Mariners

I led worship at Camelon Parish Church this morning. One of the interesting things about Camelon, a village in Central Scotland adjacent to Falkirk - and not particularly close to the sea either to the east or the west - is that the locals are called 'Mariners'. There are a number of possible explanations, one of which is that a former player of Camelon Juniors FC in the late 19th / early 20th century returned to the club, causing a local newspaper to report that 'an Ancient Mariner' has returned, drawing on the Coleridge poem that was popular at the time. The name stuck and has been used since. Another explanation relates to the nearby Union Canal which allowed access to the sea via the River Forth to the east.

Either way, the area's association with matters maritime is also reflected in the Carmuirs Merchant Navy War Memorial (pictured), unveiled in November 2010.

The inscription on the plaque reads:
"In honour of those men and women of the Merchant Navy from the district of Falkirk who served their country in times of peril many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice"