St Andrews Harbour set to host fun-packed gala day

Taking place at the harbour between 11am and 5pm, hopefully there will be good weather and a huge turnout.

The last gala, in 2019, was a brilliant day, and each year the number of people attending has increased, making for an enjoyable atmosphere.

There will be the usual inflatable castles and slides, face painting and stalls including raffle, books, toys, bric a brac and a bottle stall; as well as stalls selling crafts, paintings, prints and cosmetics. Charities will selling their wares to raise funds.

There will be dancing displays from Joyce Anderson Dancers and Dance St Andrews, and Billy Anderson will play a few tunes on his accordion. Perhaps the public will take part in some community dancing – there could be a few prizes to be won!

One of the popular games to try is pitching a golf ball into a small boat in the harbour. It really is a bit fun, but there are usually a few local golfers who can be quite competitive – which can be very rewarding for the harbour income!

Another attraction will be alpacas from Bowbridge Alpacas. They’re all very friendly and will enjoy getting to know everyone.

Marion Mason, trustee and gala organiser, paid tribute to everyone who has supported the gala day.

She said: “We are very grateful to our main sponsors this year, Pat’s Harbour Cafe, The Keys Bar and Hardies Chartered Surveyors. They’ve been a tremendous support to us.

“We are also grateful to the many local businesses who donate prizes to the raffle, which will be drawn at the end of the gala day. The raffle tickets will be available to purchase on the day if you haven’t already bought yours. A huge thank-you to all the individuals and businesses who have been selling the hundreds of raffle tickets in advance.

“We are hoping to have a visit from the local emergency services to demonstrate fire appliances, discuss police procedures and explain the work of the local Coastguard.

“And, once again, we are delighted to have a visit from the City of St Andrews Pipe Band who will march through the gala playing all the favourite tunes. With the view of the sea on one side and the square tower and skyline of the town on the other side and the beautiful weather conditions we hope to have, it will just be a perfect day for all!

“We’ll have BlackHorn selling their delicious burgers and Yellow Coloured Café selling their tasty pizzas. Jo Hay will be in attendance with her licensed bar to keep you refreshed. The lovely lady volunteers will be selling strawberry tarts, scones, home baking, tea, coffee and juice from within the marquee. Jannettas delicious ice cream will be on sale too.”

Marion added: “At the close of the gala, everything is dismantled and returned to its owners, so if you are available to stay on for a couple of hours to help we would be extremely grateful.

“We look forward to seeing everyone on the day and hope you have as much fun as we do! Thank you for your support.”

For more information, see the St Andrews Harbour Trust’s Facebook page.