In 1928, details of Armistice Day (which fell on a Sunday that year) in Largo were published in the Fife Free Press.  It read as follows...

"Largo Parish Church was opened at 10.45 am on Sunday. The service was conducted by the Rev. D. MacMichael. The bell was tolled for the two minutes' silence. The choir rendered an anthem. A collection was taken on behalf of the Earl Haig funds. There was a large turnout of ex-service men and members of the congregation. The Boy Scouts and Cubs with Rev. Mr Rough and Miss Simpson, assisted by Miss Harris, had a parade to the War Memorial in the afternoon, at 3 o'clock, where they laid down wreaths in memory of the men belonging to Largo who lost their lives in the War. Rev. Mr Rough gave a short address."

​The memorial had been unveiled seven years previously. Rev. Duncan MacMichael had been minister of Largo Kirk since 1904 and would remain so until his death in November 1943. The session minute some days after his death spoke of "a man of wide sympathy, of winsome humorous and approachable personality" who "held the esteem and affection of nearly three generations of his parishioners." 

By way of a follow-up to the previous post showing a view from Manderlea boarding house, here is a panorama covering the stretch from Lundin Links Station, on the left of centre, along to Manderlea on the right.  Below are a couple of 'blown-up' images from the above photograph. The Old Manor Hotel (formerly Aithernie House and then the Beach Hotel) sits on the high ground behind the station.  In the image at the foot of the post you can see Elmwood and Ravenswood boarding houses in the centre and the home of David Patrick the golf club maker sitting just behind the golf course further right. Manderlea is further right still, with the pair of curves (in shadow) on its gable end. The road between the station and the houses would have been a well-worn path and the scene of much coming and going of summer visitors. 

Manderlea was built as a boarding house in the early years of the twentieth century to meet the demand for accommodation for visitors to Lundin Links. Handily situated between the railway station and the centre of the village, on Links Road, the house also boasted fantastic sea views from its elevated position.  Plus, as this photograph illustrates, it was an ideal location for visiting golfers. This picture was captured in 1949 by Mrs Helen Muir, from a window of Manderlea.  It shows the railway line running along the foot of the gardens, and, on the other side, the golf club house, car park and golf shop originally belonging to Alex Patrick. Residents staying here would have had plenty to look at out their windows - the sea, the trains, the golfers. Nowadays, the building is divided into flats and is known as 'Manderlea Court' - the view still as lovely but not so good for train spotting any more. Many thanks to Mrs Muir for the glimpse back in time!

I've always found the sight of double-decker buses making their way through the narrow streets and steep braes of Largo a slightly odd sight, but even more incongruous is the image of a double-decker parked up under the arches of the viaduct at Lower Largo.  The above photograph dates from 1955 and the early days of caravan park. The bus was inhabited by an author - David Lessels - who penned a book on the Mau Mau uprising while based at this inspiring location. Lessels had hitch-hiked through Africa in the early 1950s and a book about his travels called 'A Tramp in Africa' was published in 2006. Many thanks to John Band for the 1955 image and information about the author in residence.

Below are buses as we are more likely to see them today.