Kirkcaldy family reunited with old photographs found in antique shop

A bundle of photos found in a Shropshire antique shop has been reunited with its original Kirkcaldy family.
The family group in the Memorial Gardens.The family group in the Memorial Gardens.
The family group in the Memorial Gardens.

Richard Tisdale, from Shrewsbury, discovered the photos recently and bought them for £5 in the hope of tracking down the family – although he did not have a lot to go on other than that the names written on the back sounded Scottish.

It had originally been thought the collection of photos – showing a family of five’s lives on camping holidays in Cornwall, trips abroad to France, Christmas, at a wedding and as children – might have come from Edinburgh because someone had suggested the school badge on a blazer was from a high school in the capital.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, eagle-eyed readers soon spotted a Kirkcaldy connection.

At Ralston Drive.At Ralston Drive.
At Ralston Drive.

One picture shows a wedding group taken in the Memorial Gardens, with the Kirkcaldy Galleries in the background.

Another of the family was identified as being at Ralston Drive, Dunnikier Estate, while the blazer badge was recognised as being from Kirkcaldy High School.

You may also be interested in:

The Crawford children in their Kirkcaldy High uniforms.The Crawford children in their Kirkcaldy High uniforms.
The Crawford children in their Kirkcaldy High uniforms.

The story generated a great deal of interest on the Kirkcaldy and Dysart in Old Pictures Facebook page, with many guesses as to who they were and where the pictures were taken.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

With the power of social media, it was not long before connections were made and the mystery family was identified as the Crawfords, and son Andrew, who was one of the youngsters featured, contacted Mr Tisdale when he heard about the search.

Ewan, Lorna and Andrew.Ewan, Lorna and Andrew.
Ewan, Lorna and Andrew.

He has now been in touch with all three of the children featured in the pictures, Andrew, Ewen and Lorna.

There was no definitive solution to the mystery of how they ended up in an antique shop other than that as the siblings grew up and the family moved to different parts of the country, they must have just been lost along the way.

“They’re very grateful to have the photos back and pleased with the efforts to return them,” Mr Tisdale said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The photographs are a snapshot of life in the 1970s for the family.

Mr Tisdale is a journalist with an avid interest in tracing living descendants of people in historic stories.

“As for me I’m pleased that I have been able to return the lost photos to the family, and the help from the community in Edinburgh and Fife was brilliant,” he said.

“I had a great response from people recognising locations and uniforms.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I hope it’s encouraged others to dig out their old photos and reminisce over their own childhood holidays and memories.

“It’s certainly done that with me – and if I come across any other lost family heirlooms I’ll be sure to try and find their rightful homes.”

Related topics: