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Arbuthnott marks author connection

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The life and times of Lewis Grassic Gibbon, the celebrated pen-name of James Leslie Mitchell, were recalled when a plaque was unveiled at his childhood home in Arbuthnott.

Bloomfield, now a modernised cottage high on the Reisk Road, north of Arbuthnott Church in the heart of the Mearns, was Mitchell’s home during his formative years.

Born in 1901, Mitchell’s background and upbringing were steeped in the traditional crofting life of the north-east of Scotland and as an adult he looked back proudly on his roots.

While his early years were spent at his birthplace, the Aberdeenshire croft of Hillhead of Seggat, the following nine years when he lived at Bloomfield were profoundly influential.

Among those at the unveiling of the simple plaque were Mitchell’s daughter Rhea Martin and her son Alasdair.

The idea of the plaque came from William and Dorothy Clark, who bought Bloomfield two years ago.Little-known connectionMr Clark said, “When we came to Bloomfield I picked up a copy of an article which referred to the unknown connection between the house and Lewis Grassic Gibbon.

“From time to time we had visitors stopping and asking if this was the house, so we decided to put up a plaque to recognise the fact that a great author had lived here as a boy.

“It seemed odd that there was nothing here to mark the author’s time in this house. After all, the Grassic Gibbon Centre is just down the road.”

Aberdeenshire Provost Bill Howatson, who attended the ceremony, said, “This is a fitting and dignified commemoration of the link between Bloomfield and one of Scotland’s greatest writers who wrote so powerfully about the Mearns and its landscape and people.”

The annual supper of the Friends of the Grassic Gibbon Centre was held last week. Guest speaker was Dr David Northcroft from the Elphinstone Institute and musical entertainment was by Tich Frier.