Kirkton of Largo Primary School's present building was completed in 1879 replacing the former school (later Scout Hall) further down North Feus in Upper Largo. A comparison of the building as it looks in the present day with old architect drawings downloaded from Canmore (the national record of the historic environment), shows that the school has lost many of its original ornate features including the steeple, chimneys and the barge boarding on the roof apexes. The drawings are dated to the time of the 1910 additions and alterations by Haxton and Watson of 5 High Street in Leven but reflect the original 1878 design by John Melvin & Son of Alloa. The floor plan below shows the separate girls and boys entrances at the front and some detail on the classroom layouts and other facilities.

The building of this school was preceded by years of debate and controversy. A summary of the saga was published in the 15 November 1877 Fife Herald under the headline "An Irrepressible School Board". Pointing out that "school board squabblings" had once been more common but had "long since settled down", aside from "one board which has not yet given up the ghost on contention".  The piece continues:

"During the weary four years of its existence it has been going from bad to worse...In the Largo School Board, which has been the scene of so many wordy warfares, the great topic of contention has been the propriety of erecting a new school or enlarging the old school at Kirkton. With singular variableness the Board, or rather a section, has oscillated from one proposition to the other."

The Education (Scotland) Act of 1872 had made primary education mandatory. This triggered the creation of 1,000 regional school boards and led to the need to increase many a school's capacity. Kirkton School had an average attendance of around 90 pupils around 1874. An early idea was to build a new classroom at the back of the existing school. This suggestion was met with objection from the then teacher who said this plan "broke up and destroyed his garden"! 

A counter proposal of building out at the front of the school was also deemed unacceptable (and led to the board member who suggested it retiring in disgust). It was then resolved to lower the floor (in order to effectively heighten the roof). Some outlay was incurred to do this work but not long afterwards it was concluded that a new school was needed after all. Ratepayers protested at this and much debate ensued about a suitable location. The site eventually chosen next to the cemetery was deemed by many to be "unhealthy".

Other newspaper reports on the proceedings of the Largo School Board around this time talk of "hot words", walk outs and "disgraceful conduct". The Fife Herald piece concludes that "there must be a screw loose somewhere when in a company of representative parishioners things have come to such a pass."

Eventually the new school was built and its first head teacher was Thomas Nicoll who remained in post for 35 years bringing welcome stability. His successor David Low Pye was head teacher for over twenty years. Below is a little snippet from the school's history, telling of a scheme to provide lunch to school pupils in 1896 (21 November St Andrews Citizen). The idea of vegetables from the Largo House gardens being made into soup by a lady that lived in North Feus and given to the Kirkton pupils is a lovely one - local food supplies being put to good use with no 'food miles' or packaging involved.
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The above photograph shows the 42nd Fife (1st Largo) Scout Group circa 1960 in the Scout Hall on North Feus, Upper Largo. All sections of the Group are included in the picture (Cubs, Scouts and Rovers) as well as leaders. According to the 'Largo Village Book' by Leonora Rintoul (1932):

"In the early days of the Boy Scout movement, a troop was formed in Largo, and went on very successfully for a considerable number of years.  In the Great War it was found impossible to get a Scout Master and so the troop was allowed to lapse.  With the return of peace it was revived, and is now a flourishing body under the leadership of Scoutmaster Kay."

The origins of the Scouting movement as a whole can be traced back to 1907, when Robert Baden Powell held a camp on Brownsea Island in Dorset to test out some of the ideas in his 'Scouting for Boys' book. The book was originally intended to be a training aid for existing organisations but it quickly became the handbook of a new movement. Scout patrols were rapidly set up all over the country. A patrol was formed in Leven late in 1908 (see 5 December St Andrews Citizen article below). 
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When Baden-Powell formally set up the Boy Scouts Association in 1910 it had over 100,000 participants. In March 1910 there were 650 Boy Scouts on the register of the Fife Association and the number was expected to double within twelve months (26 March 1910 St Andrews Citizen). A key figure in the beginning of Scouting in Largo was Major George James Lumsden who lived at Aithernie House (now the Old Manor Hotel). In his obituary (Fife Herald 23 Sept 1953), following his death aged 88 at Cupar, stated that "while resident at Lundin Links, Major Lumsden began a long connection with the Boy Scout movement that culminated in his receiving in 1938 the highest honour the Scouts can bestow, that of Silver Wolf. He was chairman in 1910 of the committee that formed the first troop of Scouts [there]." 
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As well as having its own troop, Largo became a popular place for Scout troops from other areas to come and visit and to set up camp. However, when the First World War came, not only did Largo Scouts go into abeyance but all scout camps were prohibited throughout Fife (12 June 1915 Fife Advertiser).

