James Young is pictured above (from the 7 November 1928 Courier), when he was preparing to leave Largo for Tillicoultry after nine years as Largo station master. ​The Young family lived in the Station House adjacent to Largo Station. Also recognisable in the Largo staff group photograph is signalman James Melville, who is seated to the right of James Young with a broad smile. He resided at Downfield and would have been in his 40s at the time that the photo was taken.

This view featured on a postcard that was posted on 8 July 1963. The view is familiar and much-photographed but the addition of several cars and a few people in the foreground adds to the interest. There's a man pushing a young child in a pushchair, with grandparents following behind, plus an eclectic mix of vehicles, including a motorbike and sidecar. A bus is passing behind the Fish Restaurant that was run by the Forte family.

Known locally as Granny Forte's chip shop or Granny Greasers, this food outlet was a fixture of the village for several decades from the 1920s. Constructed on the site of old outbuildings, the fish shop first appeared on the valuation roll in the mid 1920s, when the building was owned by Rachel Williamson of Coventry Cottage (daughter of Alexander Williamson the plasterer) and the tenant was Daniel Forte. By 1930, the Fortes had bought the fish restaurant premises which was demolished in the 1970s.

A second postcard view below was likely photographed on the same day and is part of the same Millar & Lang M&L National Series. This one was posted on 11 July 1963, just three days after the postcard above. Both of the senders of these postcards talk of having a good time in Largo in spite of changeable weather. 

The small, low building in the centre of the image above is 18 Main Street in Upper Largo. For many decades this was an inn or public house - known as Dall's Inn then later Cumming's Inn, The Inn or Auld Hoose. For many decades in the late 19th century into the early 20th century, James Cumming, was the proprietor. His life was an eventful one in which he combined the roles of publican and blacksmith. The map below dates to 1912 and shows both the smithy that he operated at the corner of Church Place and North Feus, and his public house (marked P.H.) on the south side of Main Street.

James Cumming was born in Largo around 1852 to stone mason William Cumming and his wife Sarah Meikle. When William died in 1865 at the age of 45, he left behind a widow and several children, some of whom were still infants. The previous year, William's stepfather, innkeeper James Dall had died and so the Cumming family took over the license for Dall's Inn - with widowed Sarah becoming the license holder and eldest daughter Eliza working alongside her.

Second eldest child, James, was away from home by time of the 1871 census, working as an apprentice mechanic in Milton of Balgonie. When Sarah then also died in 1872, the public house license in Upper Largo was transferred to Eliza, aged just 22. She also had four younger siblings aged between the ages of sixteen and nine to care for. In 1873, Eliza married a shepherd, Peter Robertson, at Largo Kirk and they went on to have two daughters, Helen and Sarah - one named after each grandmother.

Tragically, in 1877, Eliza also died, prompting her brother James (who had now lost his father, mother and oldest sibling) to return to Largo. He took over the public house license which had previously been held by his step-grandfather, his mother and his sister (see below from 18 October 1877 Fifeshire Journal). Younger sister Sarah now acted as housekeeper, within the household that was headed by James and also comprised younger brothers Robert (a joiner) and Alexander (a painter), as well as two young nieces, Helen and Sarah.

