Visiting Speakers 2026

Ron Campbell

President Mike Stevenson reminisced again about nature closing down and, this time, informed us that October is his favourite month because of all the colours you see when you are out and about. Those born in October also have the longest life expectancy and he asked three of our October-born members to recall when they first joined the Probus. Their recollections were both thought and memory provoking.

We were reminded of the outing to the rugby club on the 9th of December, and names were collected for our Christmas lunch on December 16th. The website is still attracting many visitors, and training will soon be offered so others can help webmaster Mike Simpson. Again, our speakers’ convener reminded us that many of our speakers come from members’ recommendations and asked us to let him know if we become aware of any new potential speakers.

Club golf competitions have finished for the season, but the Fife Probus Golf had one last game at Thornton. This was won by a team from Glenrothes Probus. Thanks were expressed to member Ron Wylie for his excellent organisation of Fife Probus Golf. The bowling season has also come to its conclusion, but there is still the lunch at the Strathearn Hotel on Monday 26th October for the bowlers to enjoy. This will be at 12.30. The Thursday walking group ventured round Riverside Park in Glenrothes last week, and will visit Balbirnie on Thursday 15th, to enjoy the Autumn colours. The Friday walking group were thwarted, by a fallen tree, on their walk from Aberdour to Burntisland. Last Friday’s walk, however, round Kinghorn, presented no such problems.

“When Five became Six” was the intriguing title of today’s talk by Ron Campbell, a fellow Probus member from Glenrothes. The talk was about the crucial role played by RAF Coastal Command before and after D-Day. D-Day was planned for the fifth of June, but a weather report from Blacksod Light at the extreme west of Ireland, reached Group Captain James Martin Stagg, Britain’s chief meteorologist. Using this information about a storm on the fifth and calm on the sixth, he managed to persuade the leader of the allied forces, General Eisenhower, to postpone the invasion by a day. Many allied lives were saved because of this.

The second part of Ron’s talk looked at “The Forgotten Few”, the RAF crews of six meteorological stations in “The Battle of the Weathers”. This service has been all but erased from the official records, and it was very illuminating to hear the results of Ron’s comprehensive research. He concentrated mainly on the airfield at Tiree and 518 Squadron which was based there.

President Mike thanked Ron for his talk on behalf of the members.

We meet again on Wednesday 21st October at 10.00 for 10.30 in the Dean Park Hotel, when Detective Sergeant Kellyanne Muir will talk on the Herbert Protocol. This is the protocol for missing persons with a diagnosis of dementia.

Dave Burke

In his opening address, President Mike Stevenson reflected on the rapid growth of AI and wondered if it is all happening too fast. In a similar vein, he mentioned that he has also bought a new car in the past year and was concerned that there is too much technology in cars nowadays.

Our almoner entertained us with yet another selection of clever short jokes before the webmaster reported that our excellent website had been visited over 3,500 times over the previous month.

Our last club golf outing of the season was on Thursday 10th at Burntisland. George Warner had an excellent day, winning the nearest to the pin prize, before taking home a steak pie and a bottle of prosecco as overall winner on the day. The final outing for all Fife Probus golfers will be to Thornton on Monday 21st of September.

Robin Meldrum was the winner of the singles competition in the bowls. We are hoping the weather lets the pairs final be contested next Monday. Both walking groups were blessed with ideal weather for their recent walks. The walk on Thursday 24th is starting at Letham Glen then around the farms, leaving our usual car park at 10.00. For info on Friday walks, contact Ian Gilchrist.

Two social events are forthcoming. The first is our visit and meal at the rugby club, which is on Saturday 5thDecember, costing £30.00. The second is our Christmas lunch, which will be on December 16th at Dunnikier Golf Club. You are also reminded that our meeting on 2nd December will be a joint one with Kirkcaldy Ladies, for a concert in aid of Alzheimer’s Scotland. We visited Hampden Park last Thursday, and all who attended found the experience, the guide and the museum first class.

Dave Burke was our returning speaker, telling us about his return to Antarctica after 45 years. His first talk covered his three years with the British Antarctic Survey. This time he was there as a tourist, on the 180 passenger “Discovery Yacht”, the Scenic Eclipse. He told of how many of the crew were experts in various aspects of the Antarctic, and of how they took great care to ensure that no ecological damage was caused by the passengers.

There were many photos of wildlife, including some of whales almost touching the RIBs and even the canoes, but there was no danger. When they went ashore, they travelled in small groups, keeping a safe distance from the animals, and, always, the animals have the right of way.

Ron Wylie thanked Dave for his interesting talk on behalf of the members.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 7th of October, at 10.00 for 10.30 in the Dean Park Hotel. Ron Campbell will be telling us about “When Five became Six”, a story of the D-Day landings.