Despite stories in the early part of the war of Scouts assisting the Coast Guard in watching the coast, collecting money for various war funds and acting as test patients for the Red Cross, the regular troop meetings couldn't continue with leaders absent. However, Largo Scouts were re-established after the war ended and by the 1920s the newspapers ran stories of the their activities including running cake and candy stalls, celebrating Burns Night, giving concerts and of course taking part in Remembrance services. An innovative "comic dog show" was held in 1930 at Durham Hall. Local dogs such as 'Paddy', 'Rover' and 'Spotty' competed in categories such as 'most handsome dog', 'dog with the longest tail' and 'dog with the most "soulful eyes"'!  In 1935 the older Scouts set the bonfire on Largo Law that was part of a chain of beacons to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George V. The Sale of Work advertised below dates to August 1950 (Fifeshire Advertiser).

The Largo Scouts base was the old schoolroom on the east side of North Feus, Upper Largo. The school had moved to new premises further up the same street in 1879 (where it remains to this day). The old school had been taken over by the Largo Field Naturalists' Society (established 1863) soon after the school's relocation, as a base for the society and to house their museum. When the Montrave Hall was opened in Lundin Links in 1910, the Society moved their museum to an annex there. The Field Naturalists continued to own the North Feus hall but let this to the Largo Scouts for many decades.

Below is the programme from a 1962 Scout fund-raising show called "Laughter United". Many of the boys pictured in the photograph at the beginning of this post likely took part. Perhaps you remember this show or other Scout events over the years?  If so, please comment. 

First published 300 years ago tomorrow (25 April 1719), the story of 'Robinson Crusoe' by Daniel Defoe (first edition frontispiece pictured above) was a ground-breaking work. Written in a highly-descriptive narrative style, the account is presented as if an autobiography of the title character. The first instalment 'The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe of York, Mariner' was so well received that by late summer 1719 the book had been reprinted three times and Defoe had published a sequel,  'The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe'. A third volume, 'Serious Reflections During the Life and Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe' completed the trilogy in 1720. Hundreds of editions, translations and spin-offs followed and the tale became one of the most widely published of all time. The isolation/survival premise of the story has been much imitated. There is even a literary genre named after the novel - ‘Robinsonade’ - defined as ‘a desert island story’ or ‘castaway narrative’.
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Written in a house in Church Street, Stoke Newington, London, 'Robinson Crusoe' was Defoe's debut work of fiction. And it came late in his life - he was almost sixty when he penned it. Defoe was born 'Daniel Foe' in London circa 1660. Son of James Foe, a butcher and tallow chandler, Daniel's early life coincided with the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London, as well as the raid on the Medway by the Dutch Navy. By the time he was ten, his mother Annie had died.

His adult life was equally event filled. As a risk-taking merchant he found himself bankrupt and as a political writer he was imprisoned. A prolific writer on topics as diverse as crime, politics, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural, he was also a pioneering journalist. After travelling around Europe, he adding the 'De' to his surname (perhaps to sound more exotic or aristocratic). He witnessed the Great Storm of 1703 and wrote a book about it the following year. After the success of his first work of fiction with 'Robinson Crusoe' in 1719, he followed up with others such as '​Moll Flanders' and 'Roxana'. His marriage to Mary Tuffley produced eight children. Defoe (pictured below) died on 24 April 1731.
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Before and during Defoe's lifetime there had been multiple stories of real-life castaways - including of course Largo-born Alexander Selkirk. Defoe himself never confirmed nor denied that Selkirk was the prototype for Robinson Crusoe and as a result much speculation has ensued over the centuries as to where the inspiration came from. Many articles and books have been published exploring various theories. 

While it's possible that Selkirk and Defoe actually met one another, what seems probable is that Defoe would have been familiar with the 1712 publication of 'A Cruising Voyage Around the World' by Captain Woodes Rogers, who had rescued Selkirk in February 1709 from his four years and four months of solitude on the island of Mas A Tierra in the Juan Fernandez archipelago off the coast of Chile. His publication relayed Selkirk's experiences in some detail as it was his crew who discovered Selkirk “clothed in goat-skins” gesticulating wildly to them from the shore. Selkirk’s survival story spread widely due to Woodes Rogers’s work. A likely scenario is that Selkirk's adventures - interwoven with creations of Defoe's own imagination plus perhaps elements from other retold survival stories - formed the basis of Robinson Crusoe, which was completed seven years later.

There were of course several notable differences between Alexander and Robinson. For example, the former left his ship by choice while the latter was shipwrecked. Selkirk spent four years and four months on an uninhabited island, while Crusoe found himself stranded for 28 years. Selkirk had only goats and cats for company while Crusoe had 'Man Friday'. Crusoe's island was in the Atlantic while Selkirk's was a Pacific island.

