In the early years the Main Street was an unmade, dirt road and was not surfaced with tarmac until the start of the 1920's.   There were several discussions held by the Burgh Council with a view to straightening the double bends in the road at Sunnyside but they were never implemented as the coast was considered to be too high for such unessential work.   In 1930 however, enough money was found to upgrade the Main Street and widen it from 20 to 30 feet and form new footpaths.   This work was undertaken by a squad of 30 men who had been unemployed.   Later that year proposals were put forward to make major improvements to the Blackburn to West Calder road, the most important being the construction of a new higher level, girder and stone bridge to cross the Breich Burn.   This completely overshadowed the original old arched stone bridge which is still standing.   The new bridge was completed in May 1935.

There was also a small footbridge spanning the burn, about half a mile further to the west, which was reached from paths from either Burnbrae Road or Meadow Road, which allowed people to cross to Loganlea.   It was eventually washed away and so the only means of crossing the burn was by using the two railway viaducts.   The first of these was a stone built one of 5 arches which was sadly demolished in 1967 and the other was a metal one, supported on tall stone pillars which was dismantled in 1979, despite a protest organised by the villagers.   All means of crossing the burn between the villages was thus stopped until the new suspension bridge was built in 1981.   The smaller footbridge was replaced in the late 1970's.

The toilet facilities for the first houses were the communal 'ash pit' type and was emptied and disposed of weekly by a squad from the Colliery.   This system continued up until July 1938 when the first sewage works were opened and the houses had outdoor WC's and sculleries with piped water.   Refuse collection was also undertaken by the Colliery until the Council took over the March 1941.  In the same year it was decreed that the street were to be swept once a week instead of fortnightly.

The first water supply was from standpipes on the Main Street until it was piped into the houses in 1938.

As could be expected in an area where paraffin ruled, the first lighting in the houses were, of course, oil lamps supplemented by candles.   In July 1930 the Armadale Gas Company agreed to install 61 street lamps to be used only from 1st October to 31st March.   The cost of running these for this period was £3.5.0 (£3.25) per lamp if lit on every one of these nights but there would be a magnificent reduction of 5/- (25p) per lamp if it was not lit on moonlit nights.   This scheme was given a 10-year guarantee of service but within a year there were a great number of complaints about poor quality gas and low pressure.   This resulted in many modifications being made and eventually the problem was resolved.   During these years gas lighting was also installed in the houses.   This was later replaced by electricity in 1933 which was supplied from the Colliery plant.

On the 8th December 1948 an agreement was reached to introduce Sodium electric street lighting.   The Scottish Midlands Electricity Supply had, since 1930, refused to light the streets unless they could install electricity into the houses as well.   By November 1950 the first part of the scheme was in operation and in 1954 it was extended to cover the whole village.   In 1960 it was felt necessary to increase the number of lamps.   In fact all the old lamps were replaced as well as new ones erected but it was found two years later that these caused great interference on the newest innovation - television.   This problem was rectified and the lamps remained until the mid 1980's when they were replaced by the existing lamps.

The first representative of the law was PC John Jardine who came to live in the 'Old Rows' when they were built in 1898.   From then on there has been a procession of policemen.   The second one, as far as can be ascertained, was Wullie Cuthill.   It is doubtful, however, if the housing scheme of that name was called after him.   When John Lees was in residence at 24 Muir Terrace any unruly behaviour was rewarded by being locked up for the night in the 'cells', which in actual fact was his own front room, a dire punishment indeed.   The last two constables to live in the Police houses were Joe Farrer and Ian Gray.   Between their jurisdiction and that of PC Cuthill, the following constables have kept the peace and security of the village in their hands, rewarding many a young troublemaker with a clip round the ear or a boot on the backside.

There is no doubt that these names will recall minor misdeeds to many browsers.  PC's Thomson, Wull Grant, Donald Forbes, George Christie, George Hall, Alan Cameron, Bob Watt, Dave Watt, Bill Oliver, Neil McLean, George Shepherd and Sandie Blain.   PC Thomson was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Uphall in 1931 and replaced by PC Christie and, in 1947 PC Hall was promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Linlithgow.   Since the last of these men left when the local 'Nick' (Police Station) closed down in 1977, the village had to be covered, often very inadequately, by the hard-pressed Blackburn Police Station.

