Preparations are underway for this weekend’s Cowdenbeath Gala.
There will be all fun of the fair on Sunday, with proceedings kicking off at noon with the parade, and attractions and entertainment at Beath High playing fields from 1pm to 5pm.
In the run up to the big day, there's also a new archive looking at old gala days and civic weeks in Cowdenbeath.
It pulls together more than 3,000 images, videos and articles spanning more than a century.
My Cowdenbeath, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, have launched the new website - cowdenbeathcivicweek.co.uk/history.
It was developed after the discovery of a box of photos taken by former community worker, Kenny Aitken, when the Broad Street Community Centre closed in 2018.
He was a keen photographer and captured many of the memorable events in the town over the 1980s and 1990s.
By combining these with Kenny’s own records from helping to organise the gala, it was a chance to preserve a part of Cowdenbeath’s history.
Chairman of Cowdenbeath Civic Week committee, Steven Haddow, commented: “We’re really excited to launch the new website and to have such a detailed and rich history laid out in this way – it’s really something to be proud of.
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“The team at My Cowdenbeath have done a fantastic job and we’d also like to extend our thanks to everyone who donated photos or memories for the archive.
“I think this all shows just how important our gala days have been through the decades and why it’s vital to keep these traditions alive, so we can foster that community spirit in the town. Hopefully we’ll have lots more memories from future galas to keep adding to the archive!”
During research for the project, the team learned that the gala used to host its own beauty pageant. Photos donated by Lorna Hay of Stenhouse Street show Cowdenbeath’s young ladies in their finest dresses on a catwalk built on top of the paddling pool in the Public Park.
As for the 2024 event, anyone who wants to buy a wristband for unlimited use of the attractions can go to The Original Factory Shop, Lucie-Sue Coffee Bar & Gift Boutique, Balloons at Hallmark Ltd, Raja Bros Moss Side & Stenhouse, the Co-op in Dalbeath Crescent or Beath Bargain Store.
These wristbands are valid for all of the rides at the gala, but do not include the sideshows.
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