The Days of Long Ago/

In the days of long ago my sister got married, I know this because I was there and the poor husband has been whining about it ever since.  We took the novel step of recording the wedding ceremony, however you cannot hear his voice saying "I do," and he has attempted on many occasions since to claim the marriage was illegal.  The back of her hand has ensured him that it was legal. They moved out of Edinburgh to a small village where numbers of new houses were being built.  This was for the incoming employees 0f the new built 'British Leyland,' factory nearby.  Here they built Tractors and Lorries, and my brother-in-law had got himself a job as a storeman there.  I think it is important to mention that as the word 'village' brings with it a connotation of a close 'community,' that much misused word, small cosy houses, and a gentler pace of life I must point out that here in the depths of West LOthian life was not like that! That is because this was 'Glasgow overspill territory!'  Many came trundling from the west to work in the factory, where several thousand were employed at one time,  and the newly built houses, with all mod cons, and 'American styling,' or so they said, were within fifteen years or so mostly pulled down because of the cretins who inhabited them.  Decent enough houses in themselves but they were filled with people who ruined them.  Why is this?  Many house designs of the post was period were a result of too much Le Corbousier  (you spell it!) influence, sometimes well thought out, often hacked about to keep costs down, and rarely 'human enough' for people to live in.  Maybe it was the type of people who inhabited them, a subject for another post maybe.   My sister still happily lives there, having long ago moved from that particular part of the village, and has survived in spite of the occasional murder.  

When she moved in, that was in 1962/3 time, we noticed postcards for sale in the small shops that then stood in the main street.  All of them had been printed in the 1920's or 30's!   Naturally we laughed, bought them, sent them, and forgot them.  Had we kept them some postcard fanatic might have paid a lot of money for them.  But I doubt it!  I came across them again on a  site a while ago and sadly have lost the link.  It may be the town site itself, note the word town!  Maybe it is now.  This one shown features a Gala Day procession from 1913.  In those days it was common for towns and villages to have a Gala Day, and this practice still persists although in slightly more modern form.  In fact where I live we also have such an event, but usually I am clever enough to miss it!  In the Days of Long Ago parades through the streets were common.  Such days brought all the town groups out in their Sunday best to walk the length of the main street and have a picnic and games in the local park.  Miners with their banners, Church groups, Scouts and Guides, businesses and leisure organisations would happily parade in the sunshine   Fun for all the family, even drunk uncle Joe!  Apart from the Gala Day, usually called 'Miners Gala Days' in Scotland with regard to the one time shale and coal mines that once abounded, there are none who parade today bar the 'Loyal Orange Order,' and an occasional Irish opponent.  These are not fun days to look out for however.   Around this time of year many will participate, probably on the back of a truck, and the smaller 'communities' (that horrible word) will gather for a bit of a laugh for the kids sake.  Uncle Joe will be found in the 'Red Lion' however.......

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