Doug Maclean Reports:
It seems only weeks ago that we saw the arrival of Kismet the brand new super yacht owned by American billionaire Shahid Khan.
Now Ayrshire welcomes another billionaire when Joe Lewis was seen arriving from his yacht in Troon. Mr Lewis is a self-made business success who was born in the east end of London and started work as a waiter in his family café at the age of 15. He had a passion for the food and entertainment businesses and started many new clubs and restaurants over the years. He normally lives in the Bahamas and loves living on his yacht. His fortune grew over the years with shrewd investments and he has an incredible art collection worth over £1bn, much of which he hangs on his fabulous yacht.
Troon man Bruce Kerr, who is a bird enthusiast, was doing a daily check around Troon beach and harbour when he was approached by a couple this morning. He said “I went into the marina and spent five minutes seeing if there were any interesting birds and 4 people were standing on the jetty. There was an older man and lady and what I take now to be 2 crew members. The man asked me if I was local and then the lady showed me a photo and asked if I knew where the Pier Fish Shop was. I told them it was in West Portland Street and gave them directions. I had a suspicion he was the owner of the vessel and it was rumoured that Mr Lewis was on board. I looked up a photo of Joe Lewis and if it wasn't him it was his doppelganger”.
We spoke to Jordan Buesa who is the Managing Director of the family-run shellfish exporter in Troon. His family own a West Portland Street shop The Pier Fishmonger where they sell the very best quality Scottish fish, scallops and even live lobsters. In addition to retail sales, they process shellfish for export and also own fishing boats.
Mr Buesa remembers the couple coming into his shop this morning and they were delighted to buy local fresh seafood. It seems that Scottish quality attracts quality visitors.
Mr Lewis is a very keen sports fan and owned over 80% of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. He has now passed that on to his family. One passion we know he has is golf. He counts Tiger Woods as a close friend and is regularly seen on the golf course.
Perhaps Mr Lewis attended the Open Championship at Troon last week or he is planning a round at Turnberry. Whatever his reasons for visiting it is a pleasure to welcome him and his guests to Ayrshire.