Meet the man whose High Street museum is preserving Kirkcaldy’s story

At the back of the shop, John Dennett and Simone have created the Lang Toun Little Museum, a growing people’s museum dedicated to preserving Kirkcaldy and Fife’s stories, artefacts and memories, not as a commercial venture, but as what John calls “a labour of love.”

Now, nearly a year and a half after opening on St Andrew’s Day 2024, the first stage is complete.

“We pay the bills, and then we’re investing more and more in things,” John said. “It’s not about making money. It’s about maintaining it, keeping the doors open, and growing the collection.”

That ethos sits at the heart of Fife Forge, the independent shop at 69 High Street, which sells art, books, antiques and collectables with a strong Kirkcaldy, Fife and Scotland focus. Income from the shop helps sustain the space, with profits being reinvested back into building the museum for the town.

“My primary issue is to build up a museum, and that’s for everybody to come and see and remember and learn from,” John said. “The more we sell here, the more we can be self-sustaining and support the museum.”

Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, John came to Scotland after meeting his Edinburgh born wife Simone in London. The couple later settled in Kirkcaldy, raising their children; Isabella, Gabrielle and Morgan in the Lang Toun. Their son’s name was chosen for its Scottish meaning, “sea warrior,” a small, meaningful nod to the family’s connection to Scotland.

John says he was drawn to the Lang Toun from the moment he arrived.

“I walked around for two or three hours and just got a really good feeling about the place,” he said. “I loved the seafront, the High Street, the buildings, all the character.”

That connection deepened years later when family DNA research revealed ancestral roots in Kirkcaldy, Largo and across Fife.

“It felt personal,” he said. “It’s one thing to feel drawn to a place, but when you realise you’ve actually got roots there, it changes things. It felt a bit magical.”

A former treasury lawyer for the New Zealand government, John worked in Edinburgh and Abu Dhabi, eventually stepped away from law to pursue more creative passions, including writing, collecting and historical research.

Once settled in Kirkcaldy, that curiosity grew into a passion for preserving the town’s stories.

Today, visitors to the Lang Toun Little Museum can explore displays celebrating mining heritage, military artefacts, sea treasures from Seafield Beach, Raith Rovers memorabilia, old postcards, local industry, comics, film and music history, and the much-loved Wall of Fife Legends, featuring figures such as Jocky Wilson.

For John, the value lies in the memories the collection sparks.

“Older miners come in and see things that trigger stories,” he said. “They start remembering and telling their kids and grandkids. That’s valuable.”

He added: “Give it another ten or twenty years and these memories will be gone. If there’s nowhere to learn those stories, they disappear.”

The next stage of the museum will focus on cataloguing and display cards to help tell the stories behind the exhibits, with volunteers invited to get involved.

John’s passion for local heritage is also visible through projects such as his Kirkcaldy High Street Treasure Map and his campaign to support the restoration of Ravenscraig Castle. Fife Forge remains a simple idea, a shop keeping the lights on, while quietly building something lasting for the town.

“This is really about preserving Kirkcaldy’s stories,” John said, “and making sure they’re still here for future generations.”