James would stay at the heart of the community in Kirkton of Largo for the remainder of his life, living at the inn, latterly known as Auld Hoose, and having the dual occupation of Publican and Blacksmith. As a master blacksmith, James was a regular entrant at the East of Fife Agricultural Show. He was awarded first prize in the Best Shod Farm Horse category most years between during the 1880s and 1890s. Reports of his prize-winning are shown below, from 21 April 1887 Fifeshire Journal and 20 April 1895 Fife News, respectively. He also was a frequent winner at Largo Horticultural Show for fruit and vegetable growing. By 1891, the household had reduced to James, his sister Sarah and just one of his nieces.
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​On 20 December 1895 James married Mary Brown in Colinsburgh. Their only son William, who later became a blacksmith like his father, was born in 1899.
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In 1897, the gas works site was put up for sale and James bought it at a knocked down price (see 17 Sept 1897 East of Fife Record below). The following year he erected new stables on the site and permitted the Largo Water District Committee to store tools there for a small rent. A few years later James moved his entire blacksmith business to new premises in this vicinity.
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Meanwhile the Cumming's Inn continued to operate and hold local functions such as the Largo Burns Club supper in 1912 (see 1 February 1912 Leven Advertiser item below).​
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​James Cumming died on 4 March 1919 at Auld House aged 67 years. The notice above appeared in the 22 March Fife News. His widow Mary had the public house certificate transferred into her name (see below from 19 April 1919 Fife News) and she continued as license holder at the inn until her death in 1926. Her son William subsequently had the license transferred to himself but in 1928 it was allowed to lapse when he decided that the family would finally leave the trade.

The piece below from the 10 August 1922 Leven Advertiser tells of the memorial  placed in memory of James Cumming at Newburn Cemetery some three years after his death.  
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A recent photograph of the memorial is shown below. The inscription reads:

In ever loving and affectionate remembrance of my beloved husband James Cumming.
The day will dawn when the Lord shall be mindful of his own.

Further below are a couple of more modern day photographs of the building that was so well known to James Cumming and that was once a long-standing public house that was run by at least six different members of the same family.

​The postcard shown above was posted on 26 August 1908 by someone who was residing at Prospect Bank in Lower Largo. The message had been written earlier that day at 11:15am and the writer clearly hoped that their message would reach the recipient in Glasgow later the same day. Their message read:

Elsie is first in her German Exam. Isn't it grand? Bob sent a telegram this morning. She is almost wild with delight. This is another fine day. With kindest remembrances to all. Yours etc. J

P.S. I hope you get this tonight.

Clearly Elsie's exam result was important news among their circle of family and friends. The news was shared with some urgency via telegram and postcard.

Meanwhile back in Fife, the sport of golf continued to grow and the courses around Leven and Lundin Links were particularly popular. So in 1895 David made plans to return home and had plans drawn up for a new dwelling, with connected shop premises (shown above). The sasine register (land register) entry dated 2 March 1896 below describes the feu which owner of the Lundin estate John Gilmour granted to David Patrick, then of Wimbledon Common. 
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The plot was on what would become Golf Road - described then as "street to the Links by the under Railway Bridge". The railway bridge can clearly be seen in the 1899 photograph below. The year 1896, when David arrived in Lundin Links, is significant because it was the same year as the opening of the new clubhouse at Lundin Golf Club and the opening of the outlet of Alex Patrick's business at Lundin Links.

​Such was the demand for quality locally made golf clubs, that David set up his own club making business, about 100 metres away from his brother's shop and began making clubs in his own name. The photograph below shows two red arrows - the one on the left points to David's premises and the one on the right to Alex's shop (obscured by the club house). 

David and Rebecca named their new home Linksview, and soon other new villas were built in this corner of the village. Note in the image above that a sign stating D.M. Patrick is just visible above shop window and that there is also wording advertising the business under the eave of the gable end. In the 1905 book Rambles in Scoonie and Wemyss by Andrew Storrar Cunningham, the author notes that like his older brother Alex, David Patrick "also has a world-wide reputation" for his clubs. 
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The pair of adverts below both appeared in the 1907 book by A.S. Cunningham, Upper Largo, Lower Largo, Lundin Links and Newburn.

David Patrick remained at Linksview for the remainder of his long life. The 1921 census finds him aged 63 years, still making golf clubs there. In 1923 he laid out the new pitch and putt course at Lundin Golf Club along with Robert Paxton. David's wife Rebecca died in 1933. He remarried in 1935 to Mary Ann McLeod at the Commercial Hotel in Upper Largo. Mary died in 1944 and on 4 August 1948, David passed away at the age of 90 years. His headstone, pictured below, is at Scoonie Cemetery.