Ailsa Gormley & Kate Pickering

We attended meeting number 1200 this week, and President Mike Stevenson told us about his trip to Bristol to look after his grandchildren, and of how much more difficult he feels it is for parents nowadays. He also noted that most of Banksy’s early work was in Bristol, then compared Bristol with Kirkcaldy. Kirkcaldy has much more going for it than some people think, and recently murals have been appearing in prominent places about the town. The murals are funded by the Kirkcaldy Lottery, and you can find information about this on Google.

Our visit to Hampden is scheduled for Wednesday 9th and arrangements are in place. Ron Wylie noted the passing of Derek Burns, known to Fife Probus golf competitors. He then told us that the recent match at Strathtyrum was won by golfers from Glenrothes. The next chance for Kirkcaldy golfers to shine is at Thornton on September 21st, for a Texas Scramble. Teams for the next club golf game will be distributed this weekend. The game will be on Thursday 10th at Burntisland. The bowling ties are progressing, but most of the time we are playing fun bounce games.

Last week’s Thursday walk was round Birnie and Gadden Lochs then a coffee at neighbouring Fife Zoo. The next Thursday walk will be to Findattie on September 10th, meeting at 10.00 at the usual car park. The Friday walkers had a great walk round Aberdour, and Ian Gilchrist can supply you with details of the walk this Friday.

We had two ladies from Kirkcaldy Community and Impact Team talking to us today. Ailsa Gormley and Kate Pickering were giving us “A History of Kirkcaldy Galleries . . . and Where Do We Go from Here?” This was apparently their maiden speech, but you would never have known, and I am sure they will be in great demand on the speakers’ circuit once news of their offering gets out.

They began by asking, “What do you think of when you hear the words ‘Kirkcaldy Galleries?’ They continued by giving us a potted history of the Galleries. Kirkcaldy wanted more than a regular war memorial after the First World War. Although we have a very impressive memorial, the Gallery and Library and the park are also part of the memorial. £20,000 was donated by John Nairn (over £1,000,000 in today’s money) and the galleries, library, war memorial and park were created. At first, many of the artefacts on display were borrowed. Since then, many items of local interest have been established in the galleries.

Looking to the future, gallery staff work together with communities so that all interested parties can have their say.

While staffing and other costs are funded by Fife Council, other work is funded by Friends of Kirkcaldy Galleries and other external sources.

Ron Wylie thanked Ailsa and Kate for their very interesting talk.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 16th September in the Dean Park at 10.00 for 10.30.

Roberta Goodall

President Mike Stevenson opened our 1199th meeting by talking about the eclipse and what a disappointment it was for people in our area after the big build up. He then used a series of slides of other major events in our shared history and asked well-chosen members of their memories of the events. These were the sort of events everyone remembers, and amazingly, one member was in New York on 9/11.

The next social outing is to Hampden Park on Wednesday, 9th September. Car sharing is being organised. The bowls season is continuing apace and ties are progressing, though the main objects of the Monday sessions are fun and camaraderie. The next Thursday walk on the 27th is to Birnie and Gadden Lochs and Mike Birkett will provide you with details. Similarly, Ian Gilchrist will provide you with details of our weekly Friday walks.

The next Fife Probus golf outing will be on Wednesday 26th August. at Strathtyrum. In Club golf, Mike Stevenson won the Stableford competition at Balwearie. Since this was the culmination of “The Race to Balwearie”, with the four best scores of the season so far being counted, Mike also triumphed when the four scores were tallied. The next club golf outing is to Burntisland on Thursday 10th September.

Today’s talk was on “A Family History” and it was delivered by Roberta Goodall. Roberta shared her experiences doing genealogical research, using “Ancestry” as a springboard and some of the other methods of research she used. She was able to use the knowledge she gained about her father’s mother from “Ancestry” to research other materials pertaining to this lady and, as in other instances, it was amazing how much she could learn. She already knew one harrowing fact about the death of her grandmother but went on to discover that she had been murdered. This led Roberta, through painstaking research, to investigate the trial and conviction of the murderer.

Roberta chose to give up her research as it was all too time-consuming, but she was drawn back in 2024 when she received a notification from “Ancestry” that someone else wanted information about Roberta’s family. This turned out to be an unknown aunt and Roberta was able to contact her. Unfortunately, the aunt died 19 days after contact, but Roberta has been able to meet her cousin with her daughter.

Roberta finished by encouraging all of us to construct a family tree, and told us that, if any family member reveals old stories, “Ask ALL the questions.”

Hugh MacKenzie thanked Roberta on behalf of the members.

