The second 'Largo Arts Week' recently concluded and was once again blessed with warm and sunny weather. The successful inaugural event took place in 2019 but the follow-up Arts Week planned for 2020 had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Happily it was able to take place 17-25 July 2021 with some modifications. Once again the organisers and artists delivered a memorable event, showcasing a wealth of creative talent. It was great to see events and studios spread across the three villages. Well done to everyone involved!

The re-opening of the Crusoe and the launch of The Aurrie all added to the air of excitement. It was brilliant to see so much going on and folks out and about enjoying themselves. The addition of The Largo Obelisk, by Alan Faulds, atop the phone box at The Orry is a fantastic talking point. Look carefully at the detail and you will see Shuffle Katie, James Hope Young and Reverend David Malloch featured, among many other local characters and events. Read more about the detail of The Largo Obelisk here.

As a follow-up to the previous post about the Crusoe 300 event in August 1976, here are a few more images from the extensive programme of events that took place.  Perhaps the highest profile event that took place in Lundin Links was the 'It's A Knockout' competition that took place on Thursday 19th on the Common. This was an inter-village contest plus an inter-school contest, with Kirkland High School (The Crusoe Castaways) pitted against Buckhaven High School (The Buckhaven Buckaneers). In the photograph above the Elmwood Boarding House/Private Hotel can be seen in the background.

The Law Race took place on 17th August, leaving from 'Kirkton Park' (by the cricket ground) in Upper Largo.  The image above of the runners setting off shows the manse on the left and the East Lodge on the right. There were separate races for under 12s, 12-16 and over 16s. Below is the Gymkhana that was held in a field behind Horne's Service Station on 20th August.

On the 15th August, the Paraclan of Glenrothes did a free-fall parachute jump into Largo Bay close to the Pier (see photo above) while the previous day there had been a display of classic cars at Station Car Park (shown below).
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​Also on 15th was the above display on the Pier by the Fourth Royal Tank Regiment. Meanwhile, Lundin Links saw an 'American' tournament of tennis at Lundin Sports Club (in full flow in the image below). Something for everyone....

Forty five years ago this summer, an ambitious 10-day event took place in Largo to mark the tercentenary of the birth of Alexander Selkirk (the Largo-born inspiration for the character Robinson Crusoe). The 11 August 1976 East Fife Mail anticipated the event with headlines such as "Days of Fun and Frolic in East Fife" and "Crusoemania Hits the Coast", while informing readers that Crusoe would be seen in Largo once again. The curtain would rise on Friday 13th August with Crusoe stepping ashore at the Pier with "attendant savages". And by 2 a.m. the next morning "the festival will have been well and truly launched at a barbecue followed by a dance" in the Crusoe Hotel.

The programme - which must have been a long time in the planning - can be seen below. After opening with a bang on the Friday evening, the Saturday saw a funfair and vintage car parade and the Sunday a Jazz Band performance and water sports event, among other things. Every day of the week there were activities of all types going on, from a magic lantern show to a Radio Forth Disco, and from a car treasure hunt to Gala Ball. Seaside favourites such as a sand castle contest and Punch and Judy shows were also included. An exhibition of Selkirk artefacts and information was on throughout in the Loomshop Gallery. The grand finale on the closing day was the memorable event of 'Flying off the Pier".
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As well as events in Lower Largo, neighbouring villages Lundin Links and Upper Largo joined in the fun with goings-on there too. Tennis, squash, bowls, dramatic performances at the Montrave Hall and an 'It's a Knock Out' on the Common were highlights in Lundin Links. Meanwhile, Upper Largo put on events in the Kirk, the Simpson Institute and the Stables, as well as the traditional Law Race and a Gymkhana. Chairman of the organising committee was Don Beaton who praised the committee members and organisers from all the villages and said that the aim was to offer something for everyone.

​The following week's local newspaper (18 August) reported on how events had gone so far with a front page splash and further detail on the inner pages, including the pictures below. The opening event grabbed most of the column inches. Around 2,000 onlookers watched the spectacle of a ragged "Robinson Crusoe" (a role played by John Aberdein) swimming ashore into the harbour, while a fearsome welcoming party in seaweed-covered canoes tried to impede him. The hero also scaled the wall of the Crusoe Hotel, while saving his faithful companion "Man Friday" up a rope from a "host of head-hunting Largo savages" to the delighted cheers of the huge crowd. This was the opening event of the "frenzied ten days of Crusoe carousing".

