Large crowds turned out to view village's past

The Courier, 25 September 2000

Large crowds turned out to celebrate the fascinating history of Kingsbarns over the weekend at a millennium exhibition staged in the village's newly-refurbished Memorial Hall.

Highlights included a display on the original and the newly-opened Kingsbarns Golf Links, as well as a feature on the village primary school - the oldest working school in Fife.

This included the chance to view a Scotch Education Department Merit Certificate presented to Elspeth D. Martin in 1901 by head teacher Roderick McKenzie.

There was also a fascinating feature on Success - a British destroyer wrecked on Kingsbarns beach during the first world war whose sailors were given refuge in the school.

Related to this, East Neuk man Andy Sherriff lent the exhibition a table which his grandfather made out of flotsam salvaged from the ship, as well as a brass door lock.

Also featured were many old photographs showing village life through the ages, as well as holiday snaps taken by two sisters who came from Glasgow to holiday in Kingsbarns between 1926 and 1937.

The pair also learned to play golf on the original course during their visits.

Other exhibits included a cup and saucer with the Kingsbarns crest on it from 1930, a footstool with the same crest, a weather vane which blew off the church and candlesticks made by the local joiner.

Among old postcards, some carried the original Kingsbarns sub-post office stamp.

There was also an exhibit showing the geological history of Kingsbarns put together by Dr Doug Benn, a lecturer from St Andrews University geography department.

St Andrews Art Club also put on a special exhibition of Kingsbarns paintings.

The event was organised by the Kingsbarns Community Council Millennium Group.