Dunfermline Bus Station memories in trip down memory lane

Since leaving active politics, Mr McLeish has undertaken various professorships in the United States teaching European Studies. A frequent visitor there, having been to 42 of the 50 US states in the last 35 years, he is ideally qualified to speak on ‘Carnegie and America’.

The photographs in this week’s trip down West Fife’s Memory Lane look at the bus station that used to be situated in Dunfermline where Tesco is today. The street on which it was situated used to be called Knabbie Street, before being renamed Carnegie Street in honour of Andrew Carnegie in 1878 and is now Carnegie Drive.

The first photograph, from 1959, is a view over the bus station looking towards the Glen Bridge. The buildings on the south side of the street are still there today.

Eileen Carrick remembers using it: “I used to get the Ballingry bus at the stance next to the Fire Station every Thursday after school as mum took me to my accordion lesson with Jock Cunningham at Hill o' Beath. Our church, Gillespie, was in the street opposite the bus station and there was a wee shack on the corner which I think was a milk bar. I started my lessons in 1958, so this is exactly as I remember it.”

Alan Millar recognises where the photograph was taken from: “Photo taken from the Fire Station where I worked in the early 70s. Happy memories.”

Tania Maxwell Clements lives in Atlanta, Georgia, now but remembers the place from schooldays: “Memories of forged school pink bus passes and dodging questions from the bus drivers. Happy days!”

Chris Stephenson remembers the cafe beside the bus station: “I remember the snack bar. On the far side of the snack bar was a steep embankment that the council had a big floral display on. There was also a high-tech board that when you pressed a button, a light lit up to show where that location was on a map of the town. The original Google map!”

He also recalls the maps: “The maps with the press-button system were in many places in the town. From memory in the Glen, Lower Rail Station, Lower Bus Stance, High Street at the sheriff court as well as Upper Bus Stance. I think milk-dispensing machines were also positioned close to these, you got a pint of ordinary milk or flavoured with chocolate, banana or strawberry.”

The next two photographs were sent sent in by Press reader Eddie Busst. One shows an Alexanders bus setting off for Glasgow and the other shows a bus arriving in the bus station in front of the wooden office, with the corner of ‘The Fruit Bazaar’ visible on the opposite side of Carnegie Drive at its junction with Chapel Street.

More photographs like these can be seen in Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Galleries as well as at facebook.com/olddunfermline

With thanks to Frank Connelly.