​Following last year's centenary of Armistice, we continue to pause on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day to remember the fallen, including those from Largo Parish.  Below are a couple of newspaper clippings from 1946. The first, from the Leven Mail of 13 November details the Poppy Day collections carried out in the area. The second is a notice for the Remembrance Day service at Largo Parish Church from the previous week's paper in 1946.

This year marks 100 years since the first two-minute silence was observed on Armistice Day - 11th November 1919.

​The above guide on where to get your ration book is from the Leven Mail of 31 May 1944. There were two locations in Largo Parish at that time: the Simpson Institute in Upper Largo and St Margaret's Garden Room in Lundin Links. The latter was a private house on Victoria Road. This house (now known as Strathearn) was owned by Mrs Jean Gaskell - born Jean Helen Rintoul, sister of Leonora Rintoul. In 1946 was St Margaret's Garden Room was still the ration book collection location. Jean also ran a Sunday School from this venue in the 1940s. St Margaret's is indicated by the arrow on the left of the image below.
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By 1947 the Lundin Links ration book venue had changed to Lundin Ladies Golf Club House and it remained so for some time - see notice below from 6 April 1949 Leven Mail. Note that a Lower Largo collection point had been added at St David's Church. ​

As Halloween approaches - a couple of appropriate local tales from the past....

Bats have long been associated with Halloween. They are, of course, nocturnal creatures. They leave their daytime roosts when the sun sets. Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' suggests that vampires are able to morph into bats (a small number of bat species worldwide are blood feeders). A more natural association with Halloween is related to the bat life cycle. They can swarm in the months of September to November as they look for mates and increase food intake ahead of hibernation. Below is a local bat-related story featured in the 17 March 1868 Northern Warder. On this occasion, bats were coming to the end of their hibernation period at Balcruvie Castle - now known better as Pitcruvie Castle . 
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Moving forward in time to the 10 November 1943 Leven Mail (below) - a war-time Halloween party provided Polish visitors with a taste of some of the Scottish traditions associated with the celebration - including a bit of a dunking in water it would seem!

​Happy Halloween!
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The above postcard image shows the Lundin Ladies Golf Club House on the left and the Greenkeeper's House on the right. The latter was built in 1911, the year after the official opening of the course. The Club House had of course been moved to its present position in late 1909 from its original site at the main Lundin Golf Club (where it was first constructed in 1897). The image pre-dates the upheaval of the Second World War when the War Cabinet instructed that portions of golf courses had to be leased to increase food production. By special arrangement, the Ladies Club gave up more than its quota (two thirds of its area) so that the main Lundin course could remain intact. The much reduced course comprised six holes with the added feature of some grazing sheep (which both supported food production and kept the grass short at at time when there was little fuel for green keeping).

During this period the greenkeeper was  Jimmie Imrie who worked for thirty years for the club from the mid 1920s. When he joined the Auxiliary Fire Service full-time in 1941, his father Robert Imrie took over green keeping, while Mrs Imrie looked after the club house and the role of starter. Robert had been manager to George Bell at Lundin Mill Farm. When Jimmie returned to post after the war, he set about the restoration of the course, including re-seeding and the re-laying out of the lost greens, tees and bunkers. As the book published for the club's centenary by Alan Elliot said of Mr Imrie:

"He was an excellent worker, conscientious and thorough. When it is realised that he put the course back from its wartime ploughing to its former state almost single-handed, it may give some idea of what he did. He worked with the minimum of equipment....a spade, a shovel, a barrow, a roller, an elderly tractor and mowers of great age: an awesome lot of effort. He achieved much in a remarkably short time after the war, and overall he provided the club with a course again when it mattered most."

The full course was officially re-opened on 22 July 1948 with the event shown below (advert from Leven Mail) which was both a competition and a green keeper's benefit (in recognition of Imrie's huge efforts). A similar event (for the both the benefit of the green keeper and for course improvements) was repeated the following few years. Jimmie Imrie left the post of green keeper in 1956 and died in 1985 aged 79. Eddie Wilson was green keeper in the late 1950s and between 1960 and 1978 Andrew Latto carried out the role.

