Above is an image of Drum Park, as originally built in 1909, before a second phase was added to the left hand side. The dwelling on the extreme right of the photograph is number one and was originally named Orion. The name was chosen because its original inhabitant was an astronomer, named William Ritchie. 

Ritchie was born in 1848 in the parish of Borthwick, Midlothian to the farmer of Currie Mains, Walter Ritchie, and his wife Janet Hogg. It was there that William was recorded in censuses of 1851 and 1861 as a child. By 1871, he was employed as a teacher in Glenbuchat, Aberdeenshire and lodging with a local farmer there. Around 1876 he took up a job at George Watson's College in Edinburgh, where he would go on to teach for 23 years, mainly in Mathematics and Science. He lived in Newington and later in Morningside. In 1883 was a founding member of the Edinburgh Mathematical Society. He also became a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

William's enthusiasm for astronomy led to a career shift in 1899, when he was appointed Assistant Astronomer to William Peck at the City Observatory, Calton Hill, Edinburgh. The Observatory is pictured above as it looked at the time, from the Canmore Collection (http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1120484). An example of his work in the role is the piece below from the Edinburgh Evening News of 14 November 1899 on the topic of the impending Leonids Meteor Shower.
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After eight years at the Observatory, William's health necessitated his retirement, as the article below from the 15 January 1907 Edinburgh Evening News tells us. Initially he planned to relocate to the South of England for the good of his health, however, before long he had settled in Lower Largo in the newly completed Drum Lodge Park.

Drum Lodge Park, was a venture of Walter Horne, Largo builder and developer. Built in two stages, the first phase was constructed in 1909 and the most easterly dwelling would become the home of William Ritchie. Largo had long been a popular destination for the well-to-do of Edinburgh, escaping the city for fresh sea air. Naming his home 'Orion', he must have had a particular fondness for this constellation. Orion can be seen in the plate below (created by Ritchie's former boss at the City Observatory, William Peck) in the top right quadrant of the Southern Hemisphere.

Known since ancient times, Orion is one of the brightest and best-known constellations in the night sky. Lying on the celestial equator, Orion dominates the evening sky from November to February. Also known as the Hunter, Orion derives from Greek mythology in which the hunter Orion is known for exceptional skill and strength. The most recognisable feature of the constellation is Orion's Belt - the line of three stars at its centre.​
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Orion was also let to summer visitors on occasion, as seen in the example above from 9 August 1911 Leven Advertiser. It is unclear whether Ritchie temporarily moved out or whether he shared the house for the summer. In the 1911 census William Ritchie occupied Orion along with a servant and a boarder. After two decades of retirement in Largo, WIlliam Ritchie died aged 80 years, on 25 March 1929 at Orion. His death was registered by friend Walter Horne, the builder of Drum Park. Ritchie was unmarried and after his death his astronomical and other scientific instruments, were auctioned off, along with his household furniture, at Orion (see notice from 4 May 1929 Scotsman below). 
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The piece above from the 26 April 1929 Dundee Courier announced that Margaret Pollock of Emsdorf Street, Lundin Links had purchased Orion. She died there in 1946, aged 90 years. The property was then sold on to a Mr W.F. Wills, before being advertised for sale again in 1953. The Welsh family, including retired postmaster Lawrence Welsh lived there for a couple of decades. It was up for sale again in 1973 - see notice below from 21 November 1973 East Fife Mail. In more recent years the property was renamed but William Ritchie, and his fascination with the heavens, has left a mark on the pages of Largo's history.

The previous post covered the life of Robert Black - a native of Woodside who became Chair of Largo Parish Council and Inspector of the Poor for the Parish. Indeed it was Robert Black who, towards the end of his life, cut "the barricade of red, white and blue ribbon" with "a pair of silver scissors" to allow the first cars to pass over the new bridge linking Drummochy to Lower Largo on Saturday 3 October 1914. Many years in contemplation, the long-desired bridge was composed of steel girders and troughing and parapet railing, with concrete wing walls. It came at a cost of £1,455, 8s and 5d.

