I love this photo for a whole load of reasons, the first one being it’s a great photo of my father, Joe Veverka. This is August 1969 and he’s here in Scotland on holiday for the first time. Hardly able to speak much English, he was bowled over by the warmth of the country, it’s beauty and kind people. He was excited to taste Coca Cola for the first time and couldn’t believe there was a factory in Blantyre who made cola!
This if of course pictured at Stonefield Public Park under the Cowan Wilson Arch Memorial. The beautiful well tended gardens are behind, looked after daily by parkkeepers and with an abundance of flowers that hardly dared ever by vandalised! Trellises were throughout the park with climbing plans stretching down to the boating pond and pitch n putt.
The scene is very different now, with housing immediately behind this arch, the paths into the park realigned.
Hi Paul, what a handsome fellow, and I remember the park looking like this, it was such a joy to walk through, so peaceful and salve to the soul, thanks for posting,