1926
BUS COMPLAINTS IN CUPAR COURT. For allowing a ‘bus to overcrowded, Alexander ‘Cuthbert, motor driver, 22 Shore Street. Anstruther, was fined Cupar Sheriff Court yesterday. Thomas Gardner, Harbour Head Garage, Anstruther, was charged with having left the stance at St Andrews with a motor ‘bus at 4.18 p.m. instead of 3.30 p.m. or 5 p.m., contrary to the Omnibus Byelaws for the county. He was also charged with having failed to have the number of the ‘bus and the name of the licensing authority painted in conspicuous position on the ‘bus. His plea of not guilty was tendered on the first charge and of guilty on the second. Both charges will be dealt with on June. Alex. Hodge, Shore Terrace, Cellardyke, was fined 10s for acting as conductor of a ‘bus without being licensed for the purpose.
1927
In Cupar Sheriff Court Tuesday, before Sheriff Dudley Stuart, Charles Graham Smith, farm manager. Cuplahills, Balmullo, admitted a charge of having, on the St Andrews – Anstruther public highway, driven a motor car in a reckless manner, and collided with a motor cycle driven by Duncan McIntyre, shop manager, 13 George Street. Cellardyke. R. N, Robertson, solicitor, Cupar, said the windscreen accused car was obscured, and when was going slowly round a bend, came upon some ducks crossing the road. As the ducks were slow, he swerved over to pass behind them, and a motor cyclist came round the bend, and went over to the other side to avoid him. Accused also swerved, and the two collided. The Sheriff, imposing fine of £2, said it all went to show that a motorist should never to his wrong side, even to avoid ducks. (Laughter.)
1928
New Company
Robert Watson & Co Ltd – 11 George Street Cellardyke. Capital £15 000, in 10 000 preference and 5000 ordinary shares of £1 each. Private Co to acquire the business of waterproof manufacturers carried on by Robert Watson & co at Cellardyke, and Newburgh, Fife. Subscribers. David Mitchell waterproof manufacturer, Glendower Anstruther and R Watson waterproof manufacturer Brackness Anstruther.
1931
Making Our Fishermen’s Gear
THE MODERN WAY OF HOW FIFE LASSIES OBTAIN THEIR GRACE :
THE WONDERS OF “CARSTAIRSES’ FACTORY.” By Mrs A. R. Rowlands, Cellardyke.
” What big balloons, mummy !” shrieks the city child as he points an excited finger at the huge globes crowning a lorry load of fishing gear which was being driven down to the boats in preparation for the drave,” or summer herring fishing. Those gaily painted spheres which often cause much speculation among towns folk paying their first visit to a fishing port, are the “pallets” floats, buoys, or “cows,” as they are called in some districts, used for supporting the drift nets, and also for indicating the location of the nets in the water. To our grandfathers, those well finished, easily handled, and indispensable items of a fisherman’s equipment were unknown. The pallets of a past generation were made not of foiled canvas, like those of to-day, but of sheepskins. The wool having been first removed, the pelts were soaked in lime water for period of fourteen days, being thus thoroughly cleansed. The hides were then dried the sun before subjection to a further few days’ “steeping” in strong solution of salt and water. After a second drying in the sun, the skins were cut in circular shape in readiness to receive a good coating of tar on both outer and inner surfaces. This operation rendered them strictly water and air tight.
The Old Way
After a visit to one of the best equipped and most modern of our pallet making factories, I not unnaturally inquired from an experienced old fisherman, “How did you fill the ‘ bows ‘ before the invention of compressed air machines?”
“Blew them up wi’ oor breath,” was the laconic rejoinder.
“You would need- good pair of lungs,” I retorted, sensing fun at my expense.
“Weel, ye see !” continued the pawky old salt, tilting his cap, while he scratched his ” pow ” reflectively. “If ye didna hae enough wind, ye taen the bellowses.”
The pioneer of the canvas pallet was the late Provost Black, Cellardyke, whose factory “wast the toon ” has, within recent years, been acquired by Messrs A. & W. Myles. The large modern erection of John Martin & Co., Ltd., in Cellardyke is known throughout the East Neuk o” Fife as “Carstairses’ Factory.”
The large and extensive premises erected within recent years at the top of the Urquhart Wynd are devoted not only to the manufacture of fishing gear, such as pallets, but also to the making of fishermen’s oilskins; that is, their heavy coats, “sou-westers,” and frocks.” The last-mentioned are these chemise-shaped garments which cover their wearers from the neck to well below the knee.
Let it not be supposed that only useful, unromantic “oilskins” are made in this factory. In the warehouses and showrooms hang hundreds of the daintiest and most delicately coloured silk oilskin coats, fit wear for the fairest ladies in the land.
When Tar Was Scarce
Near the huge- entrance gates the hum and babble of many girlish voices greet us. Entering the large yard, we pass wide open doors through which the summer air enters.
On our way we catch glimpse of youthful forms swaying, and busy arms moving to and fro as their owners tend to their machines. There is no need to wonder whence Anstruther lassies obtain their graceful figures and erect carriage. Our observation tells us that their day’s work provides all the necessary figure forming and “slimming exercises.