The commemorative photograph above was captured by keen amateur photographer, Robert Paxton of Homelands. It shows the first of the three cars that crossed the new bridge as part of the opening ceremony. This car, registration SP 708, bedecked in flowers, belonged to Lower Largo's Walter Horne. Another of the cars belonged to Upper Largo's Thomas Wishart. The cars carried members of the Largo Parish Council, the engineers and the bridge contractors. A profusion of flags and bunting surrounded around the bridge. The buildings in the background from left to right are The Railway Inn (light-coloured gable end), Alexandra House (centre), Beach House (3-storey terrace with dormer windows and many chimneys) and the Crusoe Hotel (extreme right). Robert Black and his wife Eliza could well be among the crowd. Are you able to identify any of the faces shown below? 
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​Having been presented with a pair of silver scissors by Walter Horne, Robert Black declared the bridge open "in the name of the Parish Council" and expressed "the hope that it would fulfil all their expectations and be of advantage to all and disadvantage to none". As the ribbon was cut, there was "a great scramble on the part of the spectators to secure a piece as a remembrance of the occasion". The 8 October Leven Advertiser ran a lengthy article describing the occasion. A large crowd raised loud cheers "as the first gaily decorated motor car sped across the bridge". 

After the official party crossed the bridge in the cars, they, and a few select others, made their way to the recently completed Victoria Hotel for a "daintily cooked and perfectly served dinner" supplied by Miss Brown. Toasts were made, including one to Messrs Bruce and Proudfoot of Cupar and Kirkcaldy, the civil engineers. The building contractor for the bridge project had been Mr Henderson of Markinch. The Motherwell Bridge Company was also acknowledged, having supplied specialist materials. The engineers and contractors presented Robert Black with a silver tray and Walter Horne with a silver cigar case, in recognition of their co-operation as members of the Parish Council. After completion of the toasts, speeches, and presentations the national anthem was sung.

The pair of maps below compares the harbour area before and after the building of the road bridge. Close inspection shows that the corners of a couple of gardens had to be clipped to enable smooth entrance to and exit from the bridge for vehicles. One of those who gave up a portion of their garden was Dr Selkirk, owner of Alexandra House (which had a large rectangular front garden in the older map). 
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Above is a 'then and now' comparison of the west end of Lower Largo's Main Street. In the black and white 1960s view, cars are parked on the left side of the street, leaving the right side clear for pedestrians. Nowadays cars only park on the right and spaces are generally at a premium. Several attics have been converted during the period between the two pictures, with dormer windows added to a few homes. In the middle distance, the height of Alexandra House (where the Rio Cafe was) has increased over time. That extra storey was added in 1965, dating the postcard to before then. The Crusoe Hotel comes into view at the end of the street then and now.

Close inspection of the detail in the distance reveals the 'Wall's' ice-cream sign that hung outside Potter's Newsagent on Defoe Place. There newspapers, groceries and postcards were on sale and there was a Post Office and a public telephone inside. In fact, the early 1960s postcard featured was probably bought from this shop, as the sender was based directly over the street at Edina View (where a cross marks their location). The reverse side of the postcard is shown below. It is stamped 22 August 1967 and was sent to Kent.  An X marks the 'boys bedroom' in the upper flat within Edina View, The message reads:

This is a new card I have got - not great but it shows the back of our house. Weather just grand - only 3 wet days so far. On the beach since 10am this morning except for lunch time at Crusoe. Just off to phone you and it is still glorious. Bob off today, Mr and Mrs L here for 10 days. Love to all, Muriel and gang.

It sounds very much like a holiday maker that is writing but the birth notice below from the Leven Mail in December 1961 suggests that Bob and Muriel were full-time residents of 2 Edina View. 
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Annotated in the image below are Edina View (1), Rock View (2) and Beach House (3). These flats had long been a popular venue for summer visitors, having been built for Andrew Selkirk in phases circa 1890, on the site of some old and run down properties. Lists of summer visitors - like the example further below from 25 August 1898 Leven Advertiser - show their popularity at the time with folks escaping the city for a few weeks. 
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For many years there has been a summer one way system in place along the west part Lower Largo's Main Street. The restriction comes into force on 1 April and remains in place until the end of September. The one way section begins at the junction with Harbour Wynd and Drummochy Road, shown above, and runs as far as the Orry. Note the white arrow on blue background rectangular one-way signs on either side of the road. The 'Unsuitable for Buses' sign on the right hand side remains in place all year round (see below).
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The origins of this seasonal system go back to the late 1960s, when rising car ownership and the popularity of Lower Largo on warm sunny days often led to chaos on the narrow, winding street. Matters came to a head in the summer of 1969 when "brilliant sunshine drew thousands" to Fife's beaches. Lower Largo was one of the worst affected by the ensuing "traffic chaos". The 11 June 1969 East Fife Mail reported that "hundreds of motorists were jammed in the village unable to move out or in as traffic piled up in the narrow streets". Some motorists "conducted verbal battles at each other in their efforts to find a way out". 

