One hundred and forty five years ago this week, the 19 February 1875 East of Fife Record round-up of Lundin Mill news begins with a piece about lambs. After a harsh winter, many "early bleaters" had put in appearance. There's also an insight into the weaving trade at the time and then an interesting note on how foxes cache food for later retrieval - in this case on the links. This tiny snapshots of local nature in the past are just lovely and so eloquently written.

Back in 1907 the Leven Advertiser (18 Sept) felt it newsworthy that Jimmie Brown the market gardener at Hatton Law and owner of the Emsdorf Fruit Shop had harvested some strawberries late in the season.
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​Weather was a regular topic of the local news round-ups of old. This one from 26 July 1901 East of Fife Record notes: "Refreshing showers of rain fell on Sunday evening and on Monday forenoon. Pastures and all kinds of crops were suffering much owing to the protracted drought."
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The above snippet combines weather and fruit and enthuses of the "genial spring" and "splendid show of early stuff". This is from the St Andrews Citizen of 27 April 1895. 

On 31 May 1901 the East of Fife Record remarked upon the Spring birds around Dumbarnie Links. 

I'm curious as to how the newspapers received these observations on local nature. Perhaps the Largo Field Naturalists' Society and other like-minded individuals made it their business to ensure that the local press were made aware of such events? Anyway, their attention to detail is appreciated.

Above is a 'before and after' comparison of the signal box at Largo Station. On the left an image captured shortly before the station's closure. On the right the same view not long after closure, when the weeds and vandals had begun to make their mark. The last passenger train ran on 5th September 1965. Goods services were withdrawn on 18th July 1966. The line was officially closed on 18th December that year - although the very last train to run on the line was April 1967.

Below is a shot featuring the British Railways totem with the station name: 'Largo' (in the classic 'hot dog' shape). These station totems (and other signage such as the one on the signal box above) came in a range of colours, all featuring the Gill Sans font. While signs in Scotland were light blue, North Eastern was orange, Great Western Region was brown, the Midland Region was maroon, Southern Region was dark green and Eastern Region was dark blue. This corporate identity was introduced 1948/9 and was replaced in the late 1960s (post the Beeching cuts and too late to apply Largo or Lundin Links Stations). 

The 'lion on wheel' emblem was also introduced in 1948/9 and can also be seen below on the banking among the flowers to the left of the totem sign. It's shown again below post-closure in an abandoned (yet still visible) state some years later. Further below is the official BR emblem upon which it was based.
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Below are some more scenes of dereliction at Largo Station. Firstly, some rather scruffy looking platforms and tracks superimposed on the same scene in better times (taken from the footbridge over the tracks). Next the levers inside the signal box, through broken glass. Finally, an overgrown track-side, looking through the footbridge. Around 1970/71 the Largo Station buildings were demolished. ​

More 'after the closure' photos of Largo Station are here and for Lundin Links Station click here.
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The "iron bridge" footbridge at Lundin Links (seen in the photograph above to the left of centre in the distance) was built in 1896. This was the same year as the opening of the new Lundin Golf Club House (read more about that here and here). Built for the convenience of the golfers and completed in time for the summer season, the bridge allowed easier access to the building from the east side. Previously, safe access was only from Golf Road to the west.

At the time, Lundin Mill only extended as far south as Crescent Road but feuing plans were underway to develop what would become Victoria Road and Station Road (now Links Road). The 1893 map below shows the spot chosen for the bridge. Handily placed for the residents of (and visitors to) Lundin Mill, Drummochy and Lower Largo, the feus around this area were soon occupied. Non-golfers obviously benefited too from the safer access to the beach.

The 1912 map further below, shows the footbridge now situated between Norvil on the right and Victoria Boarding House to the left. Norvil in particular was planned and built just months after the footbridge was erected. This was probably no coincidence, as Norvil was built for seedsman William Watt - a keen golfer (more of that another time). Further below are a series of images featuring the iron bridge, including (at the very end) a still from cine footage taken from the train driver's cab shortly before the line closed in 1965, The road bridge at the top of Drummochy Road can be seen in the distance to the left. Sadly the footbridge was removed in the early 1970s but many still refer to the vicinity around the steps down to the path were it once stood as "the iron bridge".
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Finally, a few shots from the present day of the spot where the old bridge once stood.