Back in the 1930s, Lundin Links was well catered for with golfing facilities of every kind. A booklet published by the Largo Parish Community Council at the time, entitled "Lundin Links and Largo The Scottish Riviera - Illustrated Guide" states:

"The Lundin Golf Club possesses one of the finest 18-hole courses in Scotland....special competitions for visitors are held during the summer season. ...In addition, there is an excellent Ladies' Course of nine holes, the first tee of which is practically in the heart of the village. This course is kept in admirable order, and, unlike the average course of its kind, has a number of really long holes, so that it affords an attractive game to the expert as well as a good "nursery" for the less experienced. ....There are also a pitching and putting course near the Railway Station, and a putting course alongside the tennis courts.  It can, therefore, be fairly claimed that Lundin Links offers unusually complete facilities for golfers of all ages, types and degrees of proficiency."

The above image shows the putting facility on Victoria Road close to the tennis, bowling and football facilities. Below is the price list for the range of sporting activities offered at this time. A round at the above putting green costing 2d if you had your own equipment and 3d if you wished to hire a putter and ball.

The above 1940s image of Upper Largo's Main Street features George Mackie's chemist to the right of centre. And to the right of that, is the Post Office. The partially shown sign above the Post office door is 'M. Saunders'. This was Mrs Mary Saunders, to whom the license for a grocer's shop in the village was first granted in 1939. Soon afterwards, Mary and Harry Saunders took over the Post Office and ran it on the site shown above until their son, Peter, moved it a few doors east to number 20 in the 1960s.

Upper Largo had been the first village in the Parish to have a Post Office, being the most convenient place for mail coaches to stop in the days before the railway. Once the transport of mail shifted from road to rail, calls were made to establish a Post Office closer to Largo Station. By the end of the 19th century all three villages had such a facility. Sadly, there are no longer any Post Offices in the area.  Lower Largo closed in 2008, Upper Largo in 2014 and Lundin Links this year.

​Below are two more recent photographs of the Upper Largo Post Office in its latter location at No. 20 Main Street. 

This is the Crusoe Hotel circa 1925 (a few years before the previous post). Close inspection of the detail in this image reveals a few points of interest. Firstly, the sign above the door on the left of the building states "Excursions and Teas". Plus, above the entrance on the right of the building is the name "M. Brown". This was Miss Marion Brown who bought the premises from Howard Barnes Moss in 1924. She had previously been at the Royal Hotel in Comrie for seven years (St Andrews Citizen 19 April 1924). She continued the recently-established tearoom business, which was described as "very useful in these days" in 1926, when the business passed to Robert Dick. That year was the year of the General Strike. 

Also, note the handsome couple in the rowing boat in the foreground.  The detail below names the boat as "Redwing". Amazingly, this boat survives to this day - restored and renamed. Now based at Crail and called "Integrity" more information and a recent image can be seen here.

The above early 1930s view of Largo Pier has many points of interest. Starting on the left hand side, there is the Railway Inn with a group of three people standing beside it - the youngest of whom is looking up towards the photographer on the viaduct. The Crusoe Hotel has its fairly short-lived flat roof on the seaward side, while on the near side there are noticeboards on the walls behind the steps (perhaps advertising the summer entertainments) and five barrels.

The Pier Pavilion is prominently located on the wide part of the pier. Although no show is in progress, it does look like something is planned for later and there are plenty people milling around. Between that and the road bridge is the little ice-cream hut run by the Fortes. An advert for 'Rowntree's York Milk Chocolate' hangs on the side of the hut. Rowing boats for hire are tied up along the pier.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the road bridge (see below) is a different scene- with many fishing nets out drying around the Net House in the distance.  In the foreground are the roofs and chimneys of the Drummochy houses. Further below is the whole scene put together. This was not long after a major restoration of the pier after storm damage in 1926.

Above is an image of 'Bellville' on Emsdorf Street - the origins of which have been covered here before. It was built in 1895 for William Bethune and his family. Some time soon after 1928, the shop was added in the side of the front garden closest to the other shops at the west end of Emsdorf Street. Isaac Cairns ran the shop as an ironmongers for a long spell between the 1930s and 1960s. Around the time that he died, the business was taken over by John McMillan.

McMillan's hardware shop continued through to the 1980s and many will recall the diverse range of products available and the obliging nature of its brown-overcoated owner. The image below features a faded sign stating 'garden seeds' and 'hardware'.  The extensive display in the double front window features tea towels, windbreaks and camping equipment. There are also many advertising signs - for keys, gas, batteries, paraffin, etc.  What you do remember buying here?

Along with many other shops in this street, McMillan's closed around the mid-late 1980s and the shop was demolished. If you know exactly when it closed - please comment.  