One astute villager suggested a multi-point plan to relieve the situation, telling "The Mail" that the village's narrow main street, with no outlet at its end, forced cars to turn and come back down, often unable to pass the vehicles they met. He suggested a one way system at peak times between the Crusoe Hotel and the Orry. In addition, he suggested an extension of the Temple car park, the development of the old railway station into a car park and a "properly constructed turning circle at the Temple end of the village". He put his suggestions to the District Council. By the following year, an "experimental traffic regulation order" was issued and the Lower Largo Main Street one way system was put into practice. It came into effect on 4 July 1970 for a six month trial.

The site of the former railway station was converted into a car park in 1972, taking some pressure off the main street. By 1974 there was a proposal to make the seasonal one way system an year-round arrangement. The notice below appeared in the East Fife Mail of 30 October 1972, inviting residents to a public meeting in the Baptist Meeting House. The following week's Mail reported that it took only twenty minutes for residents to reject the proposal, with "an overwhelming 52-2 majority" voting for the system to remain unchanged. The main argument against the permanent system was that the steep Durham Wynd (or Donaldson's Wynd) was notorious for ice in the winter and road users travelling from the Temple shouldn't be forced to use it. 
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The seasonal arrangement (which settled into a pattern of one way between 1 April and 30 September) remains to this day. The other suggestions made in 1969 - a car park at the station site and a proper turning circle at the far end of the Temple (pictured below) - have also stood the test of time. 
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The above pair of images show a 'then and now' comparison of the view from the beach at Lower Largo, up through the Orry towards Goodsir House. The black and white postcard view dates to the 1940s, after the designation of the Orry as a "regulation parking place" by the District Council in 1939. There are only a couple of cars parked there though, in spite of the busyness of the beach. The present day view features far more cars - and dinghies. The Largo Bay Sailing Club building, to the right of Sunnyside, is a later addition. The club was first mooted in 1959. Following a period of fund raising, the club built its permanent club house (pictured below) in 1968. Another noticeable change is the number of attic conversions carried out over the decades, as people seek to maximise their sea views.

In the zoomed in pair of images above, there are three distinct layers of housing. The late Victorian homes, with their bay windows, sit behind the sea wall (Laurel Bank on the left and Sunnyside on the right). They replaced older structures that previously stood on either side of the Orry. Beyond that, in the centre, on the far side of Main Street is the much older Goodsir House, named after its distinguished former owner Dr John Goodsir. Sitting on higher ground beyond that, are the late 1920s dwellings of Durham Terrace. The detail below shows the scene to the east and a beach busy with activity, including an improvised game of cricket.

The terraced buildings in Lower Largo, marked with a yellow dashed line on the image above, were once collectively named Defoe Place. They were named after the English writer Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), pictured below, author of the hugely popular novel Robinson Crusoe, thought to have been inspired by Largo-born Alexander Selkirk (1676-1721). The choice of name was perhaps due to the timing of the construction of the buildings. Erected in the early 1880s, this period fell between the bicentennial of the birth of Selkirk in 1876 and the desire to create a Crusoe memorial in the village, which resulted in the unveiling of the Crusoe statue in 1885.

Rather than being a uniform terrace of houses, Defoe Place comprised two halves of differing appearance, the west side having distinctive dormer windows. Perhaps like the buildings on the opposite side of the street ( "Edina View",  "Rock View" and "Beach House") they were built in stages. The 1964 map below shows the buildings clearly still named 'Defoe Place' at that time. However their original name was discontinued during the 1970s, ironically around the time of the Crusoe 300 celebrations to mark the tercentenary of the birth of Alexander Selkirk. The terrace was subsumed into the wider ‘Main Street’. The uneven numbers between 3 and 17 Main Street today represent what was once Defoe Place.
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The valuation roll of 1885 shows that all of Defoe Place was originally owned by Benjamin Philp, corn merchant and commission agent. The first annual census that included the Defoe Place dwellings was that of 1891. Below are the early residents of 1-9 Defoe Place which included the Post Office that opened in 1884 (see postmaster and draper Alexander Welsh at numbers 1 and 2). Defoe Place was the ideal location for the new Post Office, being conveniently placed between the harbour and the railway station. ​Many of the other homes in the block were originally rented by fishermen and their families, including William Hutton, Peter Wishart, Thomas Melville and David Ballingall. 
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The former Defoe Place has seen many changes over the years. The fishermen are long gone. The Post Office moved along to 91 Main Street in the 1960s. Although a shop remained in its place for a time, the block has been entirely residential for many years. Would you like to see the Defoe Place name reinstated?
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The above photograph features a nostalgic view looking towards the viaduct in the 1940s. Taken after the demolition of the old oil mill but before the creation of the caravan site. It's a familiar scene, yet much has changed since this image was captured. Of course the cylindrical gas holder is long gone and the adjacent gas works retort house was demolished more recently. Now newly-built houses occupy the gas works site, above the Seatoun Place development of the 1980s ,which is situated on the lower slopes overlooking the Keil Burn (see recent photographs below).

