​Previous posts have looked at the origins of the Largo Parish Community Council and their early work on foreshore improvements around Massney Braes. Another of their endeavours was the production of a handy guide to Lundin Links and Largo for visitors. A guide book was produced each year from 1932 for at least six years and an example of this is shown above. The man responsible for compiling the guide was James Peebles Greig, a member of the LPCC.
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​James Peebles Greig was born in Duke Street, Leith on 3 April 1881, the son of gas works blacksmith George Greig who was born in Lundin Mill in 1850. James became a clerk in the Leith Town Chamberlain's Office, later marrying Jean Donaldson in Milnathort in 1910. He went on to become Town Chamberlain of Montrose between 1922 and 1930, before moving to Lundin Links, to 'take up a business opportunity'. This opportunity was to run Mount Vernon Boarding House, which was owned by his sister Agnes Peebles Watters (nee Greig).

Agnes had been widowed in tragic circumstances in 1923 but had continued to run Mount Vernon. In 1930 she took on Victoria Boarding House as well and so James and family took the helm at Mount Vernon. They remained there up until the outbreak of the Second World War. After that James worked in the Costs Office at Leven Foundry as an accountant. He was very active in various aspects of local life in Largo, including Lundin Golf Club, Largo Silver Band and of course Largo Parish Community Council. Moving from Lundin Links to Upper Largo in 1947, James Greig died on 6 September 1953 at Dunedin, 38 Main Street, Upper Largo. He was survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.

James was the natural choice for co-ordinator of the Largo Guide. With his clerical background and later interest in tourism and hospitality, he had the skills and connections to compile the content of adverts, information and a bit of flowery language to entice visitors to the 'Scottish Riviera'. The first guide went on sale in March 1932.  Printed by J. and G. Innes Ltd, Cupar, the booklet had a reproduction of Alexander Selkirk's statue on the cover and copies could be had free on application to the LPCC Secretary, Mr Charles Raeburn. The 22 March Leven Advertiser commented that "the explanatory material is both interesting and informative, while the illustrations are well produced."

Almost 1,000 copies of this first edition were distributed and £48 was raised from the advertising within the guide. Seen as a successful venture, a revised edition was produced in 1933. That year 128 copies were sent out to people that had written to the LPCC, a further 725 were distributed through the L.N.E.R railway enquiry office, 56 copies through libraries and 72 copies were sold in local shops. The Guide became an annual publication, however, by the end of the 1936 season concerns began to be raised about the decrease in income from advertising. On balance is was decided to proceed with a 1937 edition and also to place adverts in two Civil Service journals to entice civil servants to spend their holidays in Largo.

However, this may have been the final year of publication, as there were no further references to the guide book. It was also noted that repetition of the same information each year, as well as reliance upon the same people to place adverts each time, was becoming problematic. Although a local guide in this format had run its course, guide booklets for visitors continued to be produced on and off over the years in a number of different styles.

Manderlea is a substantial building on Links Road, Lundin Links, overlooking the 18th green of Lundin Golf Course. The above postcard view shows Manderlea in the inter-war years. Note the many large windows facing towards the sea. Below is a photograph showing the building today (on the far left), next to its neighbours to the east. Like several other large dwellings in the village, it began life as a boarding house, before being restyled as a 'private hotel' and ultimately undergoing conversion into flats.
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Back in 1905, when Lundin Links was experiencing a spell of development, as a fashionable summer resort, a Mr Robb commissioned Walter Horne to build an eight-bedroomed house immediately to the west of Westhall (a villa built in 1894 which had stood alone for a decade). The small insert from 11 August 1905 East of Fife Record below pinpoints the date.

​The work on this house kept Mr Horne's men busy all through the following winter and an update appeared in the 15 February 1906 Leven Advertiser (below) as the work neared completion. This specified that the house was to be a boarding house to be run by Miss Robb. In fact, the establishment was run by sisters Janet Dall Robb and Mary Ann Robb. They were the daughters of ploughman James Robb (who was born in Kilconquhar but whose mother Janet Dall was from Largo).