Two or three pairs of bright eyes smile at us, and several rows of white teeth flash a greeting as their possessors revert once more to their tasks. The modern pallets have been for many years made of oiled canvas. The divisions, shaped like a quarter of an orange, are firmly sewn together with strong thread before the article is handed over to the oilers.
Before the war, oiling of “pallets” was unknown, tarring being the uniform process During the war-time, owing to the scarcity of tar, oiling was adopted, and this method having proved more satisfactory has been retained.
The pallets are first turned wrong side out and completely and carefully oiled inside, after which they are hung in the drying shed to dry. After a further coating of oil and a second drying thev are turned to their right side ready for the broding machine.
Coloured Buoys
The ” brod or board is that circular piece of wood which fits like a lid exactly into the opening of the pallet. The rim of the ” brod is firmly lashed to the pallet with strong twine by the broding machine.
On the ” brod ” is a strong handle through which passes the hole for the rope which binds the float of the net and bored through the ” brod ” is also a small round aperture for the insertion of the air-plug.
The finished or ” broded ” pallet, having now been removed from the broding machine, a coating of oil is given to the outer surface. A further time is spent the drying-room before final coat is bestowed. T
he pallet is now ready to receive its ” top-dressing ” of paint; a special group of girls being detailed off for this branch of the work.
Many years ago Scottish fishermen preferred an all-black buoy; English buyers were the first to use the pure white pallet, which, since its introduction, has become first favourite in the fishing world. Preference for the white buoy is due to its visibility in the pitch blackness of a starless night.
It is quite common, however, to see gaily painted pallets—red, blue, and even green—clustered like huge balloons beside fishermen’s gear. Buoys in olden times were uniformly round in shape. With the development of the canvas float, they became orange shaped.
Recently, however, the pear-shaped pallet has been copied from those used by Dutch and German fishermen.
The Air Plugs
The buoys, all painted and ready for sale pendant in a very flabby condition in the factory stock room, present quite different appearance from those inflated globes which will in due time float the nets.
We have’ already noticed in the “brod” or lid that tiny round hole for the reception of the air plug, which forms a small but indispensable part of the pallet.
A tiny cone-shaped article is this plug, made of stout white cord wrapped with tow. While examining the neat little accessory, our attention is drawn to the machine used in its manufacture.
We are shown a cord drawn taut between two clamps of a machine beside which is a bundle of tow and a jar of tar. The girl in charge seats herself and sets the machine in motion; taking a few strands of the tow, she weaves them deftly at the right hand end of the cord, which is now revolving rapidly, at the same time coating them liberally with the tar, which is used not only to bind the strands together, but also render the plugs strictly waterproof.
By means of a few strokes of a peculiarly shaped knife, the machinist forms the plug, drawing the thickness from right to left, thus obtaining the cone shape.
When the exact shape and size is obtained, the worker immediately adds further strands of tow for the formation of another plug, and so on until the complete length of cord has been used. The line of plugs is then detached from the machine and is neatly clipped asunder into its several sections ready for use.
The Hot Plate
We now turn aside to where at long tables, and with hard brushes, girls are oiling pieces of canvas which, by their shape, we know to be fisher men’s overalls.
Later we notice the finished garments hanging in the store room; we have seen others like them covered with herring scales, enveloping their owners as they trudged up the pier on a cold morning during the “winter herring.”
In another department, a long steel topped table arrests our attention; we touch it gingerly amid amused smiles from the onlookers; it is hot, in fact, too hot for our comfort.
This, we are informed, is the hot plate; its use is presently explained to us.
A web of crimson-hued oiled silk is lying near, and close at hand are buckets containing a mixture; we are told that a coating of this liquid is first applied to the oiled silk before the latter is rolled over the hot plate. In this way all stickiness is removed from the oilskin used in coat making.
Having passed through ” kilns ” or drying rooms, and visited stock rooms, wherein hang rows upon rows of pallets, fishermen’s oilskin frocks, coats, and ” sou-westers,” we come to a little room in which is a line of porcelain basins with bright nickel taps, each bearing the well-known letters ” H ” and ” C.”
Opposite the basins is row of presses or wardrobes, where the girls hang their outdoor garments. We have seen these girls at work, wearing heavy oilskin, aprons, their fingers coated and sticky with tar. We notice them later going to meals with all traces of toil removed. Here, the workers have both the means and the opportunity of making themselves clean and smart before appearing in public.
D’ye Want a Dook?
Within the nearest shed a large tank of paraffin is making its presence felt; its purpose is doubtless to remove all superfluous tar from the plugs before they are fitted into the pallet brods.
“D’ye want a dook?” queried the damsel in charge, waving her hand suggestively towards the tank and its oily and uninviting contents. There is another, and as yet unexplored territory, where woollies of every shade, size, and design are made. Many golfer on our classic Scottish links wears a pullover of intricate pattern knitted by Cellardyke lassies in “Carstairses’ Factory.”