CRA MEETING
Thursday 11th February 2021 at 7.30 pm
Held virtually by Zoom
1. In attendance:
Glenn Jones (Chair), Catherine Wilson, George Walker, Paul Lewis, Richard
Wemyss, Diana Sykes, Nette Carder (minutes)
2. Apologies for absence:
Dorothea Cargill Thompson, Chris Oliver, Catriona MacPherson
3. Minutes of the previous meeting held on 12th November 2020 - for approval
The spelling of Dorothea’s name should be Dorothea Cargill Thompson.
With this amendment, the minutes were agreed.
Proposed by Catherine Wilson and Seconded by Diana Sykes
4. Matters arising from the minutes
With reference to the flower tubs, Catherine had written to the Community Council and received and prompt reply, stating that the matter would be raised and a positive reply was hoped for.
Improvements in train - the replacement slide and disabled swing were due to be commenced in April 2021. The repairs to the path would be done before that.
5. Update on Silverdykes Liaison Committee
The Committee had met this afternoon, 11th February.
Glenn had circulated a note regarding the work on the Toon’s Green. Fife Council had apologised for undertaking the work recently, which was due to unfortunate scheduling. Glenn had spoken to the Council, with whom there had always been a good relationship. Fife Council will apologise to the residents and speak to residents before doing the repair works. Glenn will also liaise with the Council and residents and he feels confident that the plans are now back on track.
Proposals for the use of SLC monies. Proposals already received included:
The Dreelside Play Area (did not proceed for several reasons, including the untimely death of Alan Bisset, the timing of tendering and Covid-19).
Disabled Access to the War Memorial - an alternative, low cost solution had been fund whereby a low profile path would go from the Caravan site to the War Memorial. Although the War Memorial itself sits on common good land, the path and lane are owned by Andy Peddie.
Replacement Slide & Disabled Swing - would proceed along with the restoration work to paths on the Toon’s Green.
Benches and Wheelchair seating near Ladywalk - this has been agreed.
Nets for Bankie Park Goals - this has been agreed.
Forthcoming proposals:
Skateboard Park : A group of young people in Primary 7 had approached the SLC with their proposal for a skateboard park in Bankie Park. They would also approach other organisations for funds.
Stone Bench and Memorial Garden - a stone bench and memorial garden at the end of Cellardyke, potentially a bid by the Cellardyke Trust.
These two proposals had been considered complementary by the SLC. There was also the issue of the space in Shore Street, which had been previously considered for development, but could now become available for community use.
Richard Wemyss provided more information on the Stone Bench and Memorial garden and Glenn agreed to circulate the brief provided to the SLC. The idea was that the Stone Bench would have community involvement, with the design of the bench involved local people’s hands, so those sitting there would be ‘in the hands of the community’. There would then be a path through a garden through to further seating, where 5 stone seats would be in the shape of boats (inspired by Dibby Greig’s gravestone). The project was intended to involve local people and also artists - Diana Sykes was advising on how to work with artists in such a creative project.
There was further work to do around maintenance, how the process of tendering and artistic involvement might work and how the costs might be managed.
The SLC was inviting proposals by 1st September 2021.
The funds available were £23k, plus the £100k recently released by Muir Homes. Glenn will announce the call for proposals as Chair of the SLC.
6. Treasurer’s Report: As the TSB had announced it was going to close, all the remaining funds (apart from £1 to keep the account open) had been withdrawn from the bank and the CRA funds of £275.40 were now held in cash.
Fife Council were going to refund Car Parking fees paid for the Sea Queen festival. These monies will be returned to the CRA account and then paid to the Cellardyke Trust, which was now responsible for the Sea Queen festival and monies.
As the CRA was no longer involved with floral work, Nette was not going to apply for a floral grant this year. Glenn doubted whether there would be any Floral Grants in the future. If there was an evaluation form for the 2020 Floral Grant, Nette would complete this on behalf of the CRA.
7. Any other business
No other business was raised.