Another change since the 1940s is the slight repositioning of the bus stops on either side of Harbour Wynd, which are now located further away from the junction with Main Street. Note the old bus stop on the far left in the top photograph, with its black and white striped pole. A closer up view of a similar bus stop of the era is shown below. On the far right of the top image, a double-decker bus has stopped at the bus stop next to the Railway Inn. The destination of the Leyland Titan bus seems to read 'Buckhaven' and a conductress appears to be waiting in front of the bus. Double-decker buses have been used in Fife since 1929.

Last week was exactly one decade since this blog started and the anniversary post looked back at ten blog posts on local people. This week we revisit ten images which offer a real window into the past. The first image below is a circa 1900 photograph by William Easton of St Monans which features Bridge House on Largo Road and the back of the former Keilside Bakery - read more here.
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Image number two is Crescent Road, Lundin Links, in the late 1890s before the houses on the south side of the street were built. The ground was used at that time for golf. However, this was gentle golf of the type considered more suitable for women and children. The players look very smart in their fine clothes and hats. This image was captured by photographer James Gay of Elie.

Next is a superbly detailed view of Turbayne's shop at the corner of Hillhead Street and Emsdorf Crescent. Read this blog post on the history of the shop and some of the products that were sold there.
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​The fourth image features a group of people rather than a scene. These are the five founders of Largo Field Naturalists' Society - an influential and very active group, instituted in 1863. This photograph, taken by St Andrews photographer Thomas Rodger, dates to circa 1870 and is now part of the St Andrews University Library special collection.

Do you recognise the house in Lower Largo below? Then known as number 1 Seaview, this house played host to summer visitors in the early 1900s but looks quite different today. See this house in context here.  

Another close up view of a bygone shop - Andrew Somerville's grocer shop on Leven Road, Lundin Links. Purpose built in 1900 for Andrew's father John Somerville the Leven grocer, this shop still retains many original features today.

The view below looking towards Largo Bay provides a different perspective on Upper Largo - from the Birsays. The cemetery is prominent in the centre but look beyond and buildings such as Wood's Hospital can also be made out.

The circa 1910 photograph shows a typical delivery to Jimmie Brown's Fruit Shop at the west end of Emsdorf Street. To find out who all the people are in this shot - read here.

One of the oldest photos around of Largo is the one below by John Patrick, dated 1872. By then Patrick had moved from Leven to Kirkcaldy but had yet to move on to Edinburgh. Perhaps if he had remained in Leven, we would be able to enjoy more images of Largo from this era.
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​The final of the ten images is from more recent times and shows multiple generations "enjoying" Largo Pier . While their faces don't exactly reflect that summer holiday vibe, the image is full of character.

Over the past ten years there has been no shortage of vintage images of Largo to discover and share. Undoubtedly, there are many more out there to be discovered. If you have a local view from the past that you think others would enjoy seeing, please get in touch.
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The above postcard view is interesting because it features a pair of bridges over the Keil Burn, only one of which still remains today. The zoomed in annotated detail below shows that the bridge in the background (marked 1) is the one which still carries the Cupar Road over the Keil Burn, while the smaller bridge (2) in the foreground accommodates a farm track within Lundin Mill Farm, from the steading over the burn to the fields on the other side. The feature marked 3 is the former buildings on the Cupar Road, including the house known as Broadlea. The map from 1912 further below show the same three features and an arrow to indicate the direction in which the photograph was captured. Note that the bridge in the foreground has a slight curve to its top, while the Cupar Road bridge has a straight upper edge.
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Broadlea and the small bridge were lost when the Penrice Park housing development was built in the mid-1990s by Bett Brothers. Both of these features appear again in the slightly different postcard view below titled 'Largo Law from Ladies Golf Course'. Note the neatly constructed hay ricks to the far right of the image. The Lundin Mill Farm steading and mill complex were also demolished around 1995.
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Below are the two bridges close up for comparison - the top black and white image is the lost farm bridge while the lower image is the surviving Cupar Road bridge. They are not dissimilar in design, suggesting that they may have been constructed around the same time. The surviving bridge may have been enlarged and maintained more than once in its history.
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The side-by-side 1912 map and recent aerial photo show how the Penrice Park housing filled in the space between the Cupar Road/Largo Road and the Keil Burn.  Penrice Park was named after the Penrice family that were tenant farmers at Lundin Mill Farm and other local farms over many years. A further development of flats followed a few years later by Thomas Mitchell builders (in the south east corner of the newly developed area).