Other events at the adventurous end of the scale were the 'water jump' (trying to jump as far off the pier as possible), pillow fights on a log over the water and climbing along a rope over the harbour before trying to drop through hula hoops in the water. One of the more sedate events took place at Largo and Newburn Parish Church, where a united service themed around Alexander Selkirk was held. Extracts were read from the Kirk Session records featuring Selkirk's misdemeanours. All the local ministers (Reverends Lister, Dyer and Campbell) all took part. The final day - Sunday 22 August - saw the popular 'Flying Off the Pier' challenge bring the Crusoe 300 celebrations to a close. Roger Linton of the East of Fife Round Table can be seen in the photograph below executing his entry in the man powered flight contest. His was deemed the best attempt, winning him the Votz Zellat trophy.
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Once the Crusoe 300 extravaganza had drawn to a close, the 25 August East Fife Mail concluded their three weeks of coverage with the verdict that the "marathon of fun and games" had been a "great success". There was talk of a yearly Crusoe Festival week, although it was recognised that the tercentenary had been on a scale that would be unlikely to be replicated. Two important aspects of the event were also noted - the money raised that would form a common fund for the three villages for the improvement and provision of amenities, plus the contact made with Chilean nationals on an island many thousands of miles distant. The committee chair commented: "I think Alexander Selkirk would have approved".
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The previous post looked at the early life of local joiner and building contractor, Robert 'Bert' Band. In this part, we pick up his life story in 1958, when Robert and his wife Catherine's first child Jane was born. In the same year the family moved into a newly built local authority house at 11 Woodlaw Park in Upper Largo. Soon after moving to Upper Largo, Robert was offered a job with Robert (Bob) Donaldson's joinery firm in the village. He worked for Donaldson's for the next seven or so years. During this time, the young John Donaldson joined the business and was apprentice to Robert Band.

In the 1960s the family expanded with the arrival of Neil in 1960, John in 1964 and Helen in 1967. The mid-60s saw Robert build nine timber 4-berth chalets at the caravan park, as well as a shop. In 1968, Robert made the decision to become self-employed. The same year saw the family move to 15 Pitcruvie Park in Lundin Links and saw further development at the caravan park - with the construction of purpose-built ladies and gents toilets and showers and the conversion of the cottage back into a dwelling. 

Early jobs as a self-employed joiner included alterations to Briary Cottage on Upper Largo's North Feus (forming a large roof dormer and attic bedrooms). There was also the conversion of cotter houses at Blinkbonny. As Robert's reputation and work load grew, he employed his first two joiners, Bruce Sibbald and Roy Jamieson and expanded his workshop at the caravan site. The three men set off further afield than usual in 1971 for a job up in Sutherland - at a croft named Rhinivie at Bettyhill. The project, to modernise a cottage, was for Mrs Jean Barclay, owner of Barclay Brothers builders in Colinsburgh. The following year Robert built his own home, seen through the viaduct arch in the postcard image below, with the balcony, and named it Rhinivie. This was completed in October 1972 and became the family home for many years.

In 1973, Jean Barclay sold Barclay Brothers builders, including their yard in Colinsburgh (previously the site of a gasworks), to Robert Band. The firm Robert Band Limited was formed. Barclay's foreman builder and stonemason, Victor Howie and another employee, Thomas Myles, stayed with Robert Band's firm for many years. The firm took on its largest project to date in 1975, after winning the contract to upgrade and modernise John Wood's Hospital in Upper Largo. The work involved taking the building back to its outer shell, aside from the central hall, constructing new rear stairwells, replacing windows and forming new flats at both ground and first floor levels. The John Wood Trust had sold the nearby farm of Monturpie to finance the project. 

The business was something of a family affair, with Robert's wife Catherine assisting with the paperwork and eldest son Neil joining the firm in 1976 as a joiner apprentice. Many apprentices were taken on over the years in various trades. They attended day release at Kirkcaldy Technical College, while learning practical skills on site or in the workshop. Many apprentices won the annual 'Best Apprentice Award' for their chosen trade at the college and many stayed on with the firm long-term. At its height 25-30 tradesmen and apprentices in joinery, brickwork/stone masonry, slating/tiling and plastering were employed. Robert Band Limited carried out a great number of projects throughout Central and East Fife. Among the notable projects in the Largo area were: 

• Various alterations to the Lundin Links Hotel, including the cutting down in height of the large redundant chimneys, roof repairs, and internal upgrading of the main stairwell.
• Alterations to the Old Manor Hotel, including the removal of the entrance conservatory and its replacement on the original stone base with a steel framed and slated roof vestibule, plus work on the function rooms and upgrading of the chef's cottage (later the separate restaurant known for a while as The Coachman's).
• Works to upgrade the Upper Largo Hotel - covered in the 14 January 1976 East Fife Mail (see below).
• Upgrading of the Montrave Hall to add new masonry outer skin and tiled roof.
• Repair and reconstruction work to Sir Andrew Wood's Tower (which received a Saltire Award).
• Alterations and extension to the Durham Hall.
• Alterations to East Lodge, Church Place, Upper Largo and adjacent former Largo House laundry.
• Alterations to the Royal Bank of Scotland in Lundin Links, including extending the bank into the adjacent former Gulland's Tea Rooms (the bank manager's garage on Crescent Road being turned into a temporary bank (later becoming The Finishing Touch curtains and blinds supplier).
• The construction of the lower section of Seatoun Place in Lower Largo.

