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Church Street, BROXBURN, EH52 5EW

This view is looking south over the Eastern edge of Broxburn, towards the Pentland hills in the distance. This playing field and the all the woodland surrounding it was, not so long ago, a shale bing. Just shows what can be done!

Recently saved from closure this is the home of "Pan Drops" a well known Scottish confection. The factory is actually in Broxburn about 8 miles from Edinburgh.

Until the 1950s or so, Greendykes Road ran between north-south orientated streets of cottages built for workers in the shale oil industry. These 'rows' have now been swept away and replaced with modern council housing, in blocks orientated east-west.

Beyond the fence is the rather smart home of Broxburn Athletic, who currently play in the East of Scotland League.

Scottish Cup Preliminary Round, Broxburn Athletic 3 Blackburn United 0, Estimated Attendance 200 Both teams are in the East of Scotland Premier League, which sits at Tier 6 in Scotland's football pyramid. While the scoreline flatters the home side a bit, they were the deserving winners. Broxburn are in the red and white, which will be obvious to the experienced football fan by the railings etc. Blackburn, fittingly, play in the black - had they been a bigger team they would no doubt have been sporting an unnecessary away kit to boost football shirt sales! There seems to have been a pitch here since the 1880s, and Broxburn Athletic, in some shape or form, did play on this ground - originally known as Albion Park - on and off before making it their permanent home immediately after the Second World War. The grass pitch was swapped for AstroTurf around 12 years ago. The steep grass banks are impressive, and were very comfortable in the sunshine, and one of the people I was with was adamant that this half-time pie was the best he had ever had in 40 years of attending football matches! As is the norm with these smaller grounds, the advertisement boards promoting local businesses are written in such small type that only the players will have registered them.

Originally a United Presbyterian kirk, this was built in 1880 to a design by Hippolyte Jean Blanc (1844-1917). In 'The Buildings of Scotland - Lothian except Edinburgh' (1978) Colin McWilliam describes it as "half-hearted French Gothic".

Dating from 1880

The view of Greendykes Road, looking towards Broxburn town centre, as seen from Bridge Place.

Looking north? Hang on a minute - Edinburgh's east [right] and Falkirk's west [left]. Have the local youth been having fun? Then one realises that the canal here is on part of a large S-shaped meander and the sign is correct.