My grandfather was named John Redmond he came to Kelty sometime around 1870, he was born in Ireland and came to Scotland and started working on the coal barges on the Union canal, he eventually got married to a Scots lass in Airdrie,My father Robert Redmond used to tell me all the stories his father told him,coal bargee's was just like the Irish travelling people who came to Scotland to roam countryside doing farmwork in their horse darwn wagons, only difference was that my grandfather had a barge similar to a narrowboat that travelled up and down the canals taking coal from West Fife to the West of Scotland,My grandfather eventually decided to stay in the Kelty area as coal mining was starting there and wages were more regular than on barge's,my grandfather John had a large family but sadly due to the hard times in life then a few of them passed away,my fathers older brother was born in Dewars Row in 1875, these were Miners Rows that were around area of where the old scout hall used to be at rear of council houses as you went down Black Road on the left, I would say they were behind where Mason the baker shop was,I remember them they made great pie's not as good as Kelty Coops steak pie's which were famous in West Fife, no marriage or funeral was complete unless it had a Kelty Coop Steak pie.When my grandfather wasnt working in the coal,he was what was called a "Chuckeroot" in the Gothenburg bars, being an Irishman he was a handy man at the art of fisticuffs,many older men told me that when he was young when he first arrived in Kelty he had a red beard and red hair,and was quite a wily built man.

My fathers brother John joined with many other Kelty men the Argylls and Sutherland Highlanders,in 1914,he sadly was shot in France and Flanders in 1917, he later died in Hospital in London, he was buried in Kirk o Beath with a full military funeral,his name and many others can be seen on the Memorial at the Station Road.he was awarded medals which I inherited from my father, but were destroyed when my house caught fire in Drum Rod in 10th March 1980,my father Robert known as "Wee Bobby Redmond"
because he was only five foot one, but worked as hard as any man larger in stature,my father was born in Dewars Row in 1902,he died in Drum Road of the miners lung desease in 1969.he married my mother
Emily Millar, whose father also had been in Kelty since before 1875, he had a piggery farm in Keltyhill Road just accross the road from entry to Union street,and was known locally as "Pig Ecky"he died in our house in Union street in 1955, he was a tall, and bald I can still see him when I close my eyes, he was a lay preacher with the Evangelist Movement,and many a time i went along with him to preach the words of the Lord.

Kelty was a bonnie place in 1950s, it was the largest village in Scotland then, and many things I remembered, Im sure many of people my age and older will remember also, the tram tracks going up the middle of road at Cocklaw, Kelty had many wee shops then,starting accross from the big Alexanders bus station , was Maggie Macluskie's sweety shop, next to her was Alfie Stirton, barbers, Alfie used to smoke cough and splutter whilst cutting your hair,wouldnt have done today,next to him was the Church, it used to have a beautiful wrought iron fence, but that was cut down during ww2 and used to make bullets etc, on the same side of the large Bus garage all buildings belonged to Kelty Coop,
The Chemist shop, manager was Mr Given,next to that was the coop curtain shop that was at the corner also,as you turned up Cocklaw the next building was the main Coop Office the heart of it all,opposite side of that on other side of road was an alley way that led down to the Smiddy that belonged to Tam McPherson, and next to that was Geordie Mathews the Undertaker for the Cooperative.as you walked out the alley on left was the Coop bakery,it sat at rear of the coop grocers, next down towards Cross was the baker shop and then Gents drapers, where I got my first pair of melton long trousers,I think it was a Mrs Stockdale that worked in that shop along with a male manager, next shop to that was Coop Butchers

You could say Kelty coop was biggest holder of shops in the village,as you turned corner at Cross walking up Main street, just after the Gothenburg Theatre, which was a music hall, a Dance hall, Cinema there was two cinemas in Kelty the Goth and the Regal further up the road, was tuppence to get into the Goth and threepence to get into the Regal,and many a great night was had by all at both of these picture houses as they were known, the Gothenburg eventually became a factory making waterproof coats,then it was a shop that changed owners as often as you had a cuppa tea, laundrette, ironmongers ,hairdressers, etc, then was Munro's Butchers, then a famous toy shop I can still see all them Dinky toys in windows , it belonged to an old lady she was as famous as her dinky toys, cant just remember her name was Maggie ? next to her shop started the Copperative electrical shop, we got our first TV set from there it was enormous cabinet with doors and a 12" screen I remember we got it same week it was the Coronation of 1953, the set was called a "Defiant"it was so large it took two coop workers to bring it in.strange but they never sold aerials for the TVs so we had to make one from a metal coathanger tied to a mop shaft handle and move around till you got a good reception,then me mother invited the neighbours into see the Coronation,so I remember Mrs Broon, Mrs Grieg, and Mrs Paris,and Mrs Ford,just the neighbours near 14 union street,