The next meeting, on the 2nd of September, will be preceded by a committee meeting at 9.15. At this meeting, Ailsa Gormley and Kate Pickering will tell us about “The History of Kirkcaldy Galleries – Where Do We Go Next?”

Alistair Gibb

President Mike Stevenson opened the meeting by telling us about dipping in and out of the Commonwealth Games and of the particular pleasure he took in watching minority sports that don’t normally make our television screens. He reminded us of our talk just three meetings ago about the history of the Paralympics and congratulated Kirkcaldy’s own Ben Sandilands on his Commonwealth gold.

Treasurer Robert Main continues to give us good news about our finances. Our next trip will be to Hampden to tour the stadium and visit the museum, probably on Wednesday 9th September.

We have reached the second round of competitions in the singles and the pairs at the bowls. The walk next Thursday will be round Lochore Meadows. The convener of the Friday walking group told us that on a recent walk there that members had seen otters.

We had an amazing 2966 visits to our excellent website last month, and our speakers’ convener reminded us to keep informing him of possible future speakers.

The next Fife Probus golf outing will be to Strathtyrum at the end of the month. The club golf continues at Kirkcaldy Golf Club on Thursday 6th August with the Balwearie Stableford competition and the culmination of the Race to Balwearie. Two competitions have already been decided. Euan Fraser won the Plate, and congratulations go to Jim Browning who is Club Knock-out Champion this year. Jim thanked George Warner for all his hard work for club golf this year.

The talk for today was by Alistair Gibb, telling us about “Ian Hamilton Finlay – Man of Letters”. After a short introduction to Finlay’s earlier life, Alistair turned to Finlay’s great love, concrete poetry, in which he excelled. Concrete poetry is where the visual design and layout convey the meaning, often more than the literal words. Alistair showed us many examples of Finlay’s work, explaining their meaning, and we were able to appreciate the skill in their construction.

Finlay’s parents-in-law purchased Stoneypath in the Pentland Hills for the couple, and it is here that they created the famous garden of Little Sparta. Wife Sue took care of the horticulture, while Finlay created many pieces of art set into the natural landscape. Alistair showed us examples of these works - wise and pithy sayings set into appropriate created concrete.

Vice- President Julian Berg thanked Alistair on behalf of the members.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 19th August at 10.00 for 10.30 at the Dean Park Hotel. Roberta Goodall will speak about “A Family History (Ancestry)”. Come and join us to find out more about our activities.

Iwan Thomas

President Mike Stevenson began by reflecting on how we have all been overdosing on sport this summer. He continued by looking at his career as a PE teacher, and how, in the seventies, there would be thirty teams representing Kirkcaldy High School in different sports every Saturday. He also considered how sport has developed throughout Kirkcaldy since then.

We had a report on our Three Bridges Cruise, with particular mention of how lucky we were with calm seas and great weather for sailing. This was followed by a slide show of some of the highlights.

We also had perfect conditions for the Stableford club golf competition at Scoonie on the 9th, which was won by Graham Love. The next club competition is on August 6th at Balwearie. Golfers are reminded to organise their ties in the Quaich competition. The ties are also proceeding in the singles and the pairs in the bowling section. If you want to join the Friday walkers, Ian Gilchrist will give you details of walks, which are weekly. The Thursday walkers will be at Townhill Loch on the 23rd, and Mike Birkett can provide you with the details.

Vice-president Julian Berg introduced our speaker for the day, Iwan Thomas, the Access and Recreation Officer for the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust. His topic was “The Fife Pilgrim Way, In the Footsteps of Pilgrims”. Iwan began by giving us a brief history of pilgrimages in Fife, which were at their peak in the late twelfth century. Queen Margaret introduced ferries for pilgrims to St Andrews, and while she was herself canonised in 1250, St Andrews remained the main centre of pilgrimage in Fife.

The modern Fife Pilgrim Way was proposed in 2012 and received funding seven years later. It had two aims: to promote active travel and to encourage exploration of the natural and built heritage of inland Fife. The route is 64 miles long and Iwan broke it into sections of from seven to fourteen miles, with anecdotes regarding areas of interest along the way. Modern pilgrims may have different motives for their pilgrimages, but “Spiritual Enlightenment” continues as a motive as it was centuries ago.

Anderson Lindsay thanked Iwan on behalf of the members.

Our next meeting is on August 6th, when Alistair Gibb will talk to us about “Ian Hamilton Finlay – Man of Words”. Come and join us at 10.00 for 10.30 to find out more about us.

Alan Crombie

President Mike Stevenson reflected on the recent Scottish football performance, then produced a programme for a game he had attended in 1963 in Aberdeen. This was an under-23 international between Scotland and England, and Mike read us the names of some of the players. Many on both sides are still household names (to our generation) and an amazing number of the English team went on to win the World Cup three years later.