The previous post covered the life of John Patrick who was a pioneering maker of golf clubs in Leven from 1847 until his untimely death in 1866. However, John had been training his sons to follow in his footsteps and eldest son Alexander was able to take on the family business at the age of 21. Alexander's younger brothers John, Nicol and David would all follow him into the trade. The photograph above shows the outlet at Lundin Golf Club which was established in the 1890s.

​Initially based at Branch Street by Leven's Shorehead, the club making business moved in the late 1860s to more convenient premises by Leven Links. Matthew Elder, ropemaker, had converted the old washing-house of the bleaching green on the banks of the Scoonie Burn. The Leven and Innerleven Golf Clubs took the upper floors as their clubhouse and Alexander took the ground floor as a shop and workshop. As the business thrived, the premises shown below was built at the corner of Links Road and Balfour Street, around 1892, where a sign above the entrance proudly stated "Established 1847". 
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Alexander married Jemina Kinnell in 1870 in Elie and the following year the 1871 census records the pair at Manse Place in Leven, where Alex is described as "Golf Club and Ball Maker, employing 2 apprentices". A decade later, in 1881 they had moved to a home closer to Leven Golf Links and were at Sweetbank Cottages on Links Road, with Alex's occupation listed as "Master Golf Club Maker employing 1 man". 

Later in the 1880s, Alex and Jemima moved to Surrey. Alex had been appointed professional and green keeper at Royal Wimbledon Golf Club. Notably, the position came with a salary of 30s per week and a free shop, enabling Alex to open a branch of his club and ball making business in the south of England. The notice above from the 2 October 1886 Fifeshire Advertiser tells of a "complimentary supper" held for Alex prior to his leaving Leven.

He would remain at Wimbledon for five years, living on the edge of Wimbledon Common. From his shop there, Patrick clubs were sent all over the world. While down south he also took on a few other projects - for example he laid out the course at Epsom Golf Club. When on a leave of absence in the summer of 1887 for another project, Alex insisted that his brother David Patrick took his place as professional temporarily.  Meanwhile the business back in Leven business continued and in 1891 Alex decided return to Leven. His brother David took his position at Wimbledon permanently.
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The 1890s were a booming era for golf locally and in 1896 when Lundin Golf Club opened a new club house, Alex Patrick established a branch of his club making business adjacent to it. The advert below appeared in the 23 September 1897 Leven Advertiser, when the business was already half a century old, illustrating the range of clubs and balls being produced at that time. By the time of the ​1901 census, Alex and Jemima were in a newly built home on Linksfield Street in Leven which they named Wimbledon Villa.  
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Of course, over time the demand for golf clubs had grown and rival club makers had joined the scene. Different techniques in club making had evolved and naturally there was debate around the merits of different styles of equipment. The 1 June 1899 Leven Advertiser above, describes some of the local club makers of the time. The 16 January 1899 Dundee Advertiser, below, quoted Alexander Patrick from a piece in the publication 'Golfing' on the types of clubs he makes, highlighting his pride in his "wooden putters".

Alexander was something of an expert on the history of golf clubs and had a collection of old clubs. A 12 June 1909 St Andrews Citizen article explained that the two clubs that Alex had displayed in his shop window at the time were hazel and gutta percha clubs that came from South Africa. The piece also stated that "Mr Patrick has in his shop several very ancient iron headed clubs, one of these a driving iron being over 100 years old". The 1906 advert below suggests that by this time the making of golf balls had ceased and balls were now supplied by a large manufacturer.

In July 1909 Alexander retired from the business. The 21 July Leven Advertiser noted that he was succeeded by David James Sellars who was a native of Surrey, and had been engaged in the sports supplies business around London. He came to Fife around the turn of the century to act as foreman for Alex Patrick. Sellars continued the well-established Patrick name for many more years, until his own death in 1936, when the plant, machinery, tools and stock of the Linkside Works were sold off.