Next building up from Coop electrical was Coop fruit shop then Regal cinema, and then on Corner of Mossgreen was the Fruit and sweety shop,they sold great hubbly bubbly gum,mmmmmmmm tasty and what a mouthful,then next building up was Dentists Mr Gajree his hands always smelt of garlic,then it was Braehead Cafe, "Marios" spent most of my teenage days there, what attracted all they young teenagers was the attractive Bus Conductress's , such as Rita Mcdonald,and older ones that nipped yer head, Maggie Blair, and Janet Thomson,they were like oldest and most experiance Clippies on Kelty buses,Mario always had latest music on his juke box, next down was a little hut come shop which belonged to Paddy Hamilton, then down it was a hairdressers,cant remember the name but they were connected to Kelty Musical, next shop was Dicks the Cobblers where you could get your tackits put in your boots,there was an electrical store at the rear of there, next to them was a Butchers shop it was called The Argentine,and next to that was Annie Sinclairs Newsagents, and then the Pub "Skip Richardsons" then across entry to Croall place was Capaldi's Ice cream shop.then it was a group of old houses all the way up the street till the Fruit shop and then Terris Chemist, and then the Coop bakers they sold bags of broken biscuits to school kids, and then on corner of entry to Keltyhill road was Robert Corrieri's "Lolas Ice Cream shop and Bobs Chippy, they were posh compared to most of other shops.

Accross the road from Bobs Chippy was Kelty Public school,the primary part below the part of the school next to church, The school when I was there the teachers I remember was Mr Rogers was headmaster, and a lady teacher that was there when my parents was at school there was Miss Ingils
she used to wear a latge hat similar to kind the writer Barbara Cartland wore and a deep blue dress covered in roses, I remember her well,she was a great teacher, going down the main street on corner of Bath street was the Library and billiard hall.accross from there was the old tennis courts where most kids played football, players I remember, Big John Adamson "BigTam", Ian Gordon "Flash",Andrew Wilkie,Bid McInally, Dickie gray,Ronnie Morrison, it seems like yesterday, next up was bakers shop
which just never seemed to be busy but was always open,next up on top of hill was police station and sargents house,man in charge then was Sargent Young, then Sargt Wylie, then Sargt Smith,and PCs I remember was Brian Duncan,Sandy Lumsen,Bob Swan,known as "Big Swannee",strange all them police for such a small place,next shop down was Kiers shoe shop, then McGregors Florist and fruit shop,
and the most beautiful Victorian shop in Kelty was the Buttercup its decoration was cobalt blue tiles on white and a beautiful pictured tiles as entering shop on right of entry its still there covered by a wooden panel, next shop down was a hairdressers and then Annie Sinclairs daughters gift shop, then accross the entry to the street where Doctor Sanjanas surgery was, next was McColvilles post office who married Jean lyle who also owned a small shop going down Stewarts Brae towards Black Road,then a bakers shop, and then the Moores Minimarket, and next to there an optician, and then Lizzie Gibbs sweet shop, and then Scotlands famous barber shop a tin hut belonging to Joe Anthony and then the bank.and the Goth..

Kelty had many small shops that appeared all over Kelty, "Coo Jeans" dairy shop which was situated at front of Geo Watsons Brewery who sold beer, the shop was accross from where St Josephs park gates were, then in Keltyhill Road was Maggie Watsons shop,then in Drum Road there was 6 big Beech Tree's
just accross from where Paddy Diamond stayed, the wooden hut belonged to Wullie Redmond, my fathers oldest brother,Then it was moved to middle of Drum road to allow Council to take down tree's and build council houses,there was other shops further down Black Road, again a Cooperative grocers and a few newsagents, The Fire Brigade had their station at the white gates crossing just next to road to Blairadam Brickwork,there was also an off-licence shop there also, also Flash Gordons barber shop
and Dicks the grocers,on other side was Jean Lyles sweets shop and then Renicks Plumbers and Renwicks barbers and Clarkes secondhand shop,old george loved old wireless's,

Yes that was the Kelty I remember a grand place that was safe to allow the kids to play alone in wee woods and big woods, or wander down the meadows,kids didnt need drugs etc then, what happened to make all the sad changes,I drove through Kelty one day and couldnt believe all the changes, main street was like Beruit,many of streets felt strange and so many unknown faces,CCTV hanging like bunches of bananas,never had those in my young days ,,what has happened to the village.I also remember all those who passed away when I was younger, apoligies to any I havent mentioned as I havent heard any news for many years,

In Memory of
John Duff of Drum Road, Dudley Hughes of Centre street,Anna Wylie of Centre street,James Fairfoul of Croall street,John "Jock" Wilson of Croftangry Rd.

Im sure many others have families that have been in Kelty since 1800s,lets read all about when your families first came to Kelty.

Kelty is mentioned in History of Coal, and also by Sir Walter Scott,and Coalmines by the Monks.