Local history project wins lottery funding

Group handed £42,000 to help chart 150 years of community’s heritage

A Fife village has won more than £42,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to record its social, industrial and military history.

The Royal Burgh of Kinghorn Historical Society secured the cash for the project which will chart 150 years of the community’s past.

It will ensure generations to come will be able to learn about the people of Kinghorn in years gone by, their work and their service for the country.

Local schoolchildren and volunteers will get the chance to play their part in the community project, which will help them learn about the history of their home town and acquire research and recording skills.

Project leader Ginny Reid said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are confident the project will not only uncover interesting stories about Kinghorn heritage through oral history, but will also provide a lasting legacy in the heritage trail around Kinghorn.”

The project will be set in motion with an exhibition of images of Kinghorn High Street from the past 100 years.

Ginny added: “We hope people who come to view the exhibition will have their memories stimulated to recall stories about people and shops now past.”

The historical society has promoted the village’s history for more than 30 years and is keen to enlist members of the community involved in recording its more recent history.

Kinghorn’s promotion as a holiday resort began after construction of the Forth Bridge in 1890 and black and white photographs show its beaches bustling with bathers.

The village was also heavily fortified during the First World War and remains of its batteries can still be seen.

The exhibition will be staged at Kinghorn Station Gallery, in the railway station, every Saturday and Sunday from this weekend until May 28, between 10am and 4pm.

We hope people who come to view the exhibition will have their memories stimulated to recall stories about people and shops now past. GINNY REID