Appeal for lost fayre photos

AFife village is planning a right royal celebration to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee next month.

But Elie Fayre Day organisers are missing princesses to help with the commemoration.

They are calling on people to raid photo albums and drawers for any pictures of fayre day parades for a summer exhibition.

A number of groups are involved in the community’s celebrations at the start of next month, and they have named the entire weekend JubElie.

It includes the lighting of a beacon and a huge picnic across the East Neuk village.

The Elie Fayre Day Group and Elie and Earlsferry History Society are putting together an exhibition of all things royal to mark the occasion, and they hope it will include pictures of every fayre day princess from years gone by.

However, a computer malfunction means many photographs have been lost for good.

A princess has been chosen from Elie Primary School each year for around 30 years, and each princess has two attendants.

Shona Jones, chairwoman of the fayre day group, said: “We used to have floats coming down Elie High Street and down to the harbour.

“While we don’t do that any more, we still have a fayre day princess and celebrate on Toll Green in the middle of the village.

“Over the last couple of years, our princess has also taken part in the Cellardyke Sea Queen procession.

“We’re really desperate for photographs of past jubilee celebrations in Elie from 1977, 2002 and 2022,” said Shona.

“This is a plea to look for them and send them to the history society.”

The weekend of Platinum Jubilee celebrations begins on Thursday June 2 with a piped procession to Elie harbour where a beacon will be lit.

Over the weekend, there will be a treasure hunt, pