Ayr.

“It’s been a great project. Thank you for asking us.” Ayr THI is running an associated competition, so pick up an entry form from 11 High Street. The photographs are to be on display 24/7 throughout Septembayr at the foot of Ayr High Street.

With complementary events in the Gaiety Theatre, there should be something for everyone this year.

Watch out for the third part of Kelly Craig’s hilarious trilogy Boschemian Matrimony, the young people who feature in The Wizard of Oz, and Scottish Opera’s touring production of Così fan tutte.

Septembayr Festival brochures are available in all South Ayrshire libraries, Ayr Town Hall, Ayr Gaiety, and the Tourist Information Centre, Sandgate.