​The sisters had previously worked in domestic service in Edinburgh but some change in fortune seems to have enabled them to establish their own enterprise. Manderlea was ideally situated, close to the station, the golf links as well as the beach. The Misses Robb remained at Manderlea throughout the First World War, although it was unclear how the boarding house was used during that period. Perhaps the premises were used as accommodation for soldiers, as was the case at nearby St Catherine's and Fir Park. However, soon after the war ended, the boarding house passed into new ownership.
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Interestingly, the electoral register of Fife for Spring 1920 shows both Mary and Janet Robb and future owners of the boarding house, John and Jane Balmer, living at Manderlea. After this brief handover spell, the Robb sisters moved on. John Balmer and his wife Jane (nee Short) became long-term proprietors of Manderlea. The advert below appeared in the 1925 Post Office Directory.

The Balmers had married in 1904 at Coates House in Newburn, where Jane had been born in 1880. Her Dorset-born father William Short had long been the gardener there. John Balmer was born in Westmorland Cumbria and it was there that the couple initially settled there after their marriage. Eldest daughter Nora Jane Fernie Balmer was born there in 1907, followed by second daughter Phyllis in 1909. At the time of the 1911 census, John was a 'confectioner' in Cumbria.
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Several years later, the family returned to Jane's Largo roots, where John and Jane ran Manderlea for the rest of their lives. Over the decades many visitors enjoyed their hospitality and the view from Manderlea. During the Second World War Polish soldiers were billeted at Manderlea, as they were at other large houses and boarding houses in the village, such as Lindisfarne. The Misses Balmer became regular attendees at the Scottish-Polish Association events, held from the 1940s onwards.

John Balmer died at Manderlea on 17 November 1954 aged 75, with Jane passing away just two months later, also at Manderlea, on 14 January 1955 aged 74. While daughter Nora went on to marry in 1956, to Robert Gemmell, younger daughter Phyllis remained at Manderlea and was still living there when the large house was converted into five flats and renamed 'Manderlea Court' around 1974. Phyllis died in a car crash on the Leven to St Andrews road on 5 August 1989, aged 79. Nora had died in 1984 aged 76. A few years ago two of the Manderlea Court flats were combined back together. Below are images of the building from the 1970s (in black and white) and as it is today, looking very fresh and modern for a building that is now well over a century old.

With their imposing facades fronting onto Victoria Road, the symmetrical pair of double villas shown above were from left to right originally named St Margaret's, Mount Vernon, Aird Bank and St Catherine's. The former pair are dated 1897 and the latter 1896. All were built under the instruction of enterprising local joiner and contractor Walter Horne. The newspaper piece from 1 July 1897 Leven Advertiser below details the stage of the development at that time, noting that:

"Coming from the station, the eye is at once arrested by the appearance of the double villas which have been erected by Mr W. Horne. The building on the right is sold, the other is hardly complete; they are of uniform design, rounded off with turrets at each end. Behind this, Mr Archibald M. White has almost finished a handsome self-contained villa, set off with oriels on each side of the entrance."

The 'self-contained villa' mentioned as being behind the main development is Lindisfarne (obscured and unseen in the above photo). Mount Vernon (left of centre, with the turret, now 10 Links Road) was run as a boarding house from newly built. Its entrance was on Station Road (now Links Road) - as seen in the image further below.

The first owner of Mount Vernon was Liverpool-born David Simpson. His joiner and cabinet-maker father had been born in Markinch but moved to Lancashire as a young man. David junior returned to his father's place of birth and became a partner at Balbirnie Wool Mill. In 1897, he married Mary Forrester, in the Crusoe Hotel, which had been run by Mary's parents John and Jane Forrester for many years. John had died in 1896 and, while Jane had taken over the Crusoe licence initially, she soon left the hotel to run Mount Vernon as a boarding house.