CELLARDYKE -MEMORIAL GARDEN, BENCH RODGER’S GREEN (Working Title)
CONCEPT
The original concept of a dry stone bench at the sea shore came from Elizabeth Dickson. Her idea focussed on a point that often people like to sit and contemplate the world looking out to sea. Sometimes those with mental health issues or troubles find sitting alone watching the waves break over rocks can bring clarity and comfort.
The Bench
The concept was of a drystone bench that would shelter you from the wind, but within the design multiple casts of locals hands (of all ages) would be built into the wall so that symbolically you would also be cradled by the community. A quote from Poetry Peter, fisherman/poet will be chosen to be included in the stonework too.
Where the bench could be sited? Cellardyke has Common Good land at the shore at the east end of the town. An area that is popular with walkers all year round. A sheltered bench would be welcomed by locals and visitors alike.
Developing this idea further
A Community Garden. The Common Good land also presents an opportunity to expand this idea and create a Community/ Memorial garden. Developing this Community Garden we would draw on our experience from other community events and involve all ages in the creation of the garden. We would target the youngest members of the community to get involved in planting and thinking about climate change and replanting in an area exposed to North Sea gales. The bench could potentially look both ways like the design below, forward into the sea and back into the garden so that parents could watch their children or walkers could get shelter dependant on the prevailing wind
Why also Memorial Garden?
Cellardyke was one of the most important fishing towns in Scotland in the 19th and 20thc. The Fishing industry supported hundreds of crews, families and ancillary industry workers. However fishing was, and remains, a notoriously dangerous occupation. We have records of almost 200 Cellardyke fishermen who drowned over the period from 1800 – 2020. Fishing communities like Cellardyke had to be very supportive of the families who lost their breadwinners, fathers, brothers, sons and husbands. Other communities have commissioned a statue to commemorate loss like the poignant Fisher Lass and child memorial in our neighbouring town of Pittenweem.
Our ambition is to create a recreation space that is relevant now to the community need. An area that can give its users a chance to appreciate the community support of the past but also show that our current community is still very supportive. This can be seen from all the good things that have happened during the pandemic of 2020/21. 2025 is the 150th anniversary of a particular local tragedy when two Cellardyke boats and three St Monans boats (St Monans is 4 miles from Cellardyke) were lost returning from the fishing at Yarmouth and Lowestoft, 37 men were lost between the two villages. The Cellardyke boats lost were the Janet Anderson KY 1176 and the Vigilant KY 1214, the St Monans Boats were the Beautiful Star, the Thane and the Quest. There was a memorial service held in King’s Lynn where some of the bodies were recovered to with over 1000 fishermen attending. A stone carved like the Beautiful Star has stood in a cemetery in Kings Lynn to commemorate the tragedy. This particular tragedy’s anniversary would be a good target to have the garden completed by.
History
Why the ‘Toons Green’ would be ideal to site the garden and bench? The common good land is known as the ‘Toons Green’ it was gifted in 1872 by Captain Alex Rodger. Captain Rodger was son of a Cellardyke fisherman who drowned near Burntisland when Alex was only about 14 years old. It would be good to name this Srea ‘Rodger’s Green’ Alex and his brothers went on to be sea captains. Alex the most celebrated, owning multiple vessels including the Taeping. This ship was famous for its part in the Chinese tea clipper race of 1866. Both the Taeping (Cellardyke owned) and The Ariel (Anstruther skippered) having left China on the same tide and arriving in London 99 days later, a journey of more than 14000 miles, the Taeping docking 28 mins before the Ariel.
Alex never forgot his home town and fishing hertiage, he paid for rocks to be cleared from the fairway to Cellardyke harbour making it safer for the sailing fishing boats to enter. He also bought the field to the east of the town and gifted it. This became a vital space needed by the growing local fleet to over winter their boats on the ‘Green’.
Cellardyke at its peak in the 19thc owned over 300 vessels more than half of them being 1st class boats as seen pulled up on the “green” this photo. (the largest type used for the herring and great line fishing) It would be a fitting tribute to Captain Rodger who lost his father to the sea to place the memorial garden on the land he bought for the fishermen.
