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As children we lived through one of the longest and most severe recessions the country has experienced. Money was scarce, unemployment extremely high and school leavers found it impossible to find employment. Many choose to join the boy's service in the Royal Air Force, some of whom did not survive the Second World War.
I also have vivid memories of unemployed men passing down North Street daily on their way to the woods and returning with heavy loads of wood on their shoulder to keep the fires burning. The rule was - No horse drawn vehicles - Just take what you can carry. It was back breaking work. This went on to the late 30s just before the start of the Second World War.
School holidays were spent at home, away holidays being out of the question. The best we could expect was the Sunday School trip by train to Lossiemouth. With a bonus outing to Hopeman if you had attended the English Church Sunday School as well. Many had - with just that perk in mind.
However, we were never bored in Rothes. There was no such thing as TV, or many wireless sets but there was always somewhere to go or something to do. I notice from the many activities in the Rothesian Diary that is still the same today.
The Spey was always an attraction to us during the summer holidays especially the Boat Hole at the top end of the town. It was a safe place for swimming and it was there that the older boys taught us younger ones to swim. There was a fresh water oyster bed where you could spend hours opening shells in the hope of finding a Spey pearl. If lucky you could get a sixpence for it from Watchy Davidson who displayed them in his shop window. I never knew if they were for sale or display but there never was a price on them. It is now illegal to disturb a fresh water oyster bed.
On the days when the Spey was low you could wade across and spend some time on the Sandy Hill which sadly is no longer there, or climb Ben Aigen, which was a good day out. Sourden was also a good spot on the rock, but you had to be a good swimmer if you
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