John Duncan

Fancy a trip to Scotland? A warm welcome awaits in Bonnie Dundee. Our second national conference (1st was 2014). Some big names. Should be a great day and you get to see RRS Discovery. #wfa #FWW #GreatWar #FWW #wfatayside @thegreatwargroup.bsky.social

a man wearing a yellow hard hat is covering his ears with his hands ALT: a man wearing a yellow hard hat is covering his ears with his hands

The four new "Super Plates" - including options like chipotle chicken and miso salmon are said to be "nearly 60%
larger than the chain's existing salads and are filled with "premium ingredients" including "hand massaged" kale.

It's a £13 sit at your desk lunch at work. Get a grip.

a pixelated image of a man wearing sunglasses with the url 4gifs.com ALT: a pixelated image of a man wearing sunglasses with the url 4gifs.com

I concur

Getting on for 9 years since I worked with P7 at Newtongrange Primary School on Street of Sorrow, our entry into the Legion Scotland short Remembrance film. Made the final and came close to winning. A nice group of kids.

I think the Lothian Coal Company had its own Polis, but there was also Midlothian Constabulary in the pit villages as well.

In the 1930s Walter Goodall retired and the couple returned with their boys to Rosewell, Midlothian where Walter became the pit policeman. All three of the boys joined the Army, and in WW2 'wee Stan' was a PT instructor at Achnacarry. Mystery solved and 🧵end. 😃

In 1916 the couple married in Newtongrange and moved to London. RSM Goodall returned to Cameroon and served out the war they were also blessed with 3 children Stan, Walter and Cameron. When the war ended Walter returned to the Met to complete his service 🧵

Whilst on leave at home in London he took a shine to a young music hall singer, Jane Moffat some 16 years his junior, she came from Sixth Street in Newtongrange and was the daughter of a miner.🧵

Before the war Walter Goodall from London had served in the Metropolitan Police and was one of the officers involved in the Sidney Street siege. On the outbreak of War he joined up and served in the Military Foot Police before transferring to the West African Field Force 🧵

For several years I've puzzled how RSM Walter Goodall with African Frontier Force stationed in Cameroon ended up marrying a young woman from Newtongrange in 1916 until tonight 🧵

I like the NE,including the 'Shire' holidayed there several times, Johnshaven last year, Portsoy 2 years ago and again this year, Banff 3 years ago.

Looking for a book to 'while away the hours' by the pool on holiday. Midlothian in World War Two could be for you. Available worldwide via Lulu www.lulu.com/shop/john-du...

I think it was kept in use as part of Torness emergency plan, depending on wind direction.

Tony's dad Zigmont was younger and was the Dux of Newbattle School in 1920. 3/3

Tony kindly sent me photos of his Uncles and Grandparents.

Turns out I knew more about his family history in Scotland and Lithuania before that and was able to pass on some information to him. Always nice to put faces to names. Jan in Royal Scots uniform and his brother Stan. 2/3

I was contacted by a man from England making enquiries about his Lithuanian family who used to live in Newtongrange. Turns out his Grandad Dominik Mikolajunas (Nicol) stayed in the Square and worked for my Grandad as a Baker. Dominik's eldest sons served in the Great War. 1/3

However, nothing, repeat nothing, is Polis proof.

Good guy Tom. I would recommend carefully. They were designed for 6' umpteen Polis, not mere 5'11" mortals like myself. Strategic use of the stool was the preferred option.

Hence the bleach bottle behind the mirror which most boxes seem to have. Box 6 at the Grassmarket had 2 heaters, one official, the other scrounged, and an offcut of carpet. Box 5 at the foot on Infirmary Street steps always stank of p***.

That style is unique to Edinburgh, considerably bigger than most models. I worked out of the box at St Patrick Square, next to the Odeon.

A hard life Bernard 😉

I enjoyed writing them (well most of the time 😄) and still have an undying passion for the subject.

However, the research and writing took thousands of hours of work, and it's time to move on and hopefully get a bit of filming done.

Decided that my current book, Midlothian in World War Two, will be my last. Being honest, there has been little interest in the book, but I'm immensely grateful to those of who that spent your hard earned cash on it, and my other three books. 1/2

There's 15% off all my books just now at Lulu.com including my newest venture, Midlothian in World War Two using the code CONTENTCREATOR15

There's 15% discount on my books over on Lulu.com until the 6th of June using the code 👇
PRIDEMONTH15

This happened a year ago, the first time I've been 'heckled' giving a talk 😅

Must confess sales of Midlothian in World War Two have been pretty poor. A bit disheartening, but that's the way it goes I guess, time to move on.

There is a list of the names on the Memorial military-researcher.co.uk/Gretna%20Nam...

YouTube video by John Duncan Gretna Train Disaster, May 1915

On this day, 110 years ago, many of the 1/7th Royal Scots (TF) were killed or maimed in the Gretna Train Disaster.
youtu.be/3y7sTDAYEkM?...