The image above shows Seatoun Place phase one in 1984 close to completion. The intention had been for Seatoun Place to be a two-phase development, with the development of the former mill dam area being the second phase. However, before that could happen, Robert Band Ltd was forced into liquidation, as a result of non-payment for works carried out earlier to modernise 40 flats and cottages at Denbeath. One sad day in 1985, the plant, equipment, vehicles and property belonging to the firm were sold.

After taking some time to regroup, Robert and Neil Band formed a new joinery business, working mainly from their own workshop at Dumbarnie Farm, outside Upper Largo. A notable job was to carry out alterations to 'The Grange' on South Feus. Robert and Catherine Band bought the former market garden and small cottage adjoining 60 Main Street, Upper Largo. Their younger son, John, drew up the plans for turning this into a larger dwelling in 1987 and the house was given the address 60B Main Street.

Bert Band retired in the late 1990s to enjoy life with Catherine and his growing number of grandchildren. He passed away on 10 February 2009, aged 74, and was buried in Upper Largo cemetery. His former apprentice, John Donaldson, carried out the funeral, remarking that of all the funerals he had overseen, this one had been the hardest. Many of Bert's former employees were in attendance to pay their respects to the man who had made them the tradesmen and men that they had become. 

Known to most as Bert, Robert Band was a local joiner and building contractor remembered fondly by many. Over the decades, he worked on a huge range of local buildings around Largo and beyond. Based for many years under the viaduct, at the caravan park at Lower Largo, he was the developer of Seatoun Place. This two-part post will look at Robert's life - beginning with the early years in this first part, before moving on to look in more detail at some of the projects he completed as a self-employed joiner and contractor, and his later life, in part two.

​Robert was born on 10 October 1934, at his maternal grandparents, William and Isabella Beveridge's, small holding at Muirtonhills in the Parish of Auchterderran, Fife (a model of the small holding, made by Robert's son John, is shown below). His parents, Neil and Helen Band lived on the adjacent Pitcairn Farm where Neil was a cattleman and ploughman. Such an occupation meant that the family moved around various farms, following opportunities of work. In 1947, they arrived in Lundin Mill, where they resided in a tied cottage associated with Lundin Mill Farm, located in the long-demolished Paradise Row, off Mill Wynd.  

The image above shows Paradise Row, to the left of centre, behind the line of washing and in front of the higher building behind. It ​also shows the home to which the Band family moved the following year. Known as Dunkirk Cottages this building is in the centre of the photograph which the light coloured frontage facing towards 'Paradise Row'. Lundin Mill Farm House can be seen in the distance to the right of Dunkirk (directly above the horse). Robert attended Leven Secondary School in Mitchell Street, where he showed a flair for woodwork. On leaving school in 1948, aged 14, he began a joinery apprenticeship with Robert (Bob) Stout at Aberhill Joinery on Wellesley Road. During his apprenticeship Robert made hundreds of sliding sash windows, staircases, doors, etc and made many a trip down to Donaldson's Sawmill for timber (using only a two-wheeled hand cart). 

Upon completing his apprenticeship, Robert went straight into his National Service. He enlisted in 1955 with the 67th training regiment at Hadrian's Camp, Carlisle, where he completed his basic training, before passing out and joining the Life Guards. He was granted leave to marry Catherine Philp on 9 June 1955 at Largo Parish Church (see notice below from the 18 June 1955 Dundee Courier). Robert had assisted Catherine's parents, who owned the Largo Bay caravan site, to develop their site. He helped with alterations to the former Mill Cottage to create toilets, a shower block, site shop and office, as well as construction of the garage/workshop alongside this. The images further below show Robert in his uniform at Largo Bay Caravan Park, while on leave to be married (left) and Robert and Catherine as newly-weds in 1956 by the viaduct at Lower Largo (right). Their first home was a Travelmaster caravan on the Philps' caravan site, situated on the spot where the family would build their own home years later.
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Less than one month after marrying, Assault Trooper Robert Band (service number 2312506) was flown to Egypt, to be part of the military force defending the canal zone there. He spent his 21st birthday on the banks of the Suez Canal. A spell in Cyprus followed and, later, time at Combermere Barracks in Windsor where Robert qualified as a regimental cook. After serving 2 years and 22 days with the Life Guards, his military service came to an end. Despite being asked to become a professional soldier with the regiment, Robert was eager to return to his civilian life as a joiner. He resumed employment with Bob Stout as a foreman joiner in charge of the new local authority housing scheme at Muiredge, Buckhaven. Remaining on the army reserve list for four years, he was never recalled. Part two to follow....
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