Drifts over head height

“Regarding the recent Traces Through Time feature,” writes a Dundee reader, “in 1947 I was a fourth year pupil at Bell Baxter School in Cupar.

“It was the school for a wide area and pupils were bussed from Markinch, Falkland, Dairsie, Guardbridge, Newburgh, Auchtermuchty, Ceres and all points in between.

“That March, central Fife was particularly hard hit by the heavy snowfall with drifts well over head height. Very few of the school buses were able to cope and the school population was decimated.

“Even worse, it was around Higher exam time and, to try not to miss anything, some walked to school from outlying areas, some came in on horseback, but, unless you lived in Cupar itself, you had little chance of getting into Bell Baxter.

“School lunches had been prepared and with food still being rationed and not too plentiful, the Cupar pupils who normally went home at lunchtime were invited to partake of school lunches to avoid too much waste being incurred.

“The thaw did not happen overnight either and there were many days of low class numbers. Not the happiest of school memories for many!”

“It also meant no school for those of us attending Brechin High as no buses were running anywhere. However, we all enjoyed sledging every day, making wonderful slides in the middle of the road to the annoyance of some adults who were not so sure-footed as us.

“I do not remember how long we were off school but it must have been a week or two. Happy days indeed!” University of Dundee commencing at 6.30pm, with doors open from 6pm. Please note that this is a historical lecture, not a political event.

North Angus Liberal Unionists held a summer fete at Fettercairn House, in a year unknown but we suspect the late 1940s. During the event the Earl of Dalhousie tried his hand at reversing a tractor and trailer. We think this would have been the grandfather of the present Earl, the 17th.