Nostalgia: 1950s pageant pride in Kirkcaldy

On Saturday, June 30 the annual event – a successor to the former Hospital Pageant which had proved popular in previous years – moved into its last two days after a busy week of numerous functions.

The pageant’s aim was to raise funds to build cottages for local disabled ex-Servicemen.

In the morning, there was a mile of pennies from the top of Tolbooth Street to Kirk Wynd, but the real fun did not begin until one o’clock, when the Pageant Parade began to assemble at the Ice Rink prior to its march through the town to the Port Brae, where another extensive programme of entertainment was carried through into the evening.

The scene at the Ice Rink in the early afternoon was an animated one as the individual collectors, trade exhibitors and youth organisations prepared for the judging.

One of the first prizes for individual collectors went to Charlie (Let’s Have Another “Gold Rush”) Chaplin, who hid the identity of John Duncan, a member of the Veronica Crescent Social and Improvements Club.

Amongst the ladies, the award for the most original dressed girl went to young Margaret Brown of Ramsay Road, who, wearing a fur coat and flower pot hat, proclaimed that she was “Summer 1951”.

Mingling with the crowd during the preparations for the parade were the Lang Toun Lad and Lass, James Gibson and Sheila McTweed, who posed for numerous photographs with groups of fancy dressed collectors.

The parade left the ice rink, led by the Lad and Lass in an open top car, with music provided by the British Legion Pipe Band and the Boys’ Brigade Bugle Band.

Crowds lined the route, which was by way of Pottery Street, Oswald Road, Rosslyn Street, St Clair Street, Commercial Street. Mitchell Place, Dunnikier Road, Mitchell Street, Townsend Place, St Brycedale Avenue, Abbotshall Road, West Fergus Place. Beveridge Road. Nicol Street and High Street.

The evening entertainment on the Promenade, commenced at 6pm and carried on until late, with the varied programme providing plenty of amusement for the huge crowds.

The mile of pennies from the bus office to the Port Brae brought in a fair quota of coppers, and any outstanding cash was claimed by the collecting boxes and the sale of raffle tickets.

Perhaps the biggest event of the evening was the auction of a two-week old bull calf, donated by Robert McKendrick of Cameron Farm, which went for £25 – around £850 in today’s money.

To conclude Pageant Week an open air service of thanksgiving was held in the War Memorial Gardens.

It was well attended with representatives of the uniformed youth organisations forming an impressive Guard of Honour. The culmination of the service, was the laying of a wreath on the War Memorial by the Lang Toun Lad and Lass, accompanied by the Barry, Ostlere and Shepherd Silver Band. It was a fitting end to the conclusion of a week which had raised a total of £551.20 towards the target of £3000.