Alex lived out his retirement at Wimbledon Villa on Linksfield Street. Singing was his main leisure pursuit and he was a leading member of Leven Choral Union (later Leven Amateur Musical Association). His wife Jemima died in 1914 and thereafter his sisters (who had played administrative roles in the family business) lived with him. 

Alexander died in 1932 aged 86 at Wimbledon Villa and is buried at Scoonie Cemetery with his parents and wife. His life was a remarkable story of a passion for golf, dedication to the family business and to his younger siblings, master craftmanship, innovation and invention. The name of Alex Patrick lives on through the much sought after his antique golf clubs of varying ages, many of which bear his distinctive horseshoe cleekmark and the appropriate words "well made".

Last October a blog post covered the creative enterprise Genesis Creations Limited which was once based in Mill Wynd, Lundin Links - click here to read.

Since the publication of that blog, a copy of a colour product brochure and a documentary-style video have been kindly shared by Tony Harmsworth, who was Managing Director of the company. Extracts from the colour brochure can be seen above and below and the brochure can be accessed in PDF format in full via the links below:

Genesis Brochure Front

Genesis Brochure Inside

Genesis moved into the Mill Wynd Studio in May 1988 and the company grew over the months that followed. Tony carefully put together a video in June 1990 detailing the processes involved in the creation of the Genesis products. The video includes footage of the Lundin Links workshop - both inside and outside - as well as of the office facilities next door at Marlynn Cottage and the production facility at Levenmouth Business Centre in Leven. The film explains that most of the research and development work was undertaken at the studio in Lundin Links, which was originally built as a silversmith workshop for Norman Grant in 1973. The 1990 film about Genesis Creations is available online in two parts - you can view part one here and part two here. 

As the film describes, an original creation typically starts as a piece of wax, which is intricately sculpted using a range of fine tools. This is the 'master' piece from which a silicone mould can then be made. The silicone mould is subsequently used to form the many replicas of each master piece. Each cast copy piece is then treated, ready to be painted by a member of the team of artists. The finished article is carefully packaged before being sent out to one of the many outlets across the UK and overseas. The film concludes with footage from a trade fair in Birmingham, where Genesis hosted a stand.

Within the film, a display of the master pieces can be seen. Carol Lynn Penny the Creative Director, pictured below, is seen at work. Alan Harrower the main castle sculptor talks about the tools he used to create an intricate crystal castle. The process of the creation of moulds is explained and much more. The film is a fascinating insight to the creativity that went on behind the windows of the Mill Wynd Studio and at the workshop in Leven, and provides real sense of the scale of operations and wide range of designs produced.

The film also explains how the Genesis Creations story came to an end during a time of recession. It was a terribly sad end to a story of enterprise and creativity and its loss still resonates today. Lundin Links was fortunate to have such an innovative endeavour based in the village. If you worked at Genesis Creations, visited the workshop or own one of their pieces - please share your memories by leaving a comment.
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The building in the postcard image above was known as Swan's Victoria Boarding Residence a century ago. Later divided into the flats of Victoria Court, this building on Victoria Road in Lundin Links was first constructed around 1907, when it was named Victoria House. At that time there was an explosion in Boarding House style accommodation in the village, to meet the demand for seaside and golfing breaks.

Building contractor Walter Horne was the original owner of the building. He sold the premises to Edinburgh baker and confectioner Johnston Wright Swan in the early 1920s. The 2 April 1924 Scotsman advert below describes Swan's Victoria Boarding Residence as "now open". As the advert states, the location of the residence was ideal - close to the station, golf course, beach and other sporting facilities - with the bonus of steam trains passing by the gardens.
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Johnston Swan (who may well be the taller man in the image above) came from a family of bakers and was a prize-winning baker himself. During his tenure, an extension was built to accommodate a cafe and bakehouse. This can be seen below and in the coloured postcard further below. 
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Mr Swan's talents were not limited to catering and baking however. He was also a musician. The piece below from 11 February 1928 Fife News notes his entertaining a company from St David's Church with his Swanee jazz-o-phone one-man band - which comprised no less than nine different instruments!
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Within the harbour at Lower Largo, historic mooring posts can be seen alongside their modern counterparts. In the image above a gnarly old post can be seen in the left foreground that could be a couple of centuries old. The posts are marked on maps dating back to the mid-1850s and are shown in detail on the 1912 map below.

