Next year brings the centenary of the Great War and already the books, articles and TV specials are in production.

Last week’s column by our resident historian Ian Scott about the Spitfire training exercises during World War Two stirred up memories for James Ward, who was just a boy at the time.

For most of the last 100 years Grangemouth has been the chemical capital of central Scotland. But long before that it was the Camelon Mariners who supplied the country with products from several chemical factories in the Lock 16 area.

There’s an old saying that ‘you don’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been’.

After years of planning and months of detailed preparation Spitfire day finally arrived. On Thursday down on the Bo’ness Road the huge replica warplane was unveiled as this district’s tribute to 71 aircrew who died while serving at Grangemouth aerodrome during World War II.

For many people their jobs aren’t just nine-to-five necessities, but labours of love that carry on even after they retire.

In a couple of weeks’ time Falkirk Library will celebrate Local History Week.

Families always have special memories and Anne Mitchell from Middlesex only has happy ones when she stayed in the Maddiston area as a child.

Speaking last week to my Larbert friend Jim Jamieson it wasn’t long before the conversation turned to his beloved home village of Allandale.