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Kirkcaldy Sea Wall

In December there must have been quite a big storm as the upper part of a portion of Kirkcaldy’s sea wall disappeared. Barriers were erected to prevent the public getting too close.

Barriers Kirkcaldy Prom

Barriers Kirkcaldy Prom

This photo shows a rusted spar which was part of the lost concrete’s reinforcement.

Rusted Spar on Broken Sea Wall, Kirkcaldy

And this shows another.

Exposed Rusted Spike Reinforcement

Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy (ii)

This side of the ground houses the old main stand at Stark’s Park with its round-the-corner construction. I don’t think I’ve witnessed anything like this at any other football ground. I assume the line of the road prevented building beyond the halfway line.

Stark's Park Old Stand

This is the adjacent home stand, a clone of the McDermid Stand at the other end.

Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy, Home Stand

And here is the disused Railway Stand. Many supporters would like to see this opened up as terracing but the authorities in Scotland don’t go much for all-seated stadia reverting to standing. areas.

Stark's Park Railway Stand

Note the state of the pitch last Saturday. It’s amazing football broke out at all.

Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy (i)

I’ve not done one of these for a while – and I’ve just realised I haven’t included East End Park, Dunfermline, in this series yet.

Stark’s Park, the home of Raith Rovers FC, is of course the Scottish Football Ground nearest to where I live. Since I started blogging though the Sons have only played there twice (and the last time, Oct 2012, I was between cameras.)

This is from the lower end of Pratt Street. From this angle you can’t see how unusual the older stand is.

Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy

This is from the upper end, nearer to my house. The McDermid Stand is nearest in this view. The bit further away, to the left, is the peculiar corner stand.

Stark's Park, Kirkcaldy, from Pratt Street

And this is the away stand, the McDermid Stand, from Pratt Street, showing how close the road is to the ground.

Stark' s Park, McDermid Stand

Swan Update

We took a turn around the Beveridge Park today and there was one (almost completely white plumaged now) cygnet with its parents. They and some ducks were being fed bread by some idiots. A bit pointless; bread has no nutritional value for swans.

A few seconds later we spotted the sibling cygnet halfway round the pond. (Must be the awkward one.)

Obviously they haven’t been driven off yet. Where they were last time we were in the park I have no idea.

Pond Life

I’ve told you about the swans, how they live in the park.*

This was how they looked in January this year. Cygnets almost grown up.

Almost Grown Cygnets

The last time we were in the Beveridge Park, about a week ago, the cygnets weren’t in evidence. Perhaps they’ve been chased off by the adult cob in preparation for this year’s clutch.

*A line apparently contributed to the song Badge (which I have as no. 15 in my Friday on my Mind category) by the first supergroup, Cream, by one Ringo Starr.

Kirkcaldy's Art Deco Heritage 3, Reprise: Burton's at Christmas

My original post on the Kirkcaldy Burton’s was one of my earliest to feature Art Deco.

This year, along with some other buildings in the town centre, Burton’s has been illuminated for Christmas by coloured uplighters. The subtlety and elegance of this stands in contrast to the poorer effort of the town’s main Christmas lights which are white and strung along the High Street and can be seen below.

Burton's, Kirkcaldy, at Night

Burton's, Kirkcaldy, Dec 2012

The colours change in sequence, gradually, and the blue/purple ones in particular show off the Art Deco detailings on the window surrounds to great effect.

Burton's, Kirkcaldy, Lit Up

Kirkcaldy's Art Deco Heritage 17. Sheriff Court Lamp Shades

Stunning Art Deco style lamp shades in Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court building. Caught in the late November evening earlier today.

Art Deco Lamp Shades</center.

Island Enforcer

This is the Island Enforcer, moored off Kirkcaldy for a few days at the end of October. On the shipping websites she is described as an offshore construction vessel. She is not quite as Swiss Army Knife in looks as the Solitaire or Audacia of fond memory but still has some weird sticky out bits.

The first description I found of her was as a diving ship and I thought, “Isn’t that a submarine?” but she has been redesigned for offshore work.

Island Enforcer

More images of her can be found here.

Kirkcaldy Dusk Sky

Tuesday evening presented a glorious vista over Kirkcaldy as the sun’s last beams caught the underside of the clouds. This was the scene from the street on which Son of the Rock towers stands.

Night Sky, 6/11/12, Kirkcaldy

Here’s a stitch of two photos taken from nearby Beveridge Park.

Night Sky, Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy

There’s a fence in the Park that separates off the tennis courts. It had recently trapped wind-blown leaves. A strange sight.

Wind Blown Leaves on Fence

Kirkcaldy'€™s Art Deco Heritage 16. Woolworths Logo

Woolworths logo in tile

This is on the extreme right hand side doorway of the old Woolworths store in Kirkcaldy High Street if you look at the store straight on. The door isn’t used now. It’s in a kind of alcove so the logo is usually obscured a bit by dirt and leaves etc.

That store closed in the late 1970s I think. Woolies opened up a new shop in the Mercat in Kirkcaldy when the Tesco’s there moved out to take over William Low’s. That in turn is now a Home Bargains and Peacock’s. They split the floor space.

This is how the old Woolies in the High Street looks now. It’s not an Art Deco building – it has more the look of the 1960s and houses an indoor market.

Woolworths old store KIrkcaldy

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