​As a follow-up to the previous post - above is a 1969 view across Largo Harbour with the disused station in the background. This image has been converted from a slide and the magnified view below shows the station in more detail. The station master's house is visible above the viaduct arch to the left of the tree. The bridge over the railway line remains in place. The station buildings still appear to be in reasonable condition from this distance but the track area seems quite overgrown with vegetation.

Another point of interest in the detail below is the bright red World War Two sea mine positioned in front of the Crusoe Hotel, tucked in next to the 1888 harbour toilet facility. These mines were reconditioned into charity collection boxes to support the dependants of those lost at sea, as well as sick, disabled or retired fishermen and mariners. These were found in many a coastal town or village. Some displayed the message "I am a real sea mine. Instead of destroying seamen, I want to help them". Does anyone know when this one was removed from the harbour area?

The location of the remaining sea mines around the UK can be seen on the shipwrecked mariners' society website.  The closest one appears to be at St Monans. For another glimpse of the old Lower Largo one, see about 23 seconds into the following home movie clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MDMfqXcpus

As the Great War finally drew to a close a century ago, newspaper reports reflected the relief and joy that people at home felt. The day that the Armistice was signed was a Monday. The agreement was signed at 5 am and was to come into effect at 11 am. News reached nearby St Andrews "early on Monday forenoon". The message began to circulate that Germany had accepted the terms of the Armistice and that Dundee "had commenced its celebration of the great event".  Citizens, however, "refrained from commencing rejoicings until they were certain that the news was official" according to the St Andrews Citizen. Below is a clipping from the Fifeshire Advertiser showing how rumours and expectation gave way to celebration in Kirkcaldy. 

As soon as there was no doubt, buildings were decked with flags and national colours and people took to the streets. Bells were rung, songs were sung, bands played and spontaneous dancing broke out. 'Victory Holidays' were observed - allowing work to stop and victory to be celebrated. The St Andrews Citizen noted that "the streets present a busy and animated appearance" where "youngsters paraded...carrying flags and singing patriotic songs". 

Over the following days shops advertised 'Victory Sales', Victory concerts were organised and services of thanksgiving were held. But of course this was very much a time of mixed feelings. Many in Largo Parish had suffered loss and sorrow. A poem which appeared in the Dundee Evening Telegraph on 12 November 1918, written by W. McMann, reflected the balance of jubilation and sorrow.  The poem includes the following lines near the start...

"Peace was declared! I heard the cheers
Aringing doon the street;
I heard a band abune the noise
O' countless hurryin' feet
The hale toon was on holiday,
The good folk o' Dundee
Were oot en masse tae celebrate
Oor glorious victory."

....but towards the end of the lengthy poem the sentiment had shifted....

"At hame that night I minded o',
These fallen in the fray; 
Thousands rejoicing, thousands more
Are sorrowing today.
To those who listen for a voice
They never more shall hear, 
There's agony in every shout, 
A stab in every cheer."

Back in August 1918, the flax harvest was underway in Fife. Due to the First World War, many women were involved in the harvest (including Evelyn Baxter and Leonora Rintoul). The small piece above from the 12 August Dundee Evening Telegraph paints a lovely picture of one particular gang of harvesters.

​Despite the hard labour involved, the group seem to have remained upbeat and able to blend in with those who had spent their day in more leisurely fashion. The flax flowers mentioned are the five petal light blue flowers shown. "Stookies" or "stooks" of flax (or other crops) are bundles or sheaves. The flax was stooked by hand, as seen in the photograph below, and left standing on end to dry out. When first harvested they are still green hence "wee green stookies".

Long-serving Lundin Mill school teacher, David Milne Stewart, had a son of the same name, who not only followed his father into the teaching profession but also shared his father's love of golf. David junior was the youngest of four sons and was born in 1886 in the Lundin Mill school house. Introduced to golf at a young age, he joined Lundin Links Golf Club at the age of 17 and four years later (1907) won the first of his nine club championships. He was also a nine times winner of the Lundin silver medal.