To commemorate the specific loss of the five vessels in 1875 and to relate aspects of the garden to the over wintering of the local boats, five simplified boat shape stone seats could be placed at the north end of the garden. Using as inspiration the Kings Lynn memorial and a grave stone from Anstruther Wester cemetery. Each of these boats could have carved on them, the names of the boats and the home port. Path, footprints and mosaic A wheelchair friendly/ disabled access path should be laid linking the drystone bench at the south end of the garden to a circular area at the north end of the garden. This circular area could be prepared for a future community designed mosaic. Alongside each side of the path inserted into the grass would be cast footprints. These footprints would be cast from as many members of the community of all ages as possible. They will be placed from youngest to oldest. To symbolise that no matter what age you are in times of trouble the community walks alongside you. Or to be more clichéd ‘You will never walk alone’. The path arriving at the drystone bench with the community hands supporting those who are seated.
Where would the funds come from to create this Garden?
There is a significant local fund for recreation areas in the town. This fund was established from the building of a new housing estate, Silverdykes, The last £100 000 has just become available. The fund is managed by Fife Council but the process is through the Silverdykes Liaison Committee, made up of the Council representatives, The Cellardyke Residents Association and the Community Council. There currently are very few ideas that would match the criteria. This fund could potentially pay for the main works. The additional, more community and artistic works, such as employing an artist to create the feet and hand casts and the mosaic creation could be applied from another local trust, the Norah Webber Trust. Other sources may also be available.
Additional Community involvement.
A section of the garden will be put aside as a “Rocky Shore” where stones off the Cellardyke beach can be painted with names of those who have been lost. This will create a poignant reminder of individuals and the numbers of men lost. We will go out to the community to collect these stones and paint them. This we did successfully during the 2020 lockdown for Remembrance Day. In this way we will be able to involve many people in the community to do a small part in their homes that will be included in the garden to help remember those lost, and create a rocky shore depicting those that never came back.
Appendix
1 Cellardyke crews lost in the 1875 disaster.
‘Janet Anderson’ KY 1176, and ‘Vigilant’ KY 1214 (which had only been launched that summer) Crew of the Janet Anderson James Murray, Skipper aged 26 who was to have been married on his return home, Andrew Stewart 34, 4 children one being born a week before the disaster. William Bridges, 22 married 1 child James Walker of Kingsbarns married 4 children Alex Lothian 54, Married 4 children And two unmarried cousins from Portaskerrie in the North of Scotland
Crew of the Vigilant Robert Stewart Skipper, 42, 4 children William Stewart, 45, 1 child and pregnant wife James McRuvie 45 4 children including his son James aged 16 who was also lost with this boat Alex Doig, 32, 6 children Leslie Brown 19 un married Also lost in the storm Alexander McRuvie, 17, Lost over board from the Excelsior Also John Watson was washed overboard And others hurt badly on other boats. Cellardyke lost 15 men, St Monans lost 21 and 71 children in the two towns made fatherless
MINUTES - CRA MEETING
Thursday 8th April 2021 at 7.30 pm
Held virtually by Zoom
1. In attendance:
Glenn Jones (Chair), Catherine Wilson, George Walker, Catriona MacPherson, Diana Sykes, Nette Carder (minutes)
2. Apologies for absence:
Chris Oliver, Paul Lewis
3. Minutes of the previous meeting held on 11th February 2021 - for approval
The minutes were agreed as a correct record.
Proposed by Diana Sykes and Seconded byCatherine Wilson
4. Matters arising from the minutes
The works to the slide and swing were now planned for May.
The repairs to the path on the Toon’s Green had not started yet.
The benches and seating at Ladywalk were now completed.
The nets for the Bankie Park goals will be in place for the summer.
The deadline for proposals for the SLC Committee was confirmed as 1st July 2021.
5. Update on Silverdykes Liaison Committee
The Dreelside Play Area did not proceed for several reasons, including the untimely death of Alan Bisset and the timing of tendering and Covid-19. The works are now being retendered. It is possible that any increased costs could be a call on the Muir monies.
Proposals received include the Memorial Bench and Garden (being worked up by Richard Wemyss) and the Skate Park (being worked up by Ali McCloud).
