I'm dreaming of a Fife Twixmas...

Kirkcaldy is set for a brand new event which will take place during the lull in the festive season betwixt Christmas and New Year.

Twixmas will begin on December 28 with a busy daily and nightly schedule, culminating in the main event on Hogmanay.

It’s being organised in tandem with Kirkcaldy’s Township Twinning Festival which will take place earlier at the end of August; both events received a joint award of £23,000 from Fife Council.

Liz Easton, general secretary of Kirkcaldy YMCA, is leading both events and said hard work is underway.

“At the moment I’m searching for quotes for insurance, portable toilets, marquees and applications for use of public space, all of that and more is in process,

“It’s much easier doing the two things at once. If we work together we can work to our strengths.

“There are hopefully other people to come on board as a loose organising group. If we can share the load we can go much further. Other people have fresh ideas and different contacts.

“We are hoping that HNC and HND Events students from Fife College will come on board too. It would be great for us and would help with their course.”

Robert Main, chair of the Kirkcaldy Ingolstadt Association said the Township Festival would include a number of community-based events, as well as the Bavarian Beer Festival, which will offer craft beers from local suppliers.

He said: “It will follow much of the same events as in previous years. The programme should be ready by the middle of the month.”

Looking further ahead to Twixmas, Music in Kirkcaldy will feature a number of different group and Judith Kerr from the umbrella organisation said: “I think it’s great to do something like this at that time of year.

“We’re still checking out which groups would like to take part, because there are a lot in the town. Most of them work towards a Christmas concert so I’m hoping that it won’t be too much of a bind doing a night in a tent!

“I’m old enough to remember when we had Hogmanay events in Kirkcaldy. When I was at school Kirkcaldy High School would sing carols on the Town House steps every Christmas Eve, so I think if the town gets behind this it will be great.”

Liz said the idea was to give people things to do between Christmas and New Year.

“All the big events in Edinburgh cease on Christmas Eve and there’s very little after that until Hogmanay, so I thought why don’t we do something here that will bring people into the town centre.

“You then don’t have the problem of getting to Edinburgh and back and you get the spin off from people going into town first for something to eat or drink then coming to our events, or they come to our events first then go out after.

“We’ve not got the programme sorted out yet but one thing we’re planning is a family ceilidh which will come after a day of family events. We’re thinking that it will cost £5 for the family, whether there’s two or six of you.

“It’s about maintaining a tradition, because there’s not a lot of things like ceilidhs happening anymore so it lets children understand what’s it’s all about.”

If the event proves popular Liz is hopeful it could become a regular festive attraction.

“It’s a trial year really. We can try it all, we can test it and we can see if it’s going to work and if it flies we can go for it again in the future.

“The other thing is that it’s going to be local; local bands playing, using local suppliers and local services.

“It’s all about Kirkcaldy and Fife.”