‘We hope we have given you a good description of a Wednesday a:

Strathkinness Primary School

By Fiona and Julie’

Fiona and Julie must have learned more than they imply as they are botr

doing well at Kilrymont (the junior department of Madras).

Mrs. Nan Peattie who came to the village in 1930 to be housekeeper to

Mr. George Peattie and later married him, and also cleaned the Parish Church

for many years, has written about her early memories of Strathkinness.

‘I came here in September 1930. I was quite taken with the beautiful

view of this village. It was a lovely day when I came and I thought it was the

most beautiful place I had ever seen. It was so peaceful; everybody was

friendly and helpful.

‘We had lovely walks in the summer. The nights were long and light, and

the neighbours were very friendly when you met them having a walk.

‘My husband, Mr. George Peattie, walked down to the Mill (Guardbridge

Paper Mill) and walked back at night again in all kinds of weather, none the

worse of his walking up and down every day for years. Sometimes he was

lucky and got a lift home if the weather was bad; people were more consider-

ate in those bye-gone days.

‘If you needed help you had to go down to the bottom of the village for

the nurse. We were very lucky with our doctor and our nurse.

‘I have spent many happy moments in the village. There was no water

and you had to carry your drinking water in two pails. It was very dark in the

winter; there were no lights in the village and there were no toilets.

‘I have seen a lot of changes in this village since I came and I think this

T.V. has spoiled everything. There is too much killing and terrible things

which I think T.V. should not show’.

Mrs. Peattie now lives in one of the special houses built for the older people

on Sunnyside, and is extremely happy in her house with all its conveniences.

Several other people have told me stories which they are glad to have re-

corded, but which they did not wish to write about themselves. There is not

room to include all of them, but one, that of Mr. Ralph Coutts, is an unusual

one. When he and his brother, when they were young lads, were playing out-

side their home in Kincaple, they saw a large tree fall and narrowly miss

hitting their mother who was hanging out clothes. They went to investigate

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