Traquair House is Scotland’s oldest continuously inhabited house.

House from distance:-

Closer view. there are “new” wings to either side:-

Right side new wing:-

Left side new wing:-

A drawing of Traquair House in earlier days is on one of its internal walls:-

Rear of house, hedged maze in middle ground:-

Most letter cases in print works were untidy as the letters would be thrown in. The workers knew where they ought to go and worked on memory. This is a cleaned up example:-

Letter cases, printing blocks etc:-

Smail’s used to print the local newspaper the St Ronan’s Standard. This is a printing block of a front cover:-

Lithograph stones:-

A press:-

Chicago press:-

Heidelberg press:-

Wharfedale press. As I recall this was Smail’s first three-colour printing press:-

The conceit of a visit to Smail’s is that you are starting a printing apprenticeship. Apprentice Card cover:-

Inside of card:-

My apprentice piece:-

Robert Smail’s Printing Works, Innerleithen, now overseen by the National Trust for Scotland is a treasure trove of printing memorabilia and artefacts. When the Trust took the premises over there was a record and sample of every single print job the works had ever produced along with all their historical printing presses.

Desk as it was left:-

Shelves and ledgers:-

Stock:-

Photos. The Yellow Pages are for 1985, the year that Smail’s was handed over:-

Printing Room:-

Reverse view:-

Originally any machinery in Smail’s was driven by this paddle wheel utilising water from a local stream:-

Paper stock:-

Guillotine. This was a late addition to Smail’s inventory of equipment; bought due to safety regulations:-

Victoria Park, Innerleithen, is the location of the home ground of Vale of Leithen FC, currently of the Third Division of the East of Scotland League. The ground is at the edge of Victoria Park.

This is a ground where I have watched a match even though the mighty Sons of the Rock haven’t played Vale of Leithen FC in my memory. It was a warm-up for the World Cup of 1966. The France squad had a training base nearby so a game was arranged against the local side who played in Scotland strips for the occasion. I forget the score. Suffice to say France won easily.

My grandparents used to live in the town and we used to visit in the summer holidays so were able to take in the game.

Entrance to the ground:-

It’s a lovely location surrounded by hills:-

Local amateur side Leithen Rovers, have their changing rooms at the edge of the main park area. I assume they play their games on a pitch in the park:-

Innerleithen’s cemetery is on the left hand side of the road as you go into the town from the direction of Traquair. I found twelve Commonwealth War Graves, eight for World War 2, four for the Great War.

J MCI Melrose, Royal Signals, 21/3/1944, aged 21:-

W Craig, Ordinary Seaman, RN, HMS Ganges, 14/8/1945, aged 18:-

Private J Strachan, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 13/6/1945, aged 18:-

Corporal G K Brunton, The Royal Scots, 18/2/1944, aged 32:-

Lance Corporal R T Smith, The Royal Scots, 13/6/1941, aged 23:-

Sergeant G Russell, RAF, 6/5/1942, aged 32:-

Trooper R Crosbie, 1st Lothians & Border Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps, 28/12/1940, aged 21:-

Lieutenant R Campbell, 1st Peebles-shire Home Guard, 20/8/1944, aged 55. It’s unusual to see a War Grave for someone who was in the Home Guard:-

Private J Aitchison, 14th Battalion, Canadian Infantry, 15/10/1916, aged 40:-

Sergeant W J Bell, Royal Scots, 27/1/1917, aged 37. (And his wife, Isobel Hislop, died 22/5/1981, aged 87. 64 years after her husband.) I note that, as is the Scottish custom, Sergeant Bell’s wife reverted to her maiden name in death:-

Sapper G Blake, Royal Engineeers, 2/5/1918, aged 46:-

Lance Serjeant Edward Oliver, Royal Scots, 24/2/1916, aged 23:-

Innerleithen is a small town on the A 72 in Tweeddale, the Scottish Borders, in Peebleshire as was.

For a few years in the 1960s my grandfather (the original Jack Deighton) and grandmother Margery, lived in the town. It’s been one of my favourite places ever since.

Innerleithen War Memorial is an erect stone slab set in the grounds of the Memorial Hall off the B 709, at the junction between Leithen Road and Chapel Street. The gate is inscribed Innerleithen War Memorial:-

Dedications. “Pro Patria” inside a wreath flanked by “1914 – 1918,” Great War Names.”1939 – 1945,” and an additional lower plaque for a 1939 – 1945 addended name:-

This is perhaps the most impressive War Memorial I have ever seen. Set off the High Street through an archway into the pathway to the entrance to the Town Hall this is a distinctive memorial; a domed alcove, with pillars.

The commemorated are not just those from Peebles but from the wider County of Peeblesshire. The plaques either side of the alcove are for WW2. This is for the villages and towns of Peeblesshire.

The plaque to the left is for Peebles and Manor.

A smaller plaque on the upper left commemorates a death in Afghanistan.

The names of the WW1 dead from the villages of Newlands, Skirling, Stobo, Traquair, Tweedsmuir, Walkerburn and West Linton are on the right hand panel inside the alcove.

On the left hand panel inside the alcove the WW1 fallen from Broughton, Drumelzier, Eddleston, Innerleithen, Kirkurd, Lyne & Meggat and Manor are listed.

These villages/towns may have their own War Memorials, some of which I have photographed:

Broughton

Traquair

West Linton

The central panel inside the alcove is for Peebles alone. A huge number of names.

The inner dome, the cross and the tiled mosaic decoration give this an unusual feel, Orthodox or even Moorish.

I’m a bit late with this. I visited Peebles (in the Scottish Borders) in August.

I missed its War Memorial but was pleasantly surprised to find several deco shops.

This shop is at the east end of the High Street:-

Here’s a close-up on the roof detailing:-

Again on the High Street, the Bank of Scotland building. Lower frontage and windows have the look:-

The former Playhouse Cinema:-

Only really the roof-line here. If it’s the same Caldwell’s as in nearby Innerleithen the ice cream is very good:-