‘The Parish minister lived in the Manse. The Free Church Manse was

Mansedale, where Mrs. Danskin now lives. In 1923 the Ceres Free Church anc

the Strathkinness Free Church had united (they united in 1917), and the

minister lived in Ceres. The Free Church Manse was let to a retired minister

who later went to Edinburgh. When the congregations in Strathkinness

united the Free Church was sold and is now the Village HaIl.

‘In days gone by there were five smiddys (at different times) in the village;

(1)

Where Mr. Walker is today; (2) Where my bedrooms are in Church Road

(Spence Douglas); (3) Knock hill; (4) Sunnybraes (Bonfield); and (5) Church

Road (Spence Douglas’s grandfather, also called Spence Douglas) (3) and (4)

were, I believe, for sharpening tools for the quarries.

‘The Girls’ Club in Bonfield Road was built by the late Mrs. Younger of

Mount Melville in 1909. She once told us at a meeting in the Club that her

father had given her the inspiration to build the Clubwhichwasforwomen and

girls; she staffed it with a Matron, a maid for the Matron and a cleaning lady.

The Matron’s quarters were beautifully furnished and consisted of a sitting-

room, kitchen, scullery, bathroom, bedroom, spare bedroom, linen cupboard

and maid’s room. The public part consisted of a large hall upstairs, a cloak-

room and toilet, together with a lower club room. Before electricity came

the lighing was by gas made by carbide in the gas house at the gate. There

was a netball pitch in the garden, a tennis court over the road and a putting

green, all of which were kept in first class order, as was the garden by gardeners

from Mount Melville. (The house in which the tennis nets were kept has now

been vandalised.) Mrs. Younger paid for it all.

‘On Mondays the girls had handcrafts: on Tuesdays the older women did

handcrafts, basket-making, batik work etc; on Wednesdays the young women

played netball and other games; Thursday nights were for the older women

and as private houses were small and there were often beds in living rooms,

we all met in the Club and someone would read, sing or recite; it was in fact,

a social evening with a cup of tea — we all took-turns to bake something

special. I am afraid that television has now changed things a little but we

still carry on the Social Club and try to entertain senior citizens with whist

drives, etc. Once a month on the first Thursday in the month the W.R.I.

meets; this was also started by Mrs. Younger and Lady Kilmany in 1918.

Mrs. Younger was our first President.

‘On Friday evenings the Brownies met and then the Guides followed. Miss

Challis was Matron then and took the Brownies and Guides, also supervising the

handcrafts, games, etc. for the other groups.

‘From 10 until 12 noon on Saturdays Miss Challis had little girls from 3—5

130