It will come as no surprise to anyone that Linlithgow has many events that go back decades, forming part of family traditions and locked in memories down the generations.
In this post we are going to focus on the relatively ‘new events on the block’ adding to the locked-in memories for the new generation of children who live in our lovely town.
However, a short trip down memory lane will take us back to the days when kids learned the ways of the business world in the big family square known as the Monopoly board. Early locked-in memories of negotiating with siblings about who was getting the racing car versus the iron; paying rent for landing on square with a green house or red hotel; Do Not pass Go; Community Chance and Old Kent Road. These were all locked-in before the age of 10.
These days, even the cubs and scouts were recently tapping into the concept. A ‘Scoutopoly’ badge can now be earned for patrols travelling to different locations (game board squares) to complete challenges such as knot-tying, outdoor skills, and team-building tasks.
Childhood place memories were even recalled at university, when the money became real and the intensity ten-fold more intensive, before the board being upended by a disgruntled “tenant”. Happy Days, and great memories. All locked-in.
Easter 2026
This Easter break, hundreds of wide-eyed children will be wandering up and down the High Street to find the wee chicks in shop windows, with a letter to reveal the secret phase they have to say when handing in their completed entries into Tesco. All in return for a Crème Egg.
Some of the ‘older’ kids will be able to talk about previous trails in the good old days back in the early 20’s and recall shops where letters have been before. The ‘Christmas Dinner trail of ’23, Elf on the Shelf and the Halloween Pumpkin trails, all follow the same formula but completed with great enthusiasm by all participants.
Even though some kids may have become ‘too old’ to do the trails, they will still recall them as early positive childhood memories of walking around the town writing the names of the shops where they found each letter.
Locked in memories – a serious issue
This isn’t just a bit of fun as the research about towns backs up. Locked-in early memories shape our connections to where we live.
It indicates that deeply ingrained early childhood memories play a critical role in shaping how individuals connect to, experience, and value their adult environments. It is a phenomenon closely tied to the psychological concept of place attachment.
These memories become fundamental parts of identity that influence where people feel ‘at home’ and how they behave in their surroundings.
The places of our early childhood are not merely the backdrop of our formative years. They actively internalized and become a part of us. The “backward glance” at early experiences is a dimension of attachment, allowing people to feel “at home” in specific landscapes throughout their lives.
It’s no accident that Linlithgow was named the best place to live in Scotland. This has earned through all the activities and community groups who make the town what it is today.
National Record Store Day.
Saturday 18th April 2026
The fact that there is a ‘National record store day’, where people queue up along the high street to spend a decent chunk of their monthly disposable income on vinyl records originally released in the 1960’s, 70’ and 80’s, tells you everything you need to know about locked in memories, nostalgia and thinking about the past.
We all grew up somewhere with youthful, carefree years spent in poster filled bedrooms, pubs, clubs, social centres, dance halls, abandoned warehouses or barns, have music of our time attached to those memories with our mates; had our first kisses and even met the person who we married.
In Linlithgow, Mancunian born Chris, probably spent his time in the Hacienda, listening to The Smiths, Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses. Little did he realise over 40 years later, he’d be handing out early morning bacon sandwiches and coffee along Linlithgow High Street.
He is in his element feeding eager customers awaiting entry into his vinyl record shop, Low Port Music, for the latest re-releases of many classic tunes.
Hundreds of limited edition, exclusive vinyl releases and events take place in participating independent record stores worldwide. It’s an annual gathering that brings artists and music fans together to celebrate indie record retail with exclusive vinyl releases. And the public love it. That’s the power of memories and belonging to a place and a time. It never leaves you.
Diaspora
The world’s ‘diaspora’ also has a strong sense of place, that grows stronger as the years go by. All those brave souls who up and left the place where they grew up, the ones who flew the nest and ventured out into the world still recall their early years in their hometowns and cities.
Memories of Monopoly are still there. And it’s highly likely that the youth of today will be re-gaoling stories of their first Easter Trail in Linlithgow as a rite of passage, followed by their first Linlithgow Ale Trail when they get older.
