Cyclone cyclists

“The photograph below shows my late brother Ian (wearing glasses) with fellow pupils from Brechin High School,” writes St Andrews reader Ruth Walker.

“The girl to his right is Margaret Lamb and the girl stooping in the back row is Audrey Dakers. My brother was born in 1934.

“They were all members of a group called ‘The Cyclone Cycling Club’. Not only did they go on cycle trips, but the put on plays etc.

“I think his Brechin childhood and teenage years were the happiest years in my brother’s too short life.” bald tyres etc. while we, the SAOs boarded the buses to check the passengers.

“That’s when the children were discovered, hiding under the seats, or covered by umpteen tattie bags. Names and address were taken, as well as the name of the school they should have been attending, and the details passed to the authorities.

“Needless to say, the regular adult tattie pickers took great delight in shouting to us: ‘nae bairns on the the bus the day, mister’.

“The same procedure was repeated every night around 7pm when the buses were returning and any children there were fast asleep, without bothering to hide anywhere.

“I remember on one occasion we were told that ‘there’s a lotta bairns fae Dundee on a bus awa’ across to Cupar.’ Myself and two others were dispatched by car and the ‘Fifie’ to ‘look for a field near Cupar, wi’ a lotta bairns tattie picking.’

“We found the field, and by the time we had trudged through muddy tattie dreels from the top to the bottom, the youngsters had all scattered.

“Naturally there had been nowhere for us to hide in the field, they had seen us coming and we had nothing to show except three scarecrow-like attendance officers covered in glaur. Happy days indeed.” December 4 in the Invercarse Hotel at 12.30pm. The cost will be £16, payable on the day.

The lunch is open to all Harris FPs, former staff, their spouses/partners and friends and is a chance to catch up with old friends and to reminisce.

To allow the hotel to make their arrangements, those intending to come along should tell the Association Treasurer of their intention to do so by 5pm on Friday, December 1.

The treasurer is Mrs Freida Soutar who can be reached by email at treasurer@harrisfps.co.uk, by letter at 31 Station Road, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5AP or by telephone on 01382 562788.

This postcard of the village of Liff was sent in June 1939. It shows the small shop, that may also have been the post office, with the collecting box at the rear, and wellknown brand names’ advertising signs adorning the building.