Above are a couple of photographs of the bridge on the Cupar Road to the north of Lundin Links and below is an advert for the ex-show house for sale in the 6 November 1997 Scotsman newspaper. Change is inevitable but it seems such a shame that only one of these historic bridges has survived.
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The above postcard image is entitled High Street Lundin Mill. It predates the development of Leven Road, further to the west. This street (Emsdorf Street), along with Hillhead Street, was where the majority of village shops could be found. The date of the photograph can be narrowed down to between 1895 and 1899. It was captured after the 1895 completion of Bellville, the railings of which can be seen on the far right foreground, yet before the 1900 completion of the Lundin Links Hotel.

The construction of the hotel involved the demolition of the two cottages in the left hand foreground (also shown in more detail below) to make way for gated access to the hotel grounds. The photograph further below, entitled Emsdorf St Lundin Links, was captured a few years later. Note the absence of the old cottages on the left but also the fact that the street lamp holder that was once attached to the demolished cottages has moved to the opposite side of the road. The old dwellings date to the establishment of the village of Emsdorf from 1802.

The cottages looked neglected in the photo, having been unoccupied since before the 1891 census. The three-storey house beyond them belonged to William Dick the coachbuilder. His property incorporated a pend for carriages to go through and a workshop at the bottom of the garden. Local resident Esther Menzies recalled:

"It was a fascinating place to be sent to.  There were wheels all over and upended gigs and such like with the shafts up in the air.  He also sharpened lawn mowers and knives.  Next to this were two cottages or maybe one and a byre.  There wasn't much difference. Two old women stayed there.  Maggie Drummond sold sweets which were displayed in her window on a table....when you were in the shop or room and looked along the passage you could see the cows flicking their tails.  The Seaway is there now."
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Indeed beyond Dick's property was another tumbledown cottage, occupied by sisters Isabella and Margaret Drummond. It was demolished and replaced with La Scala cinema. Looking a decade further back, at the 1881 census, it appears that the residents of these run-down properties were largely linen handloom weavers, bobbin winders for the net factory and paupers. Their simple dwellings were cleared away to be replaced with a hotel of unimaginable modern luxury. The transformation of old Lundin Mill into Lundin Links was dramatic for those that lived through it, such as nonagenarian Mrs Wallace.

There are several details worth highlighting in the circa 1897 image at the top of this post.  Looking at the zoomed in version below, note the water tap to the left, next to the people peering into the baker's shop window. On the opposite side of the street, it looks like a coal delivery has been deposited onto the road and a hand barrow is being used to transfer this through the cottage to be stored round the back. In the distance, to the left of centre, is David Lindsay's grocer shop. Careful inspection shows the letters Y'S PROVISIONS visible behind the row of houses. David Lindsay was the original proprietor of this shop, built not long before the photograph was taken. Esther Menzies recalled this shop saying:

"Mr Lindsay sold everything nearly - bran, parings, oatmeal, dried big cod, doormats, salt herring from a barrel in front of the counter and of course the ordinary groceries not packaged as they are today."

Later owners would include James Turbayne and Robert Leishman. To the right of centre is the wall surrounding Pump Green. As Esther Menzies wrote in her memoires, the green was... 

"surrounded by a high stone wall following the line of the posts and chain there at present but protruding in an arc for several yards at the south end.  There was a gap of about four yards with an iron pump with a turning knob....The washing was laid out to bleach in the curved end and we did not play on the green if the washing was there.  At other times it was a playground.  The grass patch beyond was near oblong.  It was crossed by paths - one leading round by the curved wall to Emsdorf Place Houses, another at the east edge in front of their doors and another from Woodlands Road cutting through to meet the one passing alongside the Pump Green wall and leading up to the Hillhead."
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The annotated map (dating to 1893) below points out the main features mentioned above. Note that there are four water taps (marked W.T.) within this small area. 

1. Site of new Lundin Links Hotel
2. Site of Bellville
3. Old Cottages (demolished)
4. William Dick's Coachworks
5. Drummond sisters' cottage
6. Baker's Shop
7. Site of Lindsay's Grocer
​8. Pump Green