Mike reminded us of arrangements for next Wednesday’s Three Bridges Cruise. At the first meeting in August, we will collect names for the trip to Hampden, which will take place in late August or early September. We are also considering a visit behind the scenes at Edinburgh Airport.

The club golf competitions are now under way, and the next club golf game is on Thursday 9th at Scoonie. The latest Fife Probus golf match was played last week in brilliant weather. The Texas Scramble was won by a team from Dunfermline, while our own Graeme Cockburn won the longest drive. The first round of the pairs bowling has been completed, while the singles are now under way.

We presented flowers to the widows of John Methven and Walter Simpson.

George Proudfoot gave us an insight into the programme being prepared by the Civic Society – “50 Objects That Define Kirkcaldy” – before Alan Crombie, our main speaker, gave us a thorough overview of number twelve on the list, “Freedom of the Burgh”. Kirkcaldy did not have a long list of those who had been given the “Freedom”, but the people honoured were of substantial merit. There were only thirteen, and they all had connections to Kirkcaldy, though only two were born there, Sir Sandford Fleming and Sir Michael Nairn.

Some of the recipients are still well known – Andrew Carnegie and Earl Haig - while some are more obscure. In Alan’s eyes, the greatest son of Kirkcaldy is Sir Sandford Fleming, who emigrated to Canada but never forgot his roots or his love for his home town. He made his mark in Canada, where he is still widely remembered, but internationally, he devised the system of standard time, which we still use today to divide the world into time zones. Recently, a sundial has been erected at the north end of the prom, to commemorate this great work.

An impressed Jack Dempsey gave the vote of thanks to Alan.

We will meet again on Wednesday 15th July at the Dean Park Hotel, 10.00 for 10.30, when our speaker will be Iwan Thomas, who will be talking about “The Fife Pilgrim’s Way”. If you are interested in what we do, you can visit the Kirkcaldy Probus website. You can also contact Mike on 07768061183 and he will give you details about the meeting and other activities the club is involved in.

Richard Brickley OBE MBE

We had an unusual start to the meeting as, after President Mike Stevenson opened it, many of our officials and conveners were unavailable to give reports. Our first report was of the last club golf outing, which was at Canmore. There was torrential rain and only nine holes were played, but that was enough to enable new member Graham Love to win the trophy. The next outing is to Scoonie on July 9th. The next Fife Probus golf competition is at Dunnikier on Wednesday 24th. The pairs competition got under way on Monday in the bowling section. We meet on Mondays at St Clair bowling club at 2.00. The walk next Thursday will be round Burntisland.

The visit, in good weather, to East Fortune Airport was very successful, Car sharing is being organised for the trip on the Three Bridges Cruise on the 8th of July. Two other potential visits are under consideration: in September we may visit Hampden Park and we are also looking at a visit to behind the scenes at Edinburgh Airport.

Richard Brickley was our speaker for the day. His topic was “The Development of Para Sport in Fife”. This year we are celebrating forty years of inclusive sport in the region. Richard joined Fife Institute in 1975 and was immediately given a wheelchair dance class. This piqued his interest in Disability sport, which is for all ages and all disabilities, including learning difficulties.

He has taken competitors to many international competitions and, in 1984, took a team to the Paralympics in New York. This was the last time the Paralympics were not held in the same city as the Olympics. From 1988 in Seoul, the Paralympics have followed the Olympics in the same venues. In 1984, the only television shown was a 45-minute broadcast; now events are broadcast daily.

Athletes with disabilities participate in sections determined by their disabilities. In Seoul in 1988, Richard became a “classifier” in athletics, helping place athletes in their most appropriate sections. He became chief classifier at Athens in 2004.

The best organised games were in Beijing in 2008, where more volunteers were provided than requested, and where Richard made three visits prior to the games. However, at these games, three challenges were made to the classifications of some athletes.

Richard’s pride in all people who participate in disability sport shone through, and he loves taking students to their highest level.

Gold medals were won at every Paralympics, and there has always been at least one Fifer participating. Fifers have also won golds several times and there is a Fife Hall of Fame for all winners of silver and gold at the Paralympics.

After his talk, Richard showed a video of Ben Sandilands, from Kirkcaldy, winning gold and breaking the world record last year.

President Mike Stevenson then took over and told us of his uncle’s experience of disabled sport. The treatment of people with spinal injuries had just changed, and Dr Guttman of Stoke Mandeville organised games between his patients and those from the Star and Garter Hospital. These evolved into disability sports and ultimately the Paralympics. Mike circulated an ashtray trophy which his uncle had won in 1952.