At the time of the 1901 census, David and Mary Simpson were living in St Margaret's with their two infant daughters, while Mary's 73-year-old mother Jane was next door at Mount Vernon. Jane ran the boarding house with two of her other daughters, Isabella and Lucy and a couple of her grand-daughters. When Jane died in 1902 aged 74, another of her daughters, Jeannie Hodge Forrester, took over the running of Mount Vernon.

​Jeannie (who died in 1940 aged 81) continued to be in charge there until the early 1920s, when Mrs Agnes Watters became proprietrix. It is Mrs Watters' name that appears on the advert below. By 1930 Mrs Watters owned both Mount Vernon and Victoria Boarding House but Mount Vernon was rented to her brother James Peebles Greig, who ran it until 1939. I imagine that one or both properties would have had some use during the Second World War as billets for soldiers.  

So why the name 'Mount Vernon'? Well, first owner, David Simpson, was born in Liverpool. In the city there is a district known as Mount Vernon which his family lived close to. The use of this name in Liverpool dates back to circa 1800. This seems linked to the fact that, in 1799, George Washington, the first President of the United States, died. His Virginia home was named Mount Vernon.  At that time there were strong links between Liverpool and the east coast of the USA and a ship named 'Mount Vernon' regularly sailed between the two places. A road in the growing city of Liverpool became known as Mount Vernon Place and the name has continued to be used to this day. Incidentally, the reason for George Washington's home being named Mount Vernon was that George's half-brother Lawrence, who owned the property prior to him, served under Admiral Edward Vernon during the War of Jenkins' Ear and renamed his estate in honour of his former commanding officer.

The image above of 'Victoria House', as it was then styled, dates to around 1907. Described as a "boarding establishment" of the "most modern" kind in the Fifeshire Guide advertisement below. Occupying the "best site in Lundin Links", the features to note were the "Public, Dining and Smoke Rooms. Lounge, Billiard Room and South Verandah". The latter can be seen to the right of the building above on both the first and second floors.

The gardens appear to be fairly newly laid out in fine symmetrical form and neatly lined with young trees on either edge. The building stands quite alone with none of the nearby Victoria Road houses yet in place, nor the south side of Crescent Road. The nearest houses behind Victoria House at the time of this photograph were the 1850s 'cottages' on the north side of Crescent Road. Elphinstone is visible to the left and on the right are the school house and Oldfield (then called Bayview Cottage). The map further below shows the direction from which the image was taken and the absence of neighbouring buildings.

​The location of Victoria House was ideal for a boarding house - close to the station, the golf course and the beach, plus right next to the iron bridge over the railway line. Walter Horne feued this plot and built Victoria House. He continued to own it until selling to Johnston Wright Swan around 1923. Initially, however, the boarding house was let and run by Miss Agnes Brown. Victoria House went through a number of subtle name changes over the decades from Victoria House to Victoria Boarding House to Victoria Private Hotel, before becoming Victoria Court flats in the early 1970s.

The previous post looked at the summer visitors to Largo in 1875. The list back then was fairly long but nothing in comparison to later lists such as the 1910 example below. Of course between 1875 and 1910 many changes had taken place in the villages. The feuing of Lundin Links had taken off around the turn of the century. The parade of shops had become established on Leven Road. Many of these shopkeepers made a point of advertising in the local paper right alongside the list of visitors - including Miss Bremner at the Post Office, Douglas the Butcher and Lindsay's Grocer. David Lindsay also had a boot and shoe warehouse that catered for the holiday makers with footwear "for seaside, golf, bowling, tennis".

In 1875, Lundin Mill had 13 houses listed as occupied by summer visitors. By 1910 there were 95 including many multi-occupancy boarding houses and the Lundin Links Hotel. A number of leisure facilities had been laid on by 1910, including tennis courts, a bowling green and the Montrave Hall. The Lundin Golf Club was long-established but flourished with the increase in summer visitors. Many regular visitors were also members of the club. Lundin Ladies Golf Club moved to its current location around this time and no doubt was well-used by many of the holidaymakers too. 