Born in Kilconquhar in 1853 to shoemaker William Nicoll and his wife Mary Young, Thomas Nicoll was the predecessor to David Pye as Head Master of Kirkton of Largo School. By the age of 17 in 1871 Thomas was Pupil Teacher at Kilconquhar. Two years later he was appointed assistant at Pathhead Subscription School. At the time, the Fife Free Press (6 December 1873) described him as "an accomplished young teacher....bred in Kilconquhar Parish School....spoken favourably of by several other members of the Board".

In September 1875, there was a special meeting of the Largo School Board - the purpose of which was to elect a master for Kirkton Public School. Each Board member handed in a list of three candidates - 13 men being named in total. The 16 September Fife Herald noted that "it was agreed that each member should select his best man and thereby reduce the leet to 5" however "there was considerable difficulty in agreeing the manner of election, as each member proposed his own man as the best one, and consequently there were no seconders".  A scoring system was then agreed and a Mr Forbes of Dundee was elected. However, it transpired that this candidate had already accepted another post. So, Mr Nicoll, being second, was elected instead. And thus began Thomas Nicoll's long spell at Kirkton.

Thomas married Anne Fotheringham Morgan in 1879 and the first of their five children was born the following year. At the time of his marriage he was presented by his pupils with a "handsome marble timepiece with the latest improvements and got up in the neatest style", according to the 13 November Fife Herald. Attached to the front was a silver plate bearing the following inscription:

"Presented to Mr T. Nicoll, Teacher, Largo, Fife, by his affectionate scholars and a few friends, on the advent of his marriage. October 1879."

The Nicoll family became actively involved in local life, with Thomas being an elder in the Upper Largo Church and Secretary and Treasurer of the Lundin Golf Club (he was instrumental in the 1909 course alterations).  When wife Anne died in 1902, Thomas - who was also local Registrar - recorded her death as he did all the others in the Parish. 

After 35 years service at Kirkton School, and suffering from heart trouble, Thomas Nicoll resigned as Head Master. He died only a fortnight later.  Part of his role as Registrar was to complete the summaries of the 1911 census. The census was taken on 2 April and Thomas Nicoll worked on the resulting data with his daughter.  Apparently, after completing the census work, he had indicated to his daughter that his life's work was done. He died on 16 April at the Schoolhouse.

At a meeting soon after his death, locals "paid a high tribute to his worth and character" noting that "some of us who call recall Mr Nicoll's first years in the parish, remember him as a quiet, unobtrusive young man; but a man who, when he put his hand to the plough would not turn back". The account in the St Andrews Citizen (13 May) continued "the innumerable services rendered by him to the community during his long residence in Largo constitute a great record..."well done good and faithful servant"".

On 13 June 1911, the Dundee Courier announced the new Head of Kirkton of Largo School under the headline "Mr D. Pye, Kilconquhar is Appointed Headmaster of Largo Public School". The above photograph featured in the article, which explained that Mr Pye had been selected by the School Board the previous evening, out of 74 applicants. He would succeed Mr Thomas Nicol who had recently passed away.  

David Low Pye was the son of Thomas Pye and Margaret Low and was born in 1869 in Dysart. One of at least nine children, David's father and grandfather were both linen weavers. When David was aged 9, his father Thomas died, aged 54, from chronic alcoholism. In spite of these difficult circumstances, David became a pupil teacher under the Dysart Board at Gallatown Public School at the time when a Peter Alison was Headmaster. Mr Alison's own son (of a similar age to David Pye) had also been a pupil teacher there and had gone on to become Head at George Watson's College in Edinburgh.

David Pye passed first class through the Church of Scotland Training College in Edinburgh and also attended classes at Edinburgh University. Initially, he came to Fife in 1895, as assistant to Mr McInnes at Leven Public School. In 1901, he secured his first Headship - at Kilconquhar School - where over a decade he "accomplished very successful work" and "identified himself with the public life of the village and district."  He also got married in 1901, to Elizabeth Louisa Mitchell. They went on to have two daughters, Catherine and Louisa.

Mr Pye remained Head Master at Kirkton of Largo and living in the schoolhouse until his retiral in 1932 (see photo below), when he was presented with a walnut desk. During the Second World War, Mr Pye took on the role of local A.R.P. warden (air raid precaution), supervising blackout arrangements and doing "much to help the general public in times of distress" (Fifeshire Advertiser, 25 April 1953). He was also a champion bowler, president of Lundin Links Bowling Club and an elder at Largo Parish Church. David Pye died, at Netherfield, Upper Largo, on 15 April 1953, aged 83. His death "brought much sadness and great concern not only to Upper Largo but to his many ex-pupils scattered throughout the world, some in high positions in life".