Graeme Cockburn gave the vote of thanks to Richard on behalf of the members.

Our next meeting is on 1st July, when Alan Crombie will tell us about “The people who won the Freedom of the Burgh of Kirkcaldy”.

David McNeill

President Mike Stevenson opened the meeting by relating tales from his earliest years, in the small town of Keith, through the exploits of his teenage years till he left for college in Glasgow.

We’ve pencilled in a visit to East Fortune Airport for Wednesday 10th June, weather permitting. Contact Mike Birkett for details. The Three Bridges boat trip on 8th July will be booked this week so contact Mike Stevenson if you wish to join us and have not already given your name. Also, Ron MacLead reminds us that he greatly appreciates recommendations for speakers.

The club golfers will be playing at Canmore on June 4th for a lovely crystal trophy, with their following visit to Scoonie on 9th July. The next Fife Probus golf competition is on the 26th of June at Dunnikier. A group of golfers returned to Strathspey to play two games, Unfortunately, bad weather defeated the second outing. Mike Stevenson won the competition and regardless of weather, a good time was had by all. The bowls competitions have now been drawn but Monday’s game seemed unlikely because of the weather forecast This proved to be inaccurate, and we had a good game. Last Thursday’s walk was at Blairadam Forest and next Thursday’s walk is still to be decided.

David McNeil, our speaker, spoke on the topic “Literacy in Scotland”. He gave a very interesting insight on the subject. There were illustrative slides and David spoke to these and gave us a good picture of literacy in Scotland. Literacy is not just the ability to read, but also writing, speaking and listening so that we can communicate with the world. David provided statistics to illustrate how many people do not have full literacy and how this can negatively affect their lives. Much of the bad behaviour in schools is caused by a poor grasp pf language skills. In adult life job prospects are hindered by a lack of literacy, and it can also increase the likelihood of Mental Health problems

David told us of organisations like the National Literacy Trust and Bookbug which help improve literacy. He also talked about how we can help. As individuals, we can help by giving children a good grounding at home. We can also encourage the use of libraries and volunteer to help in many other ways - some might appear small but he emphasised that every little bit counts.

Euan Fraser thanked David for his talk and for communicating his enthusiasm so successfully.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 17th June, when Richard Brickley will tell us about “The Development of Para Sport in Fife from 1975-2025”.

John Marshall

Opening the meeting, President Mike Stevenson gave us a potted history of Fife, which you can learn yourself if you play the crazy golf course at Cluny. The holes there have annotations of their relevance to parts of Fife history.

Our secretary reminded us to pick up the new membership booklet before leaving the meeting, and our treasurer reassured us that everything financial was in order. The meal at Fife College was a resounding success and thanks were given to Robert Main for organising it. Our next outing will be to East Fortune airfield later in June and the following visit will be a three bridges cruise from South Queensferry. This will be on July 8th, at 10.30, costing £18.00 per head and partners and guests are welcome. We will eat nearby afterwards. The next committee meeting will discuss other options for activities. If you can think of anything suitable, please contact Mike Stevenson. Similarly, remember to contact Ron MacLeod with any suggestions for future speakers.

The Senga Trophy was played for by our club golfers at the Dora course in Cowdenbeath and was won by Ron Wylie. No trophies, as yet, in the bowling section, but the draws will be made in June for the singles competition and the pairs. The venue for the walk on Friday 22nd is still to be decided, but the last two walks were vey enjoyable. Last Thursday’s walk to Blairadam was postponed till Thursday 28th and we walked the length of Kirkcaldy prom in much better weather than had been forecast.

John Marshall was our speaker for the day. He talked about “The American French Fry Story”. John had grown potatoes all his life and was part of a group of similar men, with connections in some way to the potato industry, who took a trip to Idaho to discover more about potatoes and their uses. Who knew how many potato varieties there were, or how much work went on behind the scenes to produce new varieties? We also found out about the many scientific procedures that are undertaken to ensure that the potatoes we buy and eat are disease free.

John’s journey took him from Salt Lake City to many stops in Idaho and a few in Montana. At each stop he learned something different about potatoes and what is involved in their growth and processing. He finished up at a giant McCain’s factory, where it was not the first place he was given special gear to wear, for biosecurity purposes. We also learned that the potatoes used to make fries throughout America were Russet Burbanks.

Alan Court gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the members.

David McNeil will be our speaker at our next meeting on June 3rd. His subject will be “Literacy in Scotland”. The meeting will be preceded by a committee meeting at 9.15.

Keith Mason

President Mike Stevenson opened the meeting and gave us a few reminiscences, before welcoming Graham Love, our new member. Vice-President Julian Berg presented Graham with his Probus badge. The new members’ booklet will be at the printers soon and members are reminded that, if any changes need to be made to their information, now is the time to inform the secretary.

