History of Duns;

• Edin's Hall Broch

• Kimmerghame House

• Manderston House

• Bunkle Castle

• Clocks and Clockmakers includes an image of a Waldie clock which has just come to light in Canada and another at the House of the Binns near Linlithgow.

• Southfield which includes recollection of life in a pre-war Girl's Hostel

• Gravestones in the Parish and Christ Church graveyards.

• Reiver's Week (contains a list of the Reivers/Lasses and of the Wynsome Maids)

Famous Dingers;

• James Small

• Rev. Thomas McCrie

Recent Talks;

• Willie Anderson - War and Poetry

• Mrs. Rosi Capper - TB or not TB

The Burns' webpage has also been updated as also the Ainslie webpage.

Glass Plates

There has recently been made available to the Society a very large collection of glass plates, perhaps something in the region of 5000. These show images of photographs taken by the late Leslie Chapell photographer in Murray Street and cover a period from approximately the end of the Second World War to the early 1960s.

The slides cover the whole gamut of life in Duns and the surrounding area. The majority do relate to private events, principally weddings, obviously of most interest to those involved and there are also a great many relating to the Reiver's Festival and events such as the Duns Show, (how much bigger it seemed to be) motor racing at Winfield and the Royal Visit.

There are also a great many school and group/team photographs for organizations such as rugby, football and cricket clubs, cubs, scouts and guides, various women's groups, old folks' outings, plays and performances, choirs, jumble sales, ploughing matches etc. etc. A unique insight into life in the Town during these years.

It is interesting to note not only how much has changed over the years perhaps particularly fashion (people seemed better turned-out and some splendid ball gowns but on the other hand some very unflattering attire) but also how much has remained the same - the townscape is largely unaltered although the now demolished Town Hall does feature quite a bit.

The Society has transferred the slides to C.D. and would appreciate any assistance in identifying people, dates and occasions and also assistance from anyone with photographic expertise. The slides have been in storage for perhaps the last 40 years and have unfortunately suffered quite a bit of deterioration.

 Below; - Some of the images from the Slides.

by Bill Watson

The Society was pleased to have assisted in the recent launch in Duns Library of the above book written by Bill Watson and published posthumously by Coleshill Auxiliary Research.

Coleshill Auxiliary Research is an organization dedicated to recording the history and preserving the memory of British Resistance Units set up by Churchill during the last War as a last line of defence in the event of a German invasion.

The book, a work of fiction based on Duns and from which real persons might possibly be identified is set in 1940 and the following years and presupposes a German invasion of these Islands with an airborne invasion force landing at Charterhall and using this as a base for the occupation of the whole of the country.

The author was a member of one of these top secret units and the book envisages what might have happened - a tale of resistance, heroism, and heartache and the historical and local interest apart a very riveting read.

The book was officially launched by Mr. David Blair, the Scottish Information Officer, before a capacity audience - indeed such was the interest that there required to be two launches on the day. Also contributing were Lady McEwen of Marchmont and various members of the Society and others. Also present thanks to research done by members of the Society and also by Borders Family History Society were a number of relatives of other members of the cell and what seemed to emerge was just was how little relatives knew even of its existence.

 

Further details of the book and the patrol including photographs of the book launch, of  the author and of the operational base can be seen on the Colshill website.

Bill Watson was born in Edinburgh in 1924 but spent his early years in Duns and attended Duns Primary and Berwickshire Secondary School. After leaving school he was apprenticed as a local joiner before joining the Scots Guards and serving in the Middle East and Italy. He was captured in1943 and spent the remainder of the war as a German prisoner.

After the War he joined Lothian and Borders Police where he had a distinguished career before becoming a security controller for Ferranti. He died in November 2004

Another new book which has recently been published is;

Old Duns, Greenlaw and Chirnside

This is the latest in a series of similar titles and contains not only some fine photographs but also detailed, appropriate and well researched text. The book which is produced to the highest quality can be purchased through the Society and retails at £13.95.

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The Rev. Herald was the minister of the Parish Church at Duns from 1882 to 1906.

Only last summer the Society received from our late Chairman, Bill Longmuir the donation of a concho shell bearing the inscription " In memory of Rev. W. D Herald M.A. born February 13th.1850 died 24th. September 1908"

A few weeks ago out of the blue we received an e-mail from a lady in New Zealand saying that she had come across an image of the Rev. Herald on a Post Card and offering to donate it to the Society, if of interest. The Post Card was in a box of old cards in a Charity shop. Needless to say we were delighted to take up the offer and our sincere thanks to the donor.

We have also in the Society Archives an account of the funeral service for the Rev. gentleman  with a detail of all the mourners - a very elaborate affair by the looks of things attended by all the great and the good of the County.

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Donations

We are absolutely delighted to have received from Neil Robertson (son of long standing Society member Alice Robertson) copies of a number of historic documents relating to the history of the Town.

These include notice regarding an election meeting in 1832, a notice regarding burials in the Parish Churchyard, programme for a Concert in 1916, and for a Complimentary Supper put on by the Town Council in 1920 for those who had served in the Great War also programmes for the Regal Cinema in Easter Street for June 1960.

Neil's father was responsible for the maintenance of the Town Hall Clock (Town Hall demolished in 1966) and also the ringing of the Town Hall Bell which was later donated to the Society and for which we are currently looking for a suitable home. As a boy Neil recalls ringing the bell on the occasion of the marriage of Princess Margaret.

Neil has also most kindly donated a number of unique photographs taken from the roof of the Town Hall - see below. Interestingly the narrative in the book in the adjoining column "Gone to Ground" commences with a German paratrooper killing the caretaker before raising the the Nazi flag over Duns (although being disturbed as he did so and falling to his death to the street below