Picnic in the Park
Enjoying a picnic in front of Pittencrieff House
Picnic in the Park took place on 5 June, in lovely sunny weather. Coinciding with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, the free event was an opportunity for families to enjoy the entertainment and activities provided in the beautiful setting of Pittencrieff Park.
Photos courtesy of Fiona Robertson
The Trust was assisted by a number of community groups, including volunteers from Dunfermline Children’s Gala who organised children’s games and Police Scotland Youth Volunteers, who stewarded the event. The Friends of Pittencrieff Park held a plant sale, the Peacock Group organised aviary tours and face painting, Cycling Without Age ran trike tours, Kingdom FM Roadshow provided music (and cardboard crowns) and local bands played from the stage. Dunfermline Pipe Band ‘opened’ the event by marching from the Louise Carnegie gates to the front of Pittencrieff House, where the lawn provided one of several perfect spots for a picnic.
It was also the location of the Carnegie/Forbes colouring walls created by Alan Grieve, where everyone could help add a bit colour to the gable ended drawings. The vintage cars were on display here and were a popular photo backdrop, while the Carnegie Treasure Trail started here and encouraged visitors of all ages to explore a short route of the park, finding out more about its history.
For those visitors who hadn’t brought their own food, the Street Food stalls, organised by the Pavilion staff had interesting dishes on offer, while the Scouts provided tasty burgers from their stall. The local Traders Market organised by the Kingsgate small business market, set up stalls too, to show and sell their creative wares and Dunfermline Men’s Shed were able to promote their group.
Photos courtesy of Jim Payne
And following the earlier news about Dunfermline being awarded official city status, as part of the civic honours competition to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, Provost Jim Leishman attended to celebrate and take part in the fun.
After 2 years of the pandemic, it was wonderful to see so many people out and enjoying themselves in ‘the Glen’ – there was a real sense of pride, togetherness and occasion. An added bonus for the local groups (Scouts, Friends of Pittencrieff Park and Peacock Group) was the boost in funds, while the local traders, including the Pavilion and ice cream vans had a bumper day. Our thanks go to all who helped organise the event and to everyone who turned out to make it a great success.
It is estimated that over 5000 people attended the Picnic in the Park. Here are a few of the many positive comments:
‘Andrew Carnegie would be very proud’, ‘What a fantastic day we had! From the stalls to the live music and the kids even had a ball at the glasshouses. Such an amazing day and so many families seemed to be having the best day out.’, ‘ Well done to your team! Such a brilliant day!’’