David (known as "D.M.") attended Edinburgh University - gaining an M.A. in 1906 and a B.Sc. in 1908. At the time of the 1911 census he was teaching in Greenock. He became Science Master at Moray House and was a member of Duddingston Golf Club - winning prizes there also. He set a course record at Pitlochry during the Highland competition in 1913. His teaching career meant that he was limited to participating in competitions which took part during school holidays. However, both golf and teaching had to be put completely on hold with the outbreak of World War One.

D.M. joined McCrae’s Battalion (16th Royal Scots) on 4 Jan 1915 at Edinburgh. After some months in the Royal Scots he was transferred to the Royal Engineers (chemist section) and was promoted to Corporal. This move was a response to the use of chlorine gas by the Germans. Special Companies of technically skilled men, under Major C.H. Foulkes of the Royal Engineers, were formed to deal with the new weapon. Nos 186 and 187 Special Companies were formed first, in July 1915, followed by 188 and 189 Companies in August. D.M. was part of the former group. All of the men were given the rank of Chemist Corporal. ​The Great War was the first in which chemical weapons were deployed. 

On 20 December 1917 David married fellow teacher Helen Rutherford Wilson Campbell at Darling's Hotel on Waterloo Place in Edinburgh (see image below), while on leave from active service. Soon after his marriage, D.M. was wounded in action. He received a gun shot to the left elbow in France and ultimately was discharged from service on 11 July 1918 aged 31, receiving the silver war badge on 31 August 1918 (issued to those honourably discharged due to injury or illness). Eventually he was able to return to both teaching and golf.

Despite the injury affecting his swing, it was not too long before D.M. returned to form on the golf course. Between 1922 and 1932 he was a semi-finalist in the Eden tournament at St Andrews four times and topped the qualifiers once (playing for Lundin Links Golf Club). The images at foot of the post show him in action in 1922 and in 1929 (he is on the right in the 1929 photo).  ​Also a member of Kirkcaldy Golf Club, D.M. won the club championship many times there and set a course record in 1932 by shooting 64. He became club Captain in 1940 and the following year a vice-president. Lundin Links Golf Club made him an honorary member of their club around this time. In 1946-48, he was vice president of the Fife Golfing Association.

In terms of his post-war teaching career, Stewart became head science master at Royal High School in Edinburgh in 1919.  But in 1923 he returned to Fife, when appointed Principal Teacher of Science at Kirkcaldy High School. He remained in post until 1939, when he was selected as headmaster of Queen Anne Higher Grade School in Dunfermline - a position he retained until his retirement in 1951. By this time his health was failing. D.M. passed away at his home (49 Balwearie Road, Kirkcaldy) on 7 August 1952 at the age of 65. The Fife Free Press reported this two days later under the headline "Noted Golfer's Death".....

"Mr Stewart was one of the most outstanding and popular golfing figures ever to be associated with Kirckaldy Golf Club, but his profession and recreation did not begin Kirkcaldy. He was born in Lundin Links. It was his father, a school teacher at Lundin Links, who helped found the golf course there....D.M. was soon introduced to the golf course....[his] profession took him over a wide area. His reputation was enhanced at Golspie, Edinburgh and Dunfermline. "

He was survived by his wife and two daughters. He will be remembered - along with many other prominent local golfers - during the 150th anniversary celebrations at the Lundin Golf Club this year.

A new website called 'Swooping Eagle' has been created, containing lots of information regarding the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade, including their time at Largo. Of particular interest is a page about Largo House, which includes a wonderful photograph of some Polish soldiers standing on the steps of the house during the Second World War:

www.swoopingeagle.com/home/largo-house/two-mansions/

Also there is a page detailing the training grounds at Largo House, known as 'Monkey Grove':

http://www.swoopingeagle.com/home/largo-house/the-monkey-grove/

And - perhaps most exciting of all - the precise location of the jumping tower using for parachute jump training, at Lundin Tower has been identified!

http://www.swoopingeagle.com/home/largo-house/parachute-tower/

Although the jumping tower has been written about on this blog some time ago (click here), it was not known to me that evidence of its position still existed. The location was found by the author of the 'Swooping Eagle' website with the help of a painting done by renowned war artist Edward Bawden, who had spent time with the Brigade in 1943. Bawden was an established commercial illustrator and designer in England when he became one of the first Official War Artists to be appointed in 1939, at the age of 36, He spent almost the entire war abroad but in 1943 had a spell on home soil, primarily at Largo and Colchester.​ His illustration of the jumping tower is shown below (source: 'Edward Bawden: War Artist' edited by Ruari McLean, in association with the Imperial War Museum (1989)).

