This week's trip down Memory Lane features some of the shops and buildings that used to be in the centre of Dunfermline before the major changes that took place in the 1960's onwards.

Until then the central shopping area in Dunfermline had remained relatively unaltered.

The demolition of the Royal Hotel started the transformational process with the building of Dunfermline's first supermarket, Liptons, in 1967 filling the void that this created next to where the Guildhall and Linen Exchange pub is now situated.

Many properties between High Street and Carnegie Drive were pulled down to create the new Kingsgate Shopping Centre that opened in 1985, and our first photograph from around 1970 shows some of the shops in Bonnar Street, such as Graftons, that made way for where Marks and Spencer is today.

In those days it was safe to leave a pram, possibly with a baby inside it, outside a shop unattended.

A policeman can be seen on duty at the junction of High Street and New Row, and unrestricted street parking was still permitted on Bonnar Street at that time.

Continuing up Bonnar Street and turning left into Queen Anne Street, our next photograph from around 1981 shows the row of shops that were also demolished, including the Union Inn which was run on the Gothenburg principle where profits were used for the good of the local community.

R.C Ferguson the florists relocated firstly to Pilmuir Street and then to East Port.

The garage premises of Goodhalls, which can be seen further along just before the Post Office building that is still there today, started life as stables and were vacated when the business merged with the Fife Motor Company in Halbeath Road.

To cater for the demand for increased parking, our next photograph shows Chalmers Street Church, (used as a Masonic Hall when this was taken in 1962) that was demolished to create access to the Glen Bridge car park.

Bernstein's Furniture Arcade on the left would later be occupied by McPherson's Bookshop.

At that time there were a number of 'iron cows' located around Dunfermline.

These were refrigerated coin-operated machines from which milk could be purchased, and one of them can be seen outside the office and showroom premises of Hunter and Wyse, Plumbers, to the right of the church.

A number of buildings changed use over the years and our last photograph, taken in 1981, shows the showrooms and offices that were built for the Fife Electric Power Company in East Port in 1938.

This building was converted into an air raid shelter on the outbreak of war in 1939, and after the war fitted out as a showroom for the South of Scotland Electricity Board when the industry was nationalised in 1948. It now houses the Morgan Law Partnership.

More photographs like these can be seen in Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries (an appointment has to be made at present due to Covid restrictions) and also at facebook.com/olddunfermline. 'Old Dunfermline' DVD's are available online from olddunfermline.com/shop.