The club golfers made their first outing to Cluny where President Mike Stevenson came out on top. They then went indoors to the 12-hole mini-course where they played for the Derek Bethune claret jug. Bob Hutchison and Bill O’Donnell will share the prize for six months each. The golfers will play the Dora course in Cowdenbeath on May 7th then Canmore on the 4th of June. Twenty-eight players participated in the first outing of the Fife Probus golf season, which was won by another club. The next meeting is over a month away. The bowls’ season is well under way and you are welcome to give it a try on Mondays at 2.00 at St Clair Bowling Club. We will provide the bowls if you provide flat-soled shoes. The walk this Friday will probably be to the Silver Sands and on Thursday 14th the walk will be at Blairadam. Our visit to the lifeboat station in Anstruther proved to be very illuminating. Mike Simpson gave a potted history of the organisation and our thanks go to Alastair Watson for organising the visit.

Keith Mason returned to give us more insight into the history of trams, but this time not just at Kirkcaldy, but concentrating on Wemyss and District trams while also travelling further afield. The talk was illustrated with many interesting evocative slides, including some sights still recognisable today. The Wemyss and District trams opened in 1906 and reached Leven one year later. The trams were all single-decked, though double-deckers from Kirkcaldy were also needed on the line. At the time, their upper decks were not allowed to be used. Another restriction was that Wemyss trams were not allowed down the “prize” of Kirkcaldy High Street. When the Kirkcaldy trams came off, Walter Alexander took over and ran buses. While we can no longer see historic trams on the streets of Fife, Wemyss trams can still be seen working in Sintra near Lisbon.A very impressed Mike Birkett gave the vote of thanks on behalf of the members.

We were reminded of the Academy dinner on the 7th. Please bring cash for gratuities and for beverages. We will meet at 5.45 for 6.00pm. Our next meeting is on Wednesday 20th May at 10.00 for 10.30am when our speaker, John M Marshall will tell us about “American French Fries – Bring the Ketchup”. Join us at the Dean Park Hotel if you are able.

Ian Archibald - Picture to follow.

President Mike Stevenson opened our 1091th meeting by extending a very warm welcome to Past President Jack Christie. 34 members were in attendance and new member John Tripp was welcomed to the Club.

Almoner Roy Urquhart reported on the health of two of our members. The College Dinner, for members and guests, will take place on Thursday May 7th. Anyone still wishing to attend should contact Robert Main. The visit to the RNLI station at Anstruther will go ahead on April 22nd and those attending were asked to be there by 10am.

The first of our golf outings is to Cluny Clays on 16th April and Convenor George Warner asked those playing to be there by 9.30am. The first Fife Probus Golf Association match is at Scoonie on Wednesday 29th April and those interested in playing should contact Bob Hutchison. The next Thursday Walking Group outing is to Heatherhall Woods near Ladybank on 23rd April.

The bowling season will open on Monday 20th April at 2pm in the St Clair Club in Loughborough Road. Convenor Mike Birkett advised members that those who wished to try bowls should come along.

We welcomed Ian Archibald as our speaker to tell us about “The Search for the Lost Baggage Ferry of King Charles 1st”. Ian is a retired cartographer and Convenor of Burntisland Heritage Trust. King Charles was born in 1600 in Dunfermline and was crowned in 1625. Due to the recent Union of the Crowns it was felt that a separate coronation in Scotland was required and this took place in Edinburgh in 1633. The king then embarked on a tour of the royal palaces in Scotland starting in Fife. The king arrived safely but his baggage, which was on the ferry “The Blessing of Burntisland”, did not and sank in the Forth. Ian then told us about the extensive search for the wreck, which has been ongoing for many years, using side scan sonar, help from both St Andrews and Essex Universities and divers.

Jim Husband gave the vote of thanks.

At our next meeting on 6th May our speaker will be Keith Mason who will give the second part of his talk on Kirkcaldy Trams.

Sam Henry

New president Mike Stevenson opened our 1090th meeting appropriately by looking at past April Fools on the BBC. Also, with the changing of the clocks, he welcomed the uplifting arrival of Spring and nature beginning to return to life.

The treasurer reported that all is up to date, before our almoner entertained us with another round of clever jokes. Mike Simpson, webmaster, reminded members to keep their information accurate if there are changes. New members should pass their details to him so that they can gain access to the members’ only section of the website. The website received an impressive 3250 hits last month.

Names were added for the trip to Anstruther Lifeboat Station on April 22nd, and a later trip on the Maid of the Forth was mooted. The College dinner, for members and guests, is on Thursday 7th May and names can still be given to the treasurer. Our new speakers’ convener, Ron Macleod, reminded members that if they have information about potential speakers, they should contact him with details.