The concrete base of the tower remains, below vegetation, and its outline can be clearly distinguished. The images below are from the 'Swooping Eagle' site. I would like to thank the researcher behind the discovery for his persistence and hard work and for creating such a detailed and interesting website.

The 'Swooping Eagle' site also shows the training tower in relation to the doocot on the Lundin Estate - more to follow on that building.

On this day, a century ago, the Largo branch of the Scottish Women's Rural Institutes was founded. The movement had begun in Canada in 1897 and the First World War hastened its development on this side of the Atlantic. The WI was formed in England in 1915 and the SWRI followed in Scotland two years later. The SWRI was inaugurated in Edinburgh on 27 June 1917, with the first meeting of the first Institute following swiftly afterwards in Longniddry, East Lothian on 25 July. The President of the Longniddry Institute (and driving force behind the inauguration of the Institutes in Scotland) was Mrs Catherine Blair of Hoprig Mains. The 26 July Scotsman covered this opening meeting (see below).

The spread of the movement didn't escape the notice of Kirkton of Largo's Evelyn Baxter, who at the age of 38, founded the Largo Institute, with her close friend, and fellow ornithologist, Leonora Rintoul and twelve other ladies. Misses Baxter and Rintoul are pictured above. These hard-working and practical ladies wasted no time in undertaking useful endeavours. The Dundee Courier of 11 May 1918 ran a piece under the headline "Largo Women's Good Work on the Land". This continued...

"Miss L. Jeffrey Rintoul reported at the Fife Women's County Committee on Agricultural Labour meeting at Cupar yesterday that Miss Baxter's gang at Largo had planted over 100 acres of potatoes, and among other work had done gardens at Upper and Lower Largo". At the meeting, a Mrs Young had called for more leaders in the county and stated that "leaders of Miss Baxter's type were very rare".  Miss Rintoul also reported the progress of the Rural Institutes, saying that the membership fee was 2s and that the government took 3d of this as an entertainment tax, as they had a little music at their meetings. At that time there were Institutes at Kilmany, Gauldry, Largo, Ceres and Luthrie, with plans afoot for others at Cameron and Leuchars.

By August of 1918, Misses Baxter and Rintoul had gone down to Somerset to Barwick Camp, Yeovil with a "Scottish gang" to prepare for the Fife harvest by being trained in every phase of the flax harvest. The image below shows women harvesting flax during the Great War in Yeovil just as the Largo ladies would have done. Typically, the good ladies of Largo organised a concert while staying at the camp, which was a great success and raised funds for Red Cross Week. The 3 August St Andrews Citizen covered this story and noted that "All the performers were Scotch. Miss Rintoul gave a Scotch recitation which brought down the house. Miss Stark sang "My ain wee hoose" beautifully". The Scottish ladies at the camp clearly had a great sense of humour - they decorated their tents with inscriptions and mottoes, including "Wha daur meddle wi' me". One tent was called "ma ain wee hoose" with a thistle underneath, others were named "The Beetle 'Ole", "Earwig Villa" and "Multum in Parvo" (a great deal in a small space). 

The Largo SWRI flourished and in 1932 the group published 'Largo Village Book', which remains a useful resource for those interested in the history of the parish.  In that book it states of the SWRI that "from the first meeting it was evident that it filled a felt want in the parish". Membership in the early decades was around 200 to 300 and attendance at the monthly meetings was large. Classes were also held for various crafts and cooking during the winter months. Baxter and Rintoul held roles in the movement at every level and during the Second World War helped to organise the Women's Land Army in Fife.  The Evelyn Baxter Scholarship continues within the SWRI to this day, encouraging the preservation of traditional craft. The Largo Institute continues to meet.

                100 Years of Largo SWRI - 1918 - 2018
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