Back in the Parish of Largo, as elsewhere, the connection between the fictional Crusoe and the famous local Alexander Selkirk became strong. Both men (the real and the fictitious) were celebrated. In 1792, the Reverend Mr Spence Oliphant wrote the Statistical Account for the Parish of Largo. The words recorded within this (recorded under the 'Eminent and Notable Men' section) cemented the connection. Oliphant's words, shown below, bear a strong resemblance to the account published by Woodes Rogers and following the publication of the 1792 Statistical Account his words were reprinted in many newspapers and journals. Selkirk family members continued to live in Largo and were able to share recollections of their famous relative. Some Selkirk artefacts remained in circulation. The statue of Crusoe was erected on the site of Selkirk's former home in 1885. Part of the main street in Lower Largo was named 'Defoe Place' for a time. A Selkirk museum was a feature in Largo in the late 1980s.
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Three centuries after its origin, 'Robinson Crusoe' is still read and enjoyed in numerous formats and languages. The tale and its main character continue to be discussed and studied. The genre is still imitated and re-invented - a recent example being the novel (and movie) 'The Martian'.  But the classic image of the wild man dressed in goat skins is the one that remains most recognisable and most authentic. The true story of Alexander Selkirk and the image of him described by Woodes Rogers has influenced many an artistic book cover, as well as Largo's own statue. 
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A short snippet below from the Largo St David's Parish Church Quarterly Magazine, June 1967, which describes a lovely gesture by the Largo Brownies on Easter Sunday that year.

Happy Easter!

The 'Pier Pavilion' on Largo Pier changed in appearance over the years, as the selection of images above shows. The temporary and portable nature of the structures plus exposure to the salty air would mean frequent repairs and a limited lifespan. The 'pavilion' with its stage was accompanied by a fenced off section containing seating. An early reference to the Pier Pavilion exists in the 9 January 1913 'The Stage' newspaper, which said:

"Wanted to Let; very reasonable terms to really First-Class Concert party or Attractive Entertainment - Largo Pier Pavilion. Tip-up stalls, stage and scenery. From Easter to end of June. Only tip-top show would be entertained."

The 'tip-up stalls' were later replaced with benches and (more pricey) deck chairs. While a charge would be made for a seated view of the performance, those trying to watch from outside the fencing would not escape the notice of the company - members of which would pass around the crowds with collection tins. The 22 June 1929 Fife Free Press snippet below gives a flavour of the popularity of the venue in the 1920s.

Owned by the Pier Committee by the 1920s, the pavilion could be rented for the season (see example adverts below from The Stage for the 1927, 1928 and 1934 seasons respectively).
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While 'The Rigmaroles' enjoyed a twelve week run on the pier in 1927, one of the most regular performing companies was led by Tom O'Reilly. In 1925, 'O'Reilly's Vaudevillian Orchestra' were in residence at Largo. By 1929 they were still around but known as 'O'Reilly's Hammer and Tongs' (see piece below from 29 August 1929 The Stage). The company provided a ventriloquist act, comedy, songs, sketches, dancing and various musical items featuring a range of instruments. Further below, is a notice from The Stage on 11 September 1935 where the retitled  'O'Reilly's Serenaders' were performing for a sixth season.

By 1936 there was debate over the future of the pier pavilion and its alfresco shows. As the feature below from the 25 July Fife Free Press indicates, many would have wanted to preserve this traditional form of entertainment. But the unreliable weather, changing fashions and lack of profitability were beginning to work against it. The option to hold more events in La Scala was proving to be popular. The pavilion's days were numbered.

On 24 Dec 1937, the Dundee Courier ran the advert below when one of the structures was put up for sale along with a quantity of deck chairs. However, perhaps a sale was not secured as the pavilion was still mentioned in the 1938 season, including a performance by the local silver band. The era of the Pier Pavilion came to an end early during the Second World War when the Pier Committee was dissolved. 
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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 above engraving by Frederick Borders featured in the 1860 book "The Handy Book of the Fife Coast" by Henry Farnie. The same book had a full page advert for the the 'marine villas' that were being built in the village as part of the ambitious plans set out by the Standard Life Assurance Company at that time. At first glance the engraving is not particularly recognisable as Lundin Links. However, zooming in on the centre detail (below) reveals 'Fir Park' standing proud in front of Largo Law, plus a scattering of houses. Colour has been added below to highlight these features, which are tricky to make out in the original.