The sporting season is upon us and the Club Golf outings will begin with a visit to Cluny Clays, taking in a game at the impressive mini-golf course as well. The Derek Bethune Claret Jug will be played for in this outing, the first of six this season, with trophies in each. George Warner reminded members that the objective is fun and camaraderie, as well as enjoying the game, and that new participants are welcome. Fife Probus golf competitions begin on Wednesday 29th April at Scoonie and information has been circulated. Anyone else interested should contact Bob Hutchison. The last Thursday walk was to Pittencrieff Glen, and on Thursday 9thwe will walk from Heatherhall Woods to Ladybank, meeting at our usual car park. The Friday group walk every week, first from North Queensferry to Inverkeithing, then round Townhill Loch.

The bowling season will begin on Monday April 20th at St Clair Bowling Club. New participants are welcome. If you can supply your own flat-soled shoes, we can supply bowls.

We welcomed Sam Henry as our speaker, to tell us about his experiences as a Battlefield guide. Sam is a retired Principal teacher of History, and he latterly works for Mercat Tours taking parties to WW1 battlefields. Most of these parties are from schools, though there are also many adult groups. They spend three full days visiting different cemeteries, and pupils write up their experiences afterwards. Sam showed pictures of several graveyards, and memorials, and had stories and reminiscences of all of them. These were both historic about characters and events, and about the visitors. In advance, the company finds out if anyone in the party has an ancestor buried there and they can show them the grave, a moving experience for the visitor, and for Sam.

Bob Hutchison gave the vote of thanks after this moving talk.

At our next meeting, on April 15th, we will be joined by Ian Archibald, who will tell us about “The Search for the Lost Treasure of King Charles the First.”

Judith Kerr

President Mike Birkett conducted the business of our AGM then handed over the reins to new president, Mike Stevenson. Mike Stevenson thanked his predecessor for his calm and assured command of his job over the year. He also thanked speakers’ convener, Jim Browning, who was now stepping down, for the excellent range and quality of speakers he has brought us over the past three years. Following this, Mike produced the plaque with the presidents dating from our founding in 1971 inscribed on it. He then recalled some of the personalities from earlier times.

We heard about two forthcoming events. The first is on 22nd April to Anstruther Lifeboat Station; and the second is our visit to Fife College to sample a tasting menu, on May 7th.

Judith Kerr was our speaker for the day, on the topic of “Growing Kirkcaldy”. Judith, now retired, has been on various committees, serving the people of Kirkcaldy, since she was sixteen. She started her talk by giving us a little bit of history about Kirkcaldy and showed her pride in the town by mentioning the three Green Flag play parks and the two award-winning beaches.

“Growing Kirkcaldy” is an umbrella organisation for the improvement of Kirkcaldy. “There are lots of things we can’t do but we help those who can.” They work with others, and, in particular, do a lot of the gardening about the town. They are so successful that Kirkcaldy reached the final of “Britain in Bloom” last year, winning a gold award. Judith is very proud of this achievement, and gave us an overview of all the different categories they were judged on.

Later, she showed us interesting pictures of “Then and Now”, but it is obvious Judith is not a person steeped in nostalgia but someone who loves Kirkcaldy as it now is and hopes to help create an even better future for Kirkcaldy.

Bill O’Donnell thanked Judith for a very interesting talk about the town.

Our next meeting is on April1st, when Sam Henry will give us the “Reminiscences of a Tour Guide”.

Dr David Caldwell

Mike Birkett opened his final meeting as president, with part three of “The History of English Language Poetry”. He took us from the copyright act of 1710, through the Romantic Poets, and concluded with a poem about Kirkcaldy Esplanade car park, the sort of poem that would have been perfect material back in the days of the broadsheets in the 1660s.

Our first outing, sometime in April this year, will be to the Lifeboat Station in Anstruther. This will be followed by a visit to the Japanese Garden, probably in May. We are also having a six-course taster dinner at Fife College on May 7th. Names, with additional gests, will be collected soon.

Details about the club golf will be announced at our next meeting. Information concerning Fife Probus Golf venues has already been emailed. The walk last Thursday was round Balbirnie Park, where the snowdrops were at their best. The Friday walkers have had two outings; one to Lochore Meadows and one to Birnie and Gaddon Lochs. Information about the Thursday walks can be had from Mike Birkett; Ian Gilchrist will provide you with details of the Friday walks.

David Caldwell, whose subject was ’The Stone of Scone’, was the speaker for the day. David, employed at the National Museum in Edinburgh at the time, was involved in the process of bringing the Stone back to Scotland. He wrote the legal document which explains the significance of the Stone and why it should be preserved. David conjectured, throughout his talk, on certain aspects of the Stone and its history, in a very considered and thought-provoking way.