There have been various suggestions from social media - including an outdoor gym - but no worked up proposals as yet. As Fife Council has to maintain any scheme, this means that suggestions such as toilets in Bankie Park, although welcome, are unlikely to be maintained by Fife Council. Other proposals included:
Memorial Garden. Richard is speaking to Nick Sweeney who was responsible for the boat memorials. He could do both stonework and benches. As regards the suggested casting of hands, he was in contact with someone at Duncan of Jordanstone who had done similar work. He was also talking to a landscape gardener. Any proposal would need to fit in with Fife Council’s procurement policies - as they undertake the procurement process. Glenn offered to help facilitate discussions with Fife Council so that Richard could understand what was possible - as Fife Council may have concerns about the maintenance of such a scheme.
Cycle track for St Ayles (perhaps for children). Fife Council may have concerns about the maintenance of such a scheme.
Cellardyke Bathing Pool path - this was a well worked out proposal and there is a lot of interest in the bathing pool at present. The path is already being used by swimmers. Fife Council may have have concerns about maintaining such a scheme.
Fife Council will be the ultimate arbiter as to what they will support, in terms of maintenance.
There were no further proposals from the CRA.
6. Future of the Silverdykes Liaison Committee
Muir Homes are wanting to disengage from the SLC now that they have paid the last tranche of the funds. A date now needs to be set for the winding of the SLC (and then the CRA) - once the ‘job’ of participating in the SLC and overseeing the allocation of the s.75 Muir monies was finished. Was this when all the monies were allocated - which would be after the 1st July - or when all the monies were actually spent, which could be some months afterwards.
It was not practicable for the CRA to continue for ever, but its business needed to be brought to any orderly end as the organisation had been in existence for so many years and now only had one task. The Cellardyke Trust had taken on responsibility for the arts & heritage activities.
December 2021 seemed to be a good time for a glass of wine and a fond farewell to the CRA for those who had been involved for so many years. The ‘long stop’ position would be March 2022.
This also needed to be tied up with organisations AGM and any remaining monies being handed over to The Cellardyke Trust as previously agreed.
7. Treasurer’s Report: The position remained as at February 2021. As the TSB had announced it was going to close, all the remaining funds (apart from £1 to keep the account open) had been withdrawn from the bank and the CRA funds of £275.40 were now held in cash.
8. Any other business
No other business was raised.
MINUTES
CRA MEETING
7.30pm - 7th September 2021
Held Virtually by Zoom
1. Present at the meeting : Nette Carder (minutes), George Walker, Diana Sykes, Glenn Jones (chair), Steve Liscoe
Apologies were received from : Catherine Wilson and Chris Oliver
2. Minutes of the previous meeting held on 8th April 2021
These were approved, with the addition of an ’s’ to the word ‘path’ in item 4, second line. Path should read paths.
3. Matters arising from the minutes - dealt with within the rest of the agenda items.
4. Treasurer’s report
On behalf of the Treasurer, Nette Carder reported that the financial position had not changed since the last CRA meeting, with no income or expenditure.
The bank account remained open, with £1 in it. £275.40 was held in cash. Funds in the region of £150 were due to be funded to the account by Fife Council, for parking relating to the cancelled Sea Queen Festival. These were designated Sea Queen Festival funds, (previously held by the CRA) which would be transferred to the Cellardyke Trust when received.
The bank account would need to remain open until these funds were received, as there were risks associated with providing Fife Council with an alternative banking account whilst the refund process was in train.
5. Update on Silverdykes Liaison Committee
Seven bids were received for the SLC monies:
The Community Woodlands Association: - a good bid, but outside the SLC criteria as regards location.
Cellardyke Tidal Pool: Approved £3,500 for a technical survey. Fife Council were now in support of work on the pool and had contributed a further £3,500. A senior Fife Council officer was working with the group. A further £37,000 was allocated towards the Cellardyke Tidal pool as this is project that has a lot of community support.
Anstruther Skate Park: £29,000 approved for this project, which had been submitted by a group of young people and their parents.
