Blaze of Balmossie glory

A plea for vintage photos of Balmossie Farm on Dundee’s border with Angus is starting to yield results.

Mrs D Pyper, from the city’s Kirkton district, recently requested that Craigie make an appeal to its loyal readers for pictures showing the farm between Broughty Ferry and Monifieth as it was in about 1942, the year of her husband’s birth at the rural site.

So we’re now delighted to be able to report that a most helpful response has arrived from Mr David Reid, who lives at Ethiebeaton Farm, also by Broughty Ferry.

David sent us the photo you can see on the right, which he believes was taken circa 1943, and our caption below the family archive snapshot details the names of the proud farm workers making hay in the sun.

He is also keen to tell of his own powerful personal connection to Balmossie, which has lasted for almost a century without interruption, while further pointing out that the farm has seen some significant changes since this evocative image was captured amidst the unfolding Second World War .

Mr Reid emails: “This photo is of the work horses at Balmossie. Where the horses are standing is now Stuart Milne Homes.

“My grandfather, David, moved into Balmossie in 1927, his son David took over about 1943, and I took over in 1973. My brother John still lives in the farmhouse.”

Our thanks go to David the Third for giving us a chance to publish his photograph. If any readers have further Balmossie pictures from the same era that might strike a chord with Mr and Mrs Pyper we’d be delighted to receive them!

Wormit resident Gordon Douglas says he was quite taken aback when he spotted this heron trying to keep cool up a tree at Tayfield, in Newport-on-Tay, amid the hot weather.