Meanwhile in Lower Largo, the list had also lengthened by 1910 (though less dramatically) from 33 to 46. Notable developments there since 1875 included Rock View, Beach House and Edina View on the sea-side of Main Street, as well as new properties on the seafront by the Orry such as Sunnyside.  Shops here also took the opportunity to advertise, including John Nicoll the grocer and Armit the boot maker (offering sand shoes and canvas shoes).

​Edinburgh and Glasgow were definitely the main sources of visitors. All houses listed now had names - none were described as 'Mrs So-and-so's', as had been the case in 1875. With so many return visitors each year, one benefit of these lists was that families could see who else was staying and reunite with acquaintances made in previous years.

Eighty three years ago today, the snippets above appeared in the Fife Free Press in the local news update for Largo. Both short stories relate to fresh beginnings - the first to the completion of new housing and the second to a the new impending holiday season.  While the replacement of buildings happens rarely, the annual preparation for the influx of holidaymakers was part of the rhythm of life at the time. 

The "old-fashioned corner" of the village referred to in the top news item was a small section of Lower Largo's Main Street known then as 'Butters Buildings'.  James Butters was a weaver/net maker/boatman who had died late in 1934. He (and his parents James Butters and Margaret Gilchrist before him) had owned a few dwellings and a loomshop for many decades, while living opposite at 'Cliff House'.  James senior was a fisherman. He and Margaret had ten children but only  James (1860-1934) survived into adulthood.  

The replacement buildings were built by Walter Horne, who was married to a cousin of James Butters (Agnes Guthrie).  Part of the new construction later ​housed the Cockleshell Cafe. interestingly, the "old red tiles on the roofs" were reused on the new building. Red roof tiles remain there to this day (see photograph below with the buildings in question to the right behind the tree).

The crowded beach scene above is Lundin Links at Massney Braes. Back in the very early 1900s the village was a fashionable "rival to the established and flourishing watering holes of Elie and St Andrews". According to the Dundee Courier (25 June 1903) "the attractions of the neighbourhood continue to draw large numbers each year so that a little town of seaside villas has sprung up on the magnificent feuing ground of Lundin". 

The attire worn by the beach-goers is similar to that worn in photos from a previous blog post at Seaview in Lower Largo - note the wide brimmed hats that children are wearing, the blouse and skirt combination favoured by the ladies and the popularity of smart hats and parasols. Although bigger and fancier hats would be worn in the evenings and for special occasions, the lady in the foreground with her back to the camera (see foot of post) is still wearing a pretty impressive piece of headgear for a day at the beach. 

There are a few beach huts in the dunes to the right of the image. While some folks might have stored their belongings in their own hut, many seem to be at the beach with minimal 'stuff' - no chairs, rugs or picnics. Most were probably staying a stone's throw away at one of the many boarding houses or hotels. There would also have been a good choice of tearooms and places to find refreshment within a few minutes walk. 

In the detailed image below, a row of little sand castles can be made out. There are a couple of people half buried in the sand towards the lower left hand corner. And a group of ladies are enjoying a chat in the centre foreground - I wonder what they were discussing!

The building at the right in the above photograph is 'Craigiebank' or 'Craigie Bank' in Lower Largo. The name is taken from the Craigie family that lived on the site during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Craigies were predominantly hand loom weavers and the plot that Craigie Bank was built upon was probably used as a bleaching green. The last of the family was weaver Janet Craigie, who died unmarried in 1881 at the age of 85. The informant of her death was neighbour and master joiner Andrew Blyth Masterton. The son of weaver George Masterton, by the age of 20 Andrew was a carpenter. It seems likely that Andrew Masterton was involved in the construction of Craigie Bank. He was its first owner and the Mastertons owned the property and others nearby for many decades.

