Longtown memories
Here are memories of Longtown and the local area. You can start now: Add your own Memory of Longtown or a Longtown photo.
Longtown High Street
My great-great grandfather was George 'Dood' McKie and he lived in a house about six doors beyond the Graham Arms Hotel which is shown in the Francis Frith photo number L203002. He was one of those Longtown characters who are now almost gone.
For many years he was a roadman, which meant he would go along the road to where piles of stones had been left and by 'knapping' them, i.e. breaking them up with a hammer, he created a rough form of gravel which was used to full up any potholes. Eventually he went blind and the cause was blamed on having repeatedly been hit on the eye by small pieces of flying stone. Faced with the workhouse, he decided to saw logs for a living. He would have a cartload of timber delivered 'in the round' and would carry it to his outhouse where he had a saw-horse built. He could put the timber on the sawhorse in his blind state and he measured a log by... Read more
The Cattanach Family
I lived at Millees Cottages in 1962 and my Dad, Charles Cattanach worked for Mr Westol at Glingerbank.
Does anyone remember him? I and my sister Lynda attended the infant school in Longtown and my mum, Brenda was a teacher at Annan Academy.
We were freinds with the Muir family who lived just round the corner from the Graham Arms. Sadly, my Dad died in May last year.
It would be great to hear from anyone who remembers us.
Jacqueline Cattanach
Memories of 1961-63
Does anyone remember the Lochinvar Cinema? It was sixpence and a different film every night! Paul Bass (my father) now living in Wigan does, he used to stay at his auntie's house, Ina Benson Newsagents. He has great memories of the Polish boys and girls he became good friends with, namely, Bolic, Rumec, Jon Boyko and his sister Sheila, Charlie Putsini. Best wishes also from his older brothers, Tommy and John.
Memories of Cumbria
Mossband Camp
My father was a serving soldier, serving at the RAOC camp until 1948. We lived in the YMCA building in the camp itself and it had a large functions hall attached where one of our officers once entertained the children at Christmas with a magic show. I remember the huge and long-lasting snowfall that stayed around for months into 1948 and the glaring red sunsets over the Cumbrian hills. I went to school in Gretna, three miles away on the bus, and remember the prefab houses on the Solway - Mum said they would be replaced with proper houses when they got round to it. I also remember the parade that was held in Carlisle with Field Marshal Montgomery riding through the streets in an open car waving to the people lining the street. I can only remember one child's name from those many years ago - a little girl called Yvonne Glendenning who was a classmate and I often wondered what happened to her. There was also a Doctor... Read more
Mossband And Gretna High School
I lived in Mossband in the 1950s, I left there 1958. I went to school in Gretna and remember Miss Davidson the English teacher and Mr Glasspool the science teacher and his wife too, Pop Liddle was the headmaster. We lived on the green at Mossband, my dad was a war department policeman and we used to go in a truck to see films in Longtown army camp. They were all RAOC or Pioneer regiments.I loved the halfpenny licorice from the shop. We did our shopping at Gretna Green, at Henrys. I would love to hear from anyone else who lived there, such as Sam Wallace, David Franklin and people in Gretna. Thank you,
Francess Jones (I was Francess Daugherty then)
Golden Days
I lived in Mossband and went to Gretna Township School, later known as Gretna High. Times were hard but we enjoed our time there and kept ourselves occupied potato picking in Rockliffe and Todhills, rose hip collecting, and I remember the troops going to the Suez was a sad time. We had lots of friends in Gretna and Mossband. I went back few year ago, everything gone. Gretna is the same except for the shopping mall, the air up there was refreshing and we had very bad winters but we coped. I remember in front of the grate having our wash in the tub. I always think of great times there and would love to hear from anyone, there was Sam Wallace, David Franklin, John Crozier, Armstrongs, Hulme, Pearsons etc and Borthwick, maybe some of you remember me. And we used to love to watch the troops, Pioneers versus RAOC in football. We were rationed in them days but were healthy and not idle, our dad used to... Read more
My Memories of Mossband
I lived with my parents at 28 The Green, Mossband from around 1942 (when I was one year old) until 1949, when my Father, Edward Lovie (a WD constable) died from throat cancer. My memories are all fairly traumatic and include: a fatal train accident by the signal box in 1944. (date confirmed) Going to Gretna school and one day seeing the aftermath of one young lad who had been fatally run over outside the school. Nearly being run over myself in Carlisle. A bomb disposal that went horribly wrong. But more pleasantly - learning to ride a bike round the Green and only stopping by ending up in a hedge. "Marrying" Evelyn Borthwick (who lived a couple of doors down The Green) at Gretna Green, conducted over the anvil by the Smithy. (She was about 6 and I was about 5 - but we're not bigamists, the "marriage" was never consumated!) Hunting for birds eggs along the Esk river. Fruitless fishing near the border bridge. (I told my mother... Read more
School Days in Mossband And Gretna
I recall the Suez crisis, my dad was a constable in Mossband and all the troops went to Suez and we sang "Lay Down Your Arms". We used to collect blackberries down Black Bank and go to the army pictures. We'd climb a tree with a rope and swing on it. I went to Church Elims in Gretna with my friends Moira Porteous and Mary Pearson. We were happy kids that never had a lot but had a great childhood in Mossband. I have a sister Kath, Lorraine, and brother Alex. We went potato picking in Rockcliffe and Todhills. Please if anyone remembers us, get in touch. We had friends at Railway Cottage, the Mitchells. Mossband has gone now. We used to go to the Solway Firth for firewood with Dad and scrumping for apples. Happy days. I know Evelyn Borthwick x
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