Coldingham, A Scottish Fish Wife c.1932

Photo ref: C358024X

My name is Lynda Drew (nee Howarth). I remember St Abbs very fondly. In fact I have very great memories of the best holiday I can remember. My father, Stanley Howarth, was stationed at Coldingham with the RAF for a while during the 2nd world war. Mum, Edith, went to join him and they lived at St Abbs, in Rock House, which I know is still there. They made good friends there with a lady called Louie. They used to go to ...see more

I served at Dronehill in the RAFpolice dog branch after Hong Kong, I remember well the cold winter nights, also scorching up the road on my Norton International motor bike. It was actually a very good posting for myself, being a local lad, and I had the opportunity to visit home frequently. I have not met any other mates who served there. I visited last year, the guardroom I skived in on cold winter nights is still there, as area a few buildings and married quarters.

I was born at the RAF base 2 Drone Hill where my father was based. I am now 54 years old and in July 2004 after losing my mother I came up to Coldingham to revisit the base, which to my surprise in now a caravan site, and the house that I was born in is still there. As you can imaging it was quite an emotional visit. The old Naffi is now the site clubhouse and there was a write-up of it being an RAF radar base, it closed ...see more

Until we emigrated to the U.S. in 1948, my family spent our summer holidays in Coldingham with Cha Crowe & family, also, Johnny Walker, known as Walker the Butcher whose son Ian still has his butcher shop in Eyemouth. They were the happiest of times. Carefree summers & lots of chasing rabbits & catching them to make rabbit pie from our Mum. Our Dad was a Company Officer in the Edinburgh Fire ...see more