Having married Margaret Thomson of Perthsire, Andrew Masterton's first child, Catherine, was born at 'Marine Villa' (the house immediately east of Craigie Bank) in 1873. By June of 1877, Craigie Bank was advertised for let (see 29 June Scotsman above), as was Marine Villa. So it would appear likely that Craigie Bank was built between 1873 and 1877. 
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In 1881 Andrew Masterton (then described as 'master joiner employing 2 men and 4 boys') was living at Craigie Bank with his wife Margaret and daughter Catherine. Ten years later the three were still recorded as living at Craigie Bank but Andrew was now noted as a 'retired joiner', aged 50. In the 1885 valuation roll Andrew was listed as proprietor of ten properties in Largo Parish - including the Belmont Hotel (perhaps he was involved in building that) and Westhall on Station Road in Lundin Links.

By 1901, all three plus Catherine's husband John Clayton and their infant daughter were at neighbouring 'Craigie Cottage', while Craigie Bank was unoccupied. At this time Andrew was described as 'formerly builder'. By 1911, Catherine and her family had moved to Fort WIlliam but parents Andrew and Margaret were still at 'Craigie Cottage'. Andrew died in 1913 and his widow became proprietor of his properties. In 1920 a number of the houses were advertised for sale (see below from 20 March Scotsman), including Craigie Bank.

Johnston Wright Swan was born in 1859 in Edinburgh - the son of Janet Wright and George Swan (baker and refreshment room owner). In the 1881 the family were at 'John Knox Coffee House' on Canongate (Royal Mile). The coffee house can be seen above to the left of John Knox House itself.  A few years beforehand the establishment had caused some controversy when it was reported that "a vandal of a coffee-house keeper who has taken a portion of the house facing the Tron Church has, in glaring black letters on a white ground, painted "John Knox's Coffee House." (The Graphic, 19 Aug 1876).

Aged 21 by the time of the 1881 census, Johnston - the eldest in the family - was a pastry baker at his father's bakehouse, while 15-year-old brother George was a junior baker there. Following the death of George senior, early in 1887 at Sugar House Close off the Royal Mile, Johnston and George junior took over the family business interests between them. Johnston married Mary Brown Wright later the same year, in Dumfries. In 1891, the pair and their two daughters (Janet and Mary) were living in East Adam Street. 

By 1901, Johnston was described as a 'cook and confectioner' at the 'University Hotel' on Chambers Street. The entries above from the 1902 Post Office Directory show the brothers' various establishments in the capital. Throughout this period, over many years,  Johnston was competing in prestigious bakery competitions including the "Scottish section" of the annual "Bakers' and Confectioners' Exhibition" at the Agricultural Hall in London. An example of the many newspaper accounts of Swan's success is shown below (from 9 Sept 1909 Scotsman). 

The 1911 census found the family living in Priorwood House - a Georgian country house in Lasswade, while running multiple business premises in Edinburgh. In 1913 daughter Mary Wright Swan married Hugh Percival (Inspector of the Poor in Largo) and they lived at East Rose Villa in Lundin Links. Once their daughter was firmly settled in Lundin Links  and the once the Swans had sold a number of their business interests in Edinburgh, Johnston and Mary Swan also moved to the village. 

They ran the Victoria Boarding House in Lundin Links from circa 1923. At that time it incorporated a bake house.  Then in 1929 they purchased Bellville on Emsdorf Street from Mrs Dudgeon (see 18 May 1929 Leven Advertiser above) and soon set up the shop in the front of this house. It would seem that the bakery element of their Lundin Links business interests shifted from Victoria Road to Emsdorf Street and the boarding house was styled more as a hotel. The hospitality at Swan's Victoria Hotel must have been quite something - with a baker/confectioner/cook/restaurateur at the helm. And his talents did not end there, for Mr Swan was also a musician. The article below from the 4 Feb 1928 Courier tells of him entertaining as a one-man band!

The image above by Valentine of Dundee was published in a 1946 tourist guide to Leven, Largo and Elie. Taken from an upper window of Elmwood boarding house in Lundin Links, the photograph showcases the putting green, tennis courts and football pitch. Note the worn grass around the goal mouth of the pitch - showing that it was well used. Also there is what appears to be a vendor (perhaps of ice-cream and other refreshments) set up between the three facilities wearing a long white apron. Largo Law can be seen in the distance but even more prominent is the bastion of trees at Fir Park.