SIXTY years ago, Inverkeithing man John Lloyd had just become a teenager when the Queen arrived in West Fife to open the new Forth Road Bridge.

With Her Majesty set to arrive and the area being a bustle of activity, he said the whole build up was exciting.

"Vehicles (other than emergency ones) could not get access to the approach roads so we kids would cycle downhill at unheard of speeds over 50mph with our mechanical speedometers!" he said.

"Every evening huge groups of adults enjoyed a leisurely stroll, many with their cameras, over the bridge, the largest suspension one in the world (outwith the USA).

"On the misty day, some adults took cine film of the Queen, the Duke Of Edinburgh and Prime Minister, Sir Alec Douglas-Home.

The old toll booths on the Forth Road BridegeThe old toll booths on the Forth Road Bridge (Image: Transport Scotland)

"New commemorative stamps came out, and, on the way back, we nipped into the Inverkeithing record shop (now "Friendlies" Chinese), to buy the vinyl pop record "Have I The Right?" by the Honeycombs for 6/8. (We were not yet decimal).

"Kids were not sorry that the tedious days of drawing the Forth Road Bridge at primary school - 1958-1964 - had ended but we were sad to wave goodbye to the four Forth ferries with their noisy ramps.

"They were destined for the breakers yard and an era ended with them."

The opening date of the Forth Road Bridge was a particularly memorable one for Julia Peden as her parents were invited to attend the official ceremony.

She explained: "I was born and brought up in Inverkeithing, married my husband William on 10th October, 1964, in the Parish Church Inverkeithing, by the Rev. John Johnstone, so we will be 60 years married on that date.

"My father, Jim T. Digance, became Provost of Inverkeithing from 1956-58. And he was present with my mother, invited to be at the opening of the bridge on that day, and reception with the Queen."