Alex Dow says

Afternoon John

That makes very interesting reading.

I have been trying to find out if there was ever a location in Cowdenbeat called "Cornfield PLace"; and have yet to find the name of the short, dead-end street, that projected off Foulford Road in to the fields that became the present Beath High Playing Fields.

There is the possibility that you or your colleagues demolished those houses in the early 1960s, prior to the building of the 1964 Beath High School.

Almost opposite Prospect Street.

Thanks for your memories,

Alex Dow

Alistair Allcroft says

Hi John,

Hello from o'er the border! 

Sounds, from what you describe, like you demolished my Grandfather's (Bob Brownlie) house on Pit Row in Kirkford, which sat on the Old Perth Road at the top of Foulford Road.

Next to the southern end of this Row was the road that led up to Kirkford Pit where we used to play on the bings as bairns. Used to ask the miners coming off shift 'Dae ye hae ony pit pieces, mister?' 

Alistair Allcroft says

Hello Alex,

I lived in Mungall Street, Kirkford for a couple of years during the 1950's and I know exactly the street you are talking about that ran off Foulford Road, near Prospect Street but NO , canna remember the name.

There was a football pitch at the end of this street...no grass, just the surface of grey/black slag from the old bings.  I mind this well because, as a lad, I was stood by the goal watching a game when someone took a shot at goal and missed.  I got hit in the head with a quite wet, old leather football travelling at high speed .....and that's my reason for being daft to this day!

Any of the auld lot that played football may have played here and be able to tell you the name of the street.  

Just Jock says

Did anyone remember going to pits when a youngster and offering to carry home or deliver the miners clothes to get washed that was only time they were taken home just at summer holidays and Christmas and new year.

I used to have a guider and Id pile as many sandbags o clothes as I could get in it all labelled where they were to go,and there wifeys wid tak the bags and asked where husband was I wid just shake head dont know hohoho they wid be in a pub,.....or other times sneak down to pitheads and watch miners hide their cigarettes so they could get a smoke when coming up the pit after their shift, we would watch others taking them.....

I used to work on the shows when they came to Cowdenbeath they went up the park behind the hill where monument stands,was never a large lot sometimes it was Robert Brothers Circus,and Id work with them feeding and water to animals,If i remember the shows were by Johnny White of Portobello after Cowdenbeath we wid do Kelty Gala and then we would then go to Inverurie in Aberdeenshire,, aye they were the days.

charlotte miller says

i remember most of the shops in the quiz and i can remember mathers on bridge street it was a hardware shop and i used to go there for my uncle dods carbine for his lamps down from there was mrs grays we used to go there and buy penny fanta i laugh at it now as it was only coloured water.plus we would get a penny dainty(toffee)it would last us ages.and i remember the pit peeces jam and cheese they were the bee's knees

Alistair Allcroft says

Hello Charlotte,

You writing about buying carbide for the lamps reminds me of what we used to do with it as lads. We would get a glass lemonade bottle, put some carbide bits into it, add some water and screw on the top.! Next we would throw that into the pond at the auld rubbish dump that, in the 1950's, used to be off Broad Street, near Woodend.  This where Copeland Crescent and Rae Street are now.

When the gas from the carbide got up enough pressure the bottle would explode like a bomb!

Great fun...wee monsters we were!

Just Jock says

GOT MANY A TROUT OUT THE NETHERTON BURN DOING THAT HOHOHO ANYONE GOT ANY CARBIDE WE CAN GO FISHING.

Lorraine Hayes says

My grand father was born in Union Rd Cowdenbeath in 1907 have the old miners houses in that street been demolished?

Alex Dow says

Afternoon Lorraine

I suspect you mean Union STREET rather than Road.

There is quite a mixture of houses along it now, basically from the 1920s or 1930s, to some very recent builds, apart from the first part from the High Street to the small tunnel under the railway station.

In the latter section on the south side is the red sandstone former main Post Office converted to houses. On the north side directly opposite is the former Methofist(?) Hall again converted to two houses. Just east against the railway embankment is the 1960s former Fire Station, which replaced the (probable) original in Station Road with its former Air Raid Siren to call out the Retained Firemen. The present station is along Lumphinans Road at Lochgelly. The 1960s building was occupied for a long time by "Name Droppers" embroidering names on clothing and tapes; but it appears to be closed down.

I think that it is unlikely that your grandfather's original home still exists.

An easy way for you to see recent views is to either Download and Install Google Earth or to access Google Street View.

Then you can "walk along" the street and see for yourself.

Late 19th and 20th century maps can be found on Old Maps-

www.old-maps.co.uk

Although not photos etc, they will give you a better idea of the likely house style back in 1907 - probably "Miners' Rows".

Generally all of those have disappeared in the 1920s and 1930s from Cowdenbeath, being repaced by Coal Company cottages and council housing.

Union Street has obviously been transformed with the 1980s sales of council housing whiilst what can be done to the coal company houses can be seen particularly on the north/school side of Foulford Road towards irs junction with Old Perth Road.

Anne Akers says

I was absolutely amazed to stumble on this site and to read that you were one of the people the demolished Mungoll Street. I spent my first few years of life there at number 24. I was sorry to see it gone on my first trip back to my beautiful Scotland, but alas progress must happen. I love visiting Cowdenbeath every time I return to Scotland for a holiday and i still have a very good friend that lives in Cowdenbeath. Alas all my relatives have moved away or passed on. Thank you for the sad but lovely memory.