The map detail includes the words 'Post' and 'Posts' at the harbour mouth. These features mark the Lundie rocks, guiding vessels away from this hazard. There are also several annotations of 'M.P.s' (an abbreviation of mooring posts) to indicate places to tie up vessels - both within the harbour and on the pier itself. On the map the series of mooring posts continues under both the footbridge and the viaduct up to the mill. Some of these posts may be contemporary to the significant work was done on the pier in 1819.

The image above, cropped from a postcard view, clearly shows a series of four posts marking the Lundie Rocks just beyond them. The more modern sketch of Largo Harbour below is also annotated with the poles at the Lundies. 

In the circa 1900 scene above, from a George Washington Wilson photograph, a series of wooden mooring bollards can be clearly seen on the pier. Ships mooring ropes were secured to these bollards, which are positioned some distance from the face of the pier as they had to be founded in a secure part of the structure. The strains imposed on mooring bollards can be severe, particularly when the moored ship is subjected to very strong winds. These stresses are even greater in the case of sailing ships with a considerable windage. The image below shows a topsail schooner with a long mooring line attached to a bollard, likely calling at the harbour in connection with potato trading activity.

In the photograph above of David Ballingall's Forget-Me-Not (a 48.5 feet fishing boat with the registration KY 2011) entering the harbour, wooden fenders can be seen lining the face of the pier. These acted as fenders to protect the stonework and vessel’s hulls from any damage. The highest fending on the pier are what were known as “branders”. These were put in place to protect the paddle steamers from damage by the uneven stonework of the Pier. The branders were of such a height that the paddles were still protected when lying alongside at high water, spring tides.

Largo harbour's distinctive posts even appear in artworks such as the painting above by David Martin and many of the local pieces created by George Leslie Hunter, including the sketch below. No doubt these characterful features continue to inspire artists to this day.

The sender of this 1903 postcard hoped that Miss Allan would like the view of Drummochy. On the reverse, the writer continued... 

Got home all right and found Father and Mother well. Raining cats and dogs. Hope it will fair before morning.

There's certainly lots to like about the view and many details worth highlighting, many of which are long gone. The fishing nets out drying on tall posts, next to the Net House, are marked (1). Feature (2) is the lost buildings of Cellar Brae of which only traces remain today. Detail (3) is a short section of stone wall situated at the turn in Drummochy Road (shown in more detail further below), which presumably acted to control to flow of road users at a blind corner. 

At point (4) you can see the tracks in the sand where carts crossed the burn, alongside a couple of mooring posts. (5) is a gate - a partial barrier to slow movement towards the footbridge at (6). Detail (7) is a very productive looking garden full of a growing crop, while (8) are washing lines and posts. Note that these rear gardens, sitting at a much lower level than Woodlands Road (9) above, would have been cut short when the viaduct (10) was constructed in the 1850s. In the circa 1900 image the viaduct was less than 50 years old. Now it has been out of use for longer than that.
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It's incredible to think that these streets were once completely devoid of motor vehicles. How much quieter and slower the pace of life must have been. It's also interesting to see how patches of land once put to practical and productive use growing food or drying laundry are now used for more leisurely pursuits, such as storage of pleasure boats or benches and summer houses to sit out in. The image below shows a mid-point in that transition, where the nets are still being dried but use of outdoor spaces for relaxation has increased. The wooden footbridge has been replaced by the road bridge and the days of the railway are numbered.