In Kirkcaldy, help is never far away...
“If the town wants to thrive, not just survive, we need to work together to make it happen.”
I didn’t realise, as I made my way to Elevate Kirkcaldy’s town meeting last Thursday, just how much those words would resonate over the following 24 hours.
It was a Thursday evening with a dusting of nosiness as I headed towards the Old Kirk. The drama began when I attempted to reverse on the High Street outside Oscar’s Coffee Shop. Cheeky, I know.
There was a loud twang from beneath my car and, despite the engine starting, it wasn’t moving unless you count edging closer to a lamppost.
That was when something lovely happened. Four men stopped to help. One even pulled over. Together, they pushed my car safely off the road while I thanked them and called the RAC.
By the time I ambled into the meeting, Amby Stanyer-Hunter was in full flow. I exchanged waves with familiar faces while Amby was, well, being Amby. Passionate, fearless and brimming with possibilities.
“Without a unique selling point for the town, there’s no point in spending money on something that won’t bring long-term, sustainable tourism,” he said. “We need the money to keep coming, and this can only be achieved by creating infrastructure to draw people from outside Fife to want to come here.”
Mandy Hunter CEO of Linton Lane Centre spoke movingly about the need to support one another. The thought of our toun without the beating heart of Linton Lane Centre made me incredibly sad.
What Amby was suggesting was simple and clever: let’s become a town of events. Events that bring footfall to our seafront, our park and our town centre. A water sports festival, a comedy festival and anything else we can dream up.
We have already seen what can be achieved through events such as the Lang Toun Festival. However, it comes with a caveat: we all have to do our part.
“At its roots, the regeneration of Kirkcaldy must start from the ground up, and that means every single person doing their bit,” Amby said.
“Sweep the pavement in front of your shops, pick up rubbish in your street, help a struggling neighbour to cut their hedge.
“We need to start rebuilding communities. We need to engage with each other and, through direct action and involvement, we can truly Elevate Kirkcaldy.”
Leaving the meeting, I reflected that this is something Kirkcaldy already does brilliantly: working in partnership, offering a helping hand and encouraging someone with an idea, plenty of passion and not a penny and make it happen anyway.
The following morning, I was still on the High Street, waiting for the now-mythical roadside assistance and checking a faceless app every 20 minutes while watching for an enterprising traffic warden.
I wandered into Oscar’s for much-needed caffeine and watched a lady arrive with a pram occupied by two dogs, Mango and Rosie. They were waiting for their sausages and seemed delighted to be chauffeured around by their adoring custodian.
I decided I had waited long enough for rescue. I called Gillian at AD Tyres, one of those local gems who always goes the extra mile especially for those of us who feel a shiver of dread at the words “car repair”. She gave me the number for QuickTow Recovery and, within an hour, my poorly car and I were being transported to the garage by the son of legendary Fife Free Press photographer, Walter Neilson.
It occurred to me how lucky I had been. That day, I had planned to drive on the motorway with my mum. Instead, the gearbox linkage failed while at standstill in the Lang Toun, where every bit of help I needed was around me.
That, surely, is what elevating Kirkcaldy looks like.
And as for the roadside assistance, I understand it’s still be on its way.
It didn’t matter. I stay in Kirkcaldy and here, help is never far away.
You can find out more about Elevate Kirkcaldy at the group’s Facebook page.