Cellardyke Trust: £15,000 was approved for a community memorial garden. This was a good legacy project, although elaborate. The SLC funds allocated should fund the seats and benches.
Anstruther Allotments Association: £10,000 was allocated. There was no space for allotments in Cellardyke, but the bid met the SLC criteria.
Benches in St Ayles Crescent and Bankie Park. These were bids from individual residents and the costs were estimated in the region of £5,000.
The final tranche of the SLC monies were significantly oversubscribed in the proposals received at the July deadline, and no more proposals were required.
6. Matters Arising from the minutes
Funds for the play area in Dreelside had previously been agreed, with £15,000 being provided from Tranche 2. There were delays in the tendering process which had affected this project. With the underspend from Tranche 2, this project had now been allocated £25,000 from the SLC funds with Fife Council adding a further £10,000. Local residents are now involved and looking for further funding opportunities.
The Silverdykes Liaison Committee will now be wrapping up, having completed its work. Each group who has been allocated funding will have a designated Fife Council officer to support their project. All funds are held, administered and spent by Fife Council - the groups themselves do not receive the funds.
Should any group not spend the allocated funds for any reason, then those funds would be allocated to the other groups, most likely on a pro-rata basis, as no group had received all the funds they asked for. This would be overseen by the Community Council.
The Silverdykes Liaison Committee has evolved into a good and productive committee - which has overseen the allocation of funds over the years - the CRA should be proud of its contribution to the process, which even Muir Homes had found a positive one.
There is no date for the formal wind-up as yet, although the SLC is not expected to continue. The SLC next meeting is 7th November 2021.
7. CRA AGM
The AGM for the Cellardyke Residents Association was set for 28th October 2021 at 7pm.
At the AGM, the chairman would put forward a proposal that the CRA would be wound up and any remaining funds would transfer to the Cellardyke Trust (as a charity which met the criteria in the Constitution). None of the existing officers (Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary & Treasurer) wished to stand for office at the AGM.
The website could remain. provide a clear history of the CRA over the years and has useful and valuable information and photos about Cellardyke. It would need a closing statement from the Chairman and links to The Cellardyke Trust and the Anstruther Info site would be helpful in redirecting people who were interested in what was happening in the future.
The Agenda for the AGM would therefore be (tbc):
Chairman’s Report
Financial report & statement of assets
Resolution to dissolve the CRA
Election/Resignation of the Officers
8. Any other business
There were no other business and, given the proposal to dissolve the CRA, no further dates for meetings were set after the AGM.
AGM - 28th October 2021
7pm - held at 14 Shore Street, Cellardyke
1. Present: Catherine Wilson, Diana Sykes, Glenn Jones (Chairman), Catriona MacPherson (Treasurer) Steve Liscoe, Nette Carder (Secretary)
Apologies: Richard Wemyss, Dorothea Cargill-Thomson
2. Minutes of the previous AGM
These were agreed as a correct record. Proposed by Diana Sykes and seconded by Catriona MacPherson
3. Chairman’s Report
The Chairman read his report (attached) setting out the history and achievements of the CRA over the last 14 years.
The Secretary then thanked Glenn Jones for his leadership over the years, for his commitment to the community of Cellardyke and for ensure that the Silverdykes monies - some £400,000 -had been spent wisely, with the full involvement of the community. He had impressed all with his fairness and integrity in all matters.
4. Financial report & statement of assets
The Treasurer then informed them meeting that there were £425.40 in assets. This included £150 of Sea Queen monies and the remaining CRA funds. The bank account had been closed and the funds would now be given to The Cellardyke Trust.
5. Resolution to dissolve the CRA
This resolution was put to the meeting:
The CRA having completed the work for which it was founded, and which it has worked on for the past 14 years, I propose that in accordance with the Constitution, the Association be disbanded, and that the remaining funds, as stated by our treasurer, be given to The Cellardyke Trust, a registered charity which pursues similar aims to the CRA. I further propose that our website be closed, but left online as a record of our activities.
The resolution was passed unanimously.
6. Election/Resignation of the Officers
As the CRA was now dissolved, the existing officers resigned and no new officers were elected.
The meeting closed at 7.33pm.