Dear Jill:I am so sorry that I did not have the opportunity to meet with you while I was Home on visit. I just returned last night from a three weeks holiday in Kilsyth. I enjoyed meeting with old relatives an new made friends.I must tell you of the reception that I recieved from all of the Kilsyth folks. Of course being a new face in Kilsyth ,I stood out like a sore thumb.Everybody was so friendly.I had promised myself that I was going to walk up Main st. , go into ever shop. and give my biggest smile with a hearty Good Morning to everybody that I approached . The reaction I recieved was wonderful.The first two ladies I passed I said :Good Morning Ladies:they replied with a shy good morning, and in passing I heard one say to the other :Who was that?:Next came a rather tall old gentleman, wearing a old country bonnet, and carring a cane :Good Morning " says I flashing my biggest smile He stopped suddenly , tipped his bonnet and the reply I recieved was :Good Morning to uou Mrs.Smiled back at me and said :Maybe it won!t be such a bad day after all, as he looked up to the threatning clouds in the sky. It was priceless. Thats the way I remember My KIlsyth, everybody friendly, and smiling.and remembering back when it was real tough scratching out a living,but allways finding time for their nieghbor. God must have been in an exceptionally good mood when he created Scotland .because he made it so beautiful.

Main st could use some refurbushing but you know, it looked good to me. While I was in Scotland I had the occasion to visit Callender, and Luss.The tourists in both places were bustling about buying in gift shops, eating in resturants,As we were leaving more tour buses were pulling into the car park. KILSTH RESIDENTS your are missing out Get together as a group , Go to the council meetings, You wont get things done just talking and lamenting about it . If the artifacts taken from the Colzium belong to Kilsyth, then by gosh! Get a Good Lawyer , and Demand legally that they be returned.If the people in high places are ignoring your pleas Then;;;replace them. but you have to get out to VOTE to do that.

Kilsyth has so much to offer. being a retired travel consultant and tour director I see the potential your little town has.The Colzium, The Falkirk wheel. The roman wall, the scenery, the Coachman Inn which by the way was outstanding, I stayed there three weeks. The food was great , and the personel and management, went out of their way to please their guests,BUT best of all KILSYTH residents and shop keepers , you have the friendly people . that live in this precous piece of Scotland that God created for you all.

Sincerely , yours Elizabeth (BETTE) J. Lehman Ex-Pat of kilsyth

that was a very nice letter to our web page and it was a pretty true reflection on kilsyth; glad you enjoyed it; and hope you return next year;
we had our local parade last week and in the nice weather a good many people turned out; and everything was we;ll attended so well done to the orgonisers of this event they surpass them-selves each year;
just heard that the new resturant is now closing down so sorry about that they served up lovely food;
not much happening on this site eh----where are all the
pc buffs ;all-though i must say with this nice weather at present they will all be out and about enjoying them-selves probably;
the flowers are all out in bloom and there are some nice gardens about; i all-ways say if a person has a nice garden they have peace of mind as a lot of love is put into it; i spend lots of time in mine and with the scenery and the birds singing it makes me feel alive--
i can talk a load of bull at times but nobody else is writting at present hope all is well with you;
woof-woof------

Hi Bow Wow : Good to hear from you.Thankyou for the kind words on my article about Scotland. I meant every word of it. I had hoped that Jill from the Chronicle office would print it as not everyone in Kilsyth has a
computer However. I wrote just how I felt.Kilsyth folks are wonderful.

Glad your feeling better.Keep in touch Best regards BETTE

Hi Bette, thats a nice letter you wrote about your visit back to Kilsyth...we enjoyed meeting you, and listening to your story's of the "Old Days"in kilsyth,Hope all the photos we took turned out,
Bow-wow will be aw'fully dissapointed if they haven't.You must bring some of your sketches or paintings back with you when you return next year....The Coachman hasn't been the same since you left!!!!Have a good trip to Vegas, Hit the Big Money.
Take Care, as we say" GUID FOLKS ARE SCARCE"
ALL THE bEST.
iZZI

How is it it is mainly visitors who can see the potential that is in Kilsyth.
Walking round the Banton Dam and up round the Colzium House on Saturday night was a joy, it is such a beautiful estate - we should be making a better use of it.
Kilsyth is a great place to live and if only more local folks could see this the better the place would be.

I agree with you Friend. I love Kilsyth and the friendly people in it. It!s a shame that some folks take such beautiful things for granted.I was born in that nice little town,I would come back to live out my days there ,but after living in a warm climate for so many years, I am afraid that my days would be numbered with the cold winters . Thanks for giving your view s of kilsyth .I am sure there are plenty more peple that think the same as you and I. Maybe they too will respond. Best regards ()BETTE

hi all; i took a walk down the coach rd then round the dam and up to the colzium i took my time but still managed to all this in one hour forty minutes; i met one person on the first part two at the dam and four at the colzium; the sites i saw were bonny but where have all the kids gone; i came through the welfare but other than half a dozen playing on the bikes and playground there were not many about; god when we were kids our parents could;nt keep us in ; up the glen the welfare-playin fitba in the street; all sorts of different games; we were may-be poor but by jings we could enjoy ersells;
i had a doner up the glen last week and it brought some happy memories back to me i could stand there and visiolise back 50yrs ago whit a time we all had back then and i;m gratefull ive still got my facalties to do that it made my day i;ll tell you;
mind when we were lookin fur a burd we aw went oot the stirling rd in groups and then we pared af wae some young lass then queing at the grannies much for a ten minute winch; brings a smile to yer face just thinking aboot it; ah youth--never mind i;m enjoying my older years and like bette in america i;ts nice to go back to yer roots and appreciate whit wi had then;
keep in touch bette ; kind regards--woof-woof;