The first actual record of the Stone was in 1297, when the English catalogued the artefacts they were taking from Scotland. The Stone’s earlier significance is now lost in time, but it must be great, since the Stone itself has nothing special in its appearance.

The Stone became famous for the first time, in modern times, when it was stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1950, after which time it became a growing symbol of Scotland and better known as ‘The Stone of Destiny’. It was eventually returned to Scotland in 1996.

John Stewart thanked David for his very informative and illuminating talk.

Our next meeting, on March 4th, is our AGM and an email with the agenda will be sent, with a link, to the required papers for the meeting. Please read the papers in advance of the AGM meeting.

Judith Kerr will speak on “Growing Kirkcaldy” after the AGM.

Alan Crombie

After opening the meeting, President Mike Birkett gave us part two of “The History of English Language Poetry”, taking us through the time of Charles the Second, when numerous broadsheets published ballads for the general population to read and, where able, to memorise. He finished with the Copyright Act of 1710,though this applied only to books, not broadsheets. Our AGM is scheduled for March 18th, and reports and pictures should be with Stuart Rennie as soon as possible. Subs should also be with the Treasurer before our next meeting. Last Friday’s walk was to Aberdour to see the snowdrops while this Friday’s walk will be decided on the day. Bad weather prevented last Thursday’s walk, so we will try to visit Balbirnie Park next week instead, weather permitting. The outing to

the comedy club, preceded by a good meal at Annapurna restaurant, was enjoyable.

Alan Crombie was our guest speaker. His topic was “The Beginning of Beveridge Park”. This involved relating the story of Michael Beveridge, mill owner, then provost. After he died, his bequest enabled the purchase of land from the Raith Estate and the establishment of the

park. Parks at the time were being created to give open spaces to the workers as a relief from the terrible conditions in which many of them worked and lived. When Beveridge became provost of Kirkcaldy in 1886, he wanted to open a park for the local people, to

commemorate Victoria’s Jubilee, but Kirkcaldy Town Council would not provide the money.

Beveridge died in 1890 and bequeathed £50,000 to Kirkcaldy, to buy land and create a park for the public.  Different sites were proposed, but the one at Robbie’s Farm prevailed. This land was purchased and was given the name Beveridge Park in his honour. It was opened in 1892. There was enough money in the bequest to build the Adam Smith Hall at the same time. At the end of his talk Alan distributed leaflets entitled “Kirkcaldy in 50 Objects”, published to commemorate 50 years of Kirkcaldy Civic Society. Ian Gilchrist gave the vote of thanks, stating that the members were very impressed and now had a much deeper knowledge of a facility most people believed had always been there.

At our next meeting, on March 4th, David Caldwell will talk about the Stone of Destiny.

President Mike Birkett took the chair for our 1086th meeting. He began by giving us part one of the “History of Poetry”, taking us up to Chaucer, the first example of

written recorded poetry in English. Our AGM is on March 18th, and reports should be with the secretary by February 18th. Photos should also be with Stuart Rennie before the 18th of this month. This is also the deadline for payment of subs this year.

Our first visit of the new year is to Kirkcaldy’s Comedy Club on Saturday February 6th, meeting for a meal in advance, at Annapurna restaurant at 5.45. We discussed revisiting Fife College for a taster menu and agreed the date of Thursday 7th May. Further potential visits for later in the season were announced. With weather in mind, Friday’s walking group should meet at the Merchant’s House this week, and information about next Thursday’s walk will be given nearer the date.

Our speaker for the day was Keith Mason whose topic was Kirkcaldy Trams. First, he gave us a lot of interesting background regarding the history of discussions about the potential introduction of trams before they finally arrived in 1902. This was after electricity became available. They were brought by train to Sinclairtown Station, before being delivered by horse-drawn buggy to their newly built depot at Gallatown. At this point, Keith began using slides. These comprised an evocative selection of postcards from bygone days. The early trams were open to the elements upstairs and the drivers were not enclosed. Our members who were not Kirkcaldy natives enjoyed these pictures of historic Kirkcaldy as much as the long-time residents. Keith made the photos come alive as he talked about not only the trams in the pictures but also elements to the side and in the background. This provided a wealth of information that we would otherwise not have appreciated. Keith recommended books by Alan Brotchie, if we wanted to know more, especially “Wemyss Trams and Early Buses”. Members are looking forward to seeing Keith again for part two of his talk at a future date.

Mike Simpson thanked Keith for his very interesting presentation.

Our next meeting will be on February 18th when Alan Crombie will tell us all about Beveridge Park.