Further to the left of the engraving is a representation of the newly-created railway station and a passing train - see below. The shack-like temporary station building that briefly existed between 1857 and 1858 before it was replaced with the permanent station building can be made out. As the book 'The Leven and East of Fife Railway' by Hajducki, Jodeluk and Simpson states:

"Provision was made for the situation where, if after five years from opening, the traffic generated was not sufficiently remunerative for the railway company, then the obligation to keep the station open was no longer binding on them. Lundin Links station was opened along with the rest of the line in August 1857 with a temporary building but in September 1858 an agreement was reached between the East of Fife company and Standard Life that the station was to be completed as a permanent structure. Standard Life contributed £450 out of a total of £800 for the station and its approach road and would also undertake to construct four villas by the station."

The villas named 'Homelands' and 'Haworth' were duly built but, aside from several other homes built on Crescent Road, further development was slow. The permanent station building had a distinctive design - quite unlike others in the vicinity. It seems likely that James Campbell Walker had a hand in its design, which had echoes of 'Homelands'. The opening announcement and the original timetable are shown below (from 13 August 1857 Caledonian Mercury).

Frederick Borders the engraver behind these images was born in London around 1827. By 1851 he was employed as an engraver is Islington but by the time of the 1861 census he was in Edinburgh working as a wood engraver. He had probably completed the Lundin Links engraving 3-4 years prior to that. He was still in Edinburgh in 1871 and the next year married Helen Wight in Edinburgh before relocating to London. Their first child Frederick was born soon afterwards, followed by Samuel, Helen and Alice. The 1881 census finds Frederick senior in Wandsworth Prison as a 'debtor' but ten years later he is back working as a 'draughtsman and engraver on wood' in Southwark (the place where he died in 1894).
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​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

Some may recall the poem above. It featured in a cine film made by Ernest Mackie in the 1960s about the closure of the railway line through Largo and Lundin Links. It's a beautifully-written, sentimental piece that must have had particular resonance during the period immediately following the withdrawal of service. As the images below show, the stations lay derelict and overrun with weeds for some time before final demolition.  The condition of the closed station at Largo at that time was a stark contrast to its appearance in years gone by, when the award-winning gardens were carefully tended and a shell-covered sun-dial, statue and model of the Flying Scotsman (created by James Young) graced the station. 

The line had been in decline for some time before Dr Richard Beeching (referred to in the poem) made his recommendations for the restructuring of the railways around the country. The photograph of him at the end of this post was taken in 1962 at Edinburgh Waverley on his study trip which ultimately led to this line being cut, along with many others.
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​James Curr was born at Cupar in 1851 - the eldest son of Thomas Curr (cabinet maker and undertaker) and Christian Simpson.  Educated at Madras Academy, James began his career with Thomas Davidson (solicitor and Procurator Fiscal for the Burgh of Cupar). He went on to specialise in estate management (like his uncle before him) and from around 1870 he gained experience on estates around Scotland.

Late in 1882 the Fife Herald reported that  James had been appointed agent to Baroness Willoughby-de-Eresby and the Right Hon. Lord Aveland, covering their estates in Lincoln and Rutland. The newspaper noted that his "burly form and cheery voice will be missed in many a Parish around Scotland". On 23rd April 1885, James married Margaret Ligertwood (eldest daughter of another factor - Alexander Ligertwood) at Mount Hamilton, Ayr. Around that time, James relocated to Scotland with his wife - first to Kirkcudbrightshire, where his children Thomas and Margaret were born. Then, around 1890, he became factor on the St Fort estate in Forgan, Fife. His son Christopher was born there. Over these years, James Curr became an acknowledged authority on forestry, dairying and farm buildings. 

In 1902, James took up residence in Largo, acting as factor for the estates of Lathrisk, Largo and Monzie for Mr C.J.M. Makgill-Crichton. The following year, the Currs took up residence at 'Homelands' in Lundin LInks (pictured above) and remained there for around four years. Also a member of Fife County Council and a Justice of the Peace, Curr was much involved in local affairs. He was instrumental in the controversial division of Largo Parish into three wards - Kirkton, Lower Largo and Lundin Links in 1904. The newspaper clippings below show that there was considerable resistance to sub-dividing a parish that had been a single unit "for a thousand years".

The following year, the 'Fife News Illustrated Almanac for 1905' featured the photograph of James Curr shown above. Alongside this image was the description that James was "full of energy and enthusiasm, he hides beneath his handsome physical proportions a warm heart that prompts to many a kindly deed the world knows not of. His only relaxation is sailing or fishing in Largo Bay, where with a few friends on board his smart little yawl on a summer evening he may be seen at his best". 

However, in 1907 the health of James broke down. He removed to Glasgow - presumably to access suitable medical care.  James died from a kidney tumour at Bath Street in Glasgow on 28 December 1908. The 29 Dec 1908 Dundee Evening Telegraph, noted that "he has been cut down in the prime of life by an insidious illness that baffled all medical skill".