Burntisland artist's project puts her street on track for a Merry Christmas

Carole-Anne Crossan (53), the current Burntisland Community Award winner, has put her artistic skills to good use by painting a colourful collage which stretches the whole length of a section of the street where she lives.

She has transformed the kitchen windows of six houses in the street, including her own, by painting a picture of a Christmas-themed train.

The festive mural extends from number 12-22 Cotburn Crescent with the first window featuring the driver’s cabin, and the driver none other than Rudolph!

Then each of four other windows depict a different carriage of the train, with teddy bear, snowman and Santa all aboard for the ride. It finishes off at the end of the street with the guard waving his flag.

Carole-Anne is well known in the town for her artistic pursuits and has decorated the window of the Co-operative in the town since she began working there 13 years ago. She also does all the scenery for the Burntisland Youth Theatre, which she has been involved in for over 20 years.

She said: “I have done my own window every year since my daughters – Rachael (23) and Becky (21) – were small.

“Last year my neighbour asked me if I would do hers and I agreed, and I had the idea to do the whole section of our street. I asked them and they all agreed it was a good idea, and the idea for ‘All Aboard the Cotburn Express’ was born.

“It took me about an hour to do each window and I had sore knees after I did the first five in the one day! But it has gone down really well and everyone seems really pleased with the outcome.

“I have had people coming into the Co-op and telling me that they have seen it and it brought a smile to their faces, which is just what I want to do.

“We have a good mixture of people in the street, from young families to older people and they have all really got behind it.

“I loved doing it as it is something nice I can do for other people. I’m already thinking of what I can do next year!”

Carole-Anne’s friend Sandra Angles, who contacted the Press to tell us about the project, said: “She does all this for nothing just to brighten up people’s lives.

“Her neighbours at the end of the row are an elderly couple and she has offered to go back after Christmas to clean the windows for them. She is just that kind of person.

“I think it is a brilliant idea and it looks great. People are coming from around the town to have a look at it.”

And Carole-Anne finished her project just in time as she has just come down with shingles and is under doctor’s orders to rest.