The postcard above was posted in August 1909 and features three ladies at the Serpentine. Despite being posted in Upper Largo, the postcard was sold by John Welsh at the Post Office in Lower Largo, suggesting that the sender himself walked this path between the upper and lower villages. The message on the reverse reads:

Dear Jim, 

We are staying at Viewforth this month. I had a fine catch of partans this morning. Would you like one? Pa and George were golfing. This is Ma's birthday. Love to all.

Arthur

Partans are crabs and the question of 'would you like one?' is of course a joke - particularly as the recipient was Mr James Clark of Nelson, British Colombia. The postcard was sent to him care of the Post Office there, shown below when it was newly opened just a few years before. Perhaps Jim had recently emigrated there from Scotland.

​Arthur's family were staying just a short stroll from the Serpentine path at Viewforth (both of which feature on the map above). The Serpentine Walk is a historic tree-lined path linking Lower Largo to Upper Largo, now managed by the Woodland Trust.  The name 'Serpentine' is a commonly-used one for paths, rivers, lakes and the like which curve and twist like a snake.  Viewforth (at the right on the map) was originally the site of a salt work and was once also referred to as 'Largo Pans' or simply 'the Pans'. Later the location became popular for summer visitors - being well placed for seabathing and getting away from it all.
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​The three ladies in the Serpentine postcard image are shown very clearly. I wonder whether they were visitors or locals. The woman above is looking directly into the camera lens and is clearly carrying something in each hand. The two older women below looked as if posed to be in conversation, with the houses of South Feus in the background. I wonder whether the three just happened to be around when the photographer was on location and were asked to be in shot. It would be fascinating to know more about the scene and who these individuals were. The photographer would have been one hired by James Valentine and Sons to capture local views. Valentines hired a team of photographers to document villages, towns and cities and places of interest across the country to use on their postcards and souvenir booklets. 
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Many old postcards views of the Serpentine Walk featured people - to provide scale and interest, such as the example above. The Serpie is still a handy and enjoyable walk today with a great view of Largo Law as you approach Upper Largo.
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Last October a blog post covered the creative enterprise Genesis Creations Limited which was once based in Mill Wynd, Lundin Links - click here to read.

Since the publication of that blog, a copy of a colour product brochure and a documentary-style video have been kindly shared by Tony Harmsworth, who was Managing Director of the company. Extracts from the colour brochure can be seen above and below and the brochure can be accessed in PDF format in full via the links below:

Genesis Brochure Front

Genesis Brochure Inside

Genesis moved into the Mill Wynd Studio in May 1988 and the company grew over the months that followed. Tony carefully put together a video in June 1990 detailing the processes involved in the creation of the Genesis products. The video includes footage of the Lundin Links workshop - both inside and outside - as well as of the office facilities next door at Marlynn Cottage and the production facility at Levenmouth Business Centre in Leven. The film explains that most of the research and development work was undertaken at the studio in Lundin Links, which was originally built as a silversmith workshop for Norman Grant in 1973. The 1990 film about Genesis Creations is available online in two parts - you can view part one here and part two here. 

As the film describes, an original creation typically starts as a piece of wax, which is intricately sculpted using a range of fine tools. This is the 'master' piece from which a silicone mould can then be made. The silicone mould is subsequently used to form the many replicas of each master piece. Each cast copy piece is then treated, ready to be painted by a member of the team of artists. The finished article is carefully packaged before being sent out to one of the many outlets across the UK and overseas. The film concludes with footage from a trade fair in Birmingham, where Genesis hosted a stand.

Within the film, a display of the master pieces can be seen. Carol Lynn Penny the Creative Director, pictured below, is seen at work. Alan Harrower the main castle sculptor talks about the tools he used to create an intricate crystal castle. The process of the creation of moulds is explained and much more. The film is a fascinating insight to the creativity that went on behind the windows of the Mill Wynd Studio and at the workshop in Leven, and provides real sense of the scale of operations and wide range of designs produced.

The film also explains how the Genesis Creations story came to an end during a time of recession. It was a terribly sad end to a story of enterprise and creativity and its loss still resonates today. Lundin Links was fortunate to have such an innovative endeavour based in the village. If you worked at Genesis Creations, visited the workshop or own one of their pieces - please share your memories by leaving a comment.
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Happy New Year and best wishes for 2026 - the year which marks the 350th anniversary of the birth of Alexander Selkirk - the Largo-born inspiration for the novel Robinson Crusoe. Keep your eyes peeled in the coming months for news of events locally to mark this special occasion.
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For now, let's take a peek back at the New Year news from days gone by. An eclectic mix of topics were covered in the 5 January 1885 Fife News including a curling match at Largo House pond, the unveiling of the memorial tablet to Mrs Dundas Durham at Largo Kirk, a Christmas treat in the Durham School and an accident in Largo Harbour where a steam boat carrying linseed bound for the oil mill blocked the harbour having failed to negotiate the channel between the pier and the Lundie rocks. Stormy conditions and the lack of a pilot on board contributed to the mishap.
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At the start of 1907, it was road and rail travel which were disrupted by weather conditions. The 5 January Fife News below told of a snow storm blocking the roads and impacting railway traffic. No letters or newspapers could get through for a spell and grocers struggled to make deliveries. However, the cold snap was good news for the curlers - both at the Upper Largo rink and at the recently formed Lundin Links Curling Club. The local lodge of Good Templars held their annual social on New Years Day. This 'open social' was an annual fixture on the Robinson Crusoe Lodge's programme (see example programme further below from 1900). Of course the Largo Brass Band played musical selections, as was a New Year tradition for many years.