Tributes paid to Kay Carrington

She was hailed as a much loved champion of the community – and in Dysart in particular, which was close to her heart.

Colleagues spoke of the work she did, and of the friend who was known for her humour and her huge love of the music of the band, The White Stripes – a link that once inspired local children to record a song about her.

Councillor Carrington, who represented the Kirkcaldy East Ward on Fife Council, had been diagnosed with cancer, and had been out of the spotlight for much of this year.

She was a strong supporter of the new Windmill Community Campus, which opened its doors a few months ago, and was heavily involved in local efforts to restore Dysart Windmill.

Cllr Carrington was also a board member at Kirkcaldy YMCA, secretary of Dysart Community Regeneration Forum, and chairman of Dysart Gala.

Her colleague, and fellow councillor, Larence Brown, led the tributes.

“It’s a huge loss to Kirkcaldy,’’ he said. “A lot of people won’t have realised all of the work she has done as a lot of it was behind closed doors, but she never stopped and was always smiling. She was a fighter to the end, as you would expect.”

Councillor Neil Crooks, chairman of the Kirkcaldy area committee, hailed her ‘‘a dynamo.’’

Claire Baker MSP, described Cllr Carrington as ‘‘a lovely, funny, hard working woman who will be much missed’’

Kezia Dugdale, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, also paid tribute on social media.

Councillor Carrington’s life, and her love of The White Stripes, once inspired one set of pupils to go into the recording studio.

In 2013, pupils from Sinclairtown Primary produced their track ‘Oh Kay’, about her as part of a project with Kirkcaldy YMCA.

Talkinaboot-oorgener-ayshun was an inter-generational music project led by youth music practitioners Mark Burdett and Martin Inches and recorded at the YM’s youth music studio.

They adapted Kay’s spoken word into a tale of life in Fife and love of all things, including the councillor’s obsession with The White Stripes.

Councillor Carrington said she was ‘‘gobsmacked’’ by the track, adding: ‘‘“It’s wonderful how they have sung it, listening to what I told them and putting it into the song. It’s such a positive message from the kids about Fife.

“There’s not many people who get a song written about them. It’s absolutely fantastic.”

>> A full appreciation of Kay Carrington’s life will appear in this week’s Fife Free Press.