Life in Ladybank

“Regarding the recent Traces Through Time on Ladybank,” says John Harrow, “I found it very interesting as my mother stayed in Ladybank before getting married and moving to Dunshalt where my father, who had served his apprenticeship as a blacksmith, rented a house on Plains Farm, Dunshalt. I was born there on November 12 1928. We moved back to Ladybank when I was 18 months old.

“I was educated at Ladybank Primary School and left when I was 13½ years old (we were allowed to leave at this age at the end of the potato gathering).

“I carried on working at J.E England & Sons, potato agents, who occupied part of the malt barns owned by Bonthrone Maltsters who also had premises at Pitlessie and Newton of Falkland.

“I worked in Opdahl’s bakery for six months and then moved to the local sawmill owned by Smith Brothers from Thornton, but I found it too cold and left to get a job as a junior relayer with LNER which I enjoyed until I was called up to do my National Service with KOSB at Berwick-on-Tweed in the winter of 1947.

“I went on to Catterick camp to the Royal Signals for training on telephone installation etc for six months before sailing out to Egypt on the Empire trooper and being stationed at Fayed on the Suez Canal until I came back to Southampton for demob in March 1949.

“I returned home to Ladybank and worked with LNER, but, as I had obtained a driving licence in Egypt, I decided on a job as a lorry driver with local haulage firm Thomson’s.

“Health problems meant I returned to work with LNER, then Scotrail, until I retired in 1993.

“I have been a resident in Ladybank for 87½ years and have noticed all the changes to the village over the years as the population has almost doubled with all the new houses that have been built.”