Events

December 2024

As we move into a new year we’ve been reflecting on how much we achieved since turning to full activity following the hiatus caused by Covid.

Publications

Happy Days which is based upon the reminiscences of those who holidayed in Anstruther and Cellardyke has become our bestseller.  This year it has been followed by our latest title – The Surgeon and the Painter-  the  story of salvaged Victorian painting which reveals the mysterious death of an Anstruther surgeon and its consequences

Website

It is now easier than ever to order our books online, as we have invested in a new website.  (We are still pleased to say  that the Scottish Fisheries Museum shop stocks all of our books.) The new site allows us to put up more material. So we plan in 2025 publish short articles about our collection and also have an online gallery of items we hold.

Educational outreach

our educational activity includes ex- teachers from our committee going into Waid Academy  to talk about teaching methods of the past (which includes letting pupils  try writing with nibbed pens and inkwells, and exhibiting materials such as slates, slide rules, and of course the tawse). Senior pupils from Waid have also acted as volunteers helping to digitise some of our material and in this past year we have worked with a cohort of six year pupils on their Advanced Higher History topics.

Research

We are often approached by those who seeking more information about individuals. Notable amongst these has been a relative of Tahitian Princess Titaua, (wife of George Darsie, who lived in Johnston Lodge, Hadfoot Wynd) ; and a descendant  of Andrew Gilchrist one of the most prominent farmers in the area who introduced modern farming techniques and equipment such as steam ploughs to the East Neuk.  (These  were later adapted by the fishing community to pull boats from the harbour in Cellardyke.) Then there was the request from Kirkcaldy Art Gallery for information about a Dr. Woodcock and the long-lost museum which he had established in the 19th century. We were able to source photographs of the interior of the museum and provide details of Woodcock’s life. (The relevance of this was that he had acquired a painting which turned out to be a 16th century masterpiece which was restored by the art gallery and put on display.)

The Collection

We’re always keen to add new material and gather local knowledge. Prominent in the past year have been the recollections of the Regal Cinema in Anstruther. We have interviewed members of the Berwick family which owned the cinema, gathered memories from cinema goers, and added cinema posters and even some of the cinema projection equipment to our collection.

With the aid of a generous bequest and successful grant application we’ve been able to expand our base in the East Neuk Centre to 3 rooms. We aim in 2025 to develop the largest of these to put on display a selection of artefacts, photographs, and documents from our collection – reflecting the commercial, social, religous, and educational activity of our community over the years.

We do all of this – writing, research, archiving, public talks, school liaison, books sales –   with a small group of committee members and volunteers. If you are interested in helping  we would be delighted to hear from you.

Kevin Dunion
Chair
Kilrenny and Anstruther Burgh Collection