The village had its own Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths for almost 50 years.   From July 1928 until July 1932 the post was held by Andrew Hamilton with his wife Agnes acting as his assistant.   Mrs P Scott took over the duties until 1940 when she was succeeded by her husband, Hugh, who officiated until August 1945.   Walter Selly and his wife Jean took over for one year only and their successors were a Mr & Mrs Beveridge who held the office until 13rh November 1967.   From this date until the transfer of the office to Whitburn in December 1974, Neil Rae performed the duties assisted by his wife Susie.   Neil was also one of the village J.P.'s (Justice of the Peace).

The oldest form of this was, of course, the train.   The North British Railway built the Bathgate, Wilsontown, Morningside and Coltness line in 1846, passing through Bents Station.   Apart from its normal traffic it served to convey pupils to and from Fauldhouse, Bents and East Whitburn to Bathgate.

An application from the Education Authority to the Railway Company was made in August 1920 to provide extra trains at more convenient times for these pupils but this request was turned down as it would involve an extra run of 27 miles per day at a cost of £2.0.0 per day.   The line was at that time carrying a total of 90 pupils, 34 from Fauldhouse, 24 from Bents and 32 from East Whitburn.   The journey time from Fauldhouse to Bathgate was 22 minutes.   The passenger service on this line ceased in June 1930 but the mainly mineral traffic carried on until early 1962.

The level crossing keepers at Bents during these last years of the line were Mrs Euphemia Mitchell and Mrs Jessie Bruce who, at the time of writing, still lives in the station house.   Their working day was run by alternating shifts and they were kept very busy opening the gates to allow vehicles to use the Hen Nest Road and, because the railway had priority, the gates were always set against the road user.   They had another duty that was to ensure the oil lamps which illuminated the signals at night were always properly trimmed and filled and put up at dusk.   Those for the home signals were easily installed, being only a few yards from each end of the platforms, but the two distant signals involved a long trek in either direction in all weathers.   The station platform, waiting rooms and signal box were demolished in 1963 and the lines were uplifted shortly afterwards.

It is sad to reflect that in those early days the villagers could have travelled in comfort and relative ease to virtually any town or village in Scotland and beyond by using this once vast network.   Glasgow or Edinburgh could both be reached simply by changing at Bathgate, or by changing trains at Fauldhouse.   After the passenger service through Bents ceased villagers still had a full service to Glasgow and Edinburgh although it involved walking just over a mile to the station at Addiewell.   The trains were nicknamed "The Nine-Penny Rattlers" as the fare during the 1940's was only 9 pence (4p) for the return trip to the capital, Edinburgh.

The first buses from Bents to Bathgate were the open charabanc type and the conductor collected the fares by perilously clambering along the running-board while the bus was in motion.   This first regular service was provided by the Scottish Motor Transport Company which started running on 19th October 1923.   Another bus, operated by Danny Finlayson, provided great thrills as well as a public service as the driver seemed more interested in breaking speed records than picking up passengers.   The next major development was the start of a service from West Calder to Newmains via Stoneyburn in November 1928.   A Bents to Bangour service commenced on the 16th May 1950 and, more recently, the circular service to Bathgate and Livingston via West Calder services were started in 1990.

The first taxi operator was Andrew Dewar, who also had the first petrol pump installed outside his garage at "Dewar's Buildings".   His first vehicle was a brand new, left-hand drive, Model "T" Ford, imported direct from America, through D.R. Gordon of Bathgate. which cost £123.0.0.   This marvellous machine arrived in 1922 and was driven for many years by the late Johnnie Thompson from Cannop.

Other motor hirers began to appear.   John Russell from Beechwood Place ran a hire service for several years until he sold the business to Bill Watson in the late 1930's.   In more recent years 'Geordie' Hope has been running taxis since the late 1970's and added the first minibus in the village to his operation in the mid 11980's.   Jim Marshall and Dougie Easton are now also local minibus owners.   In these days of "Don't Drink and Drive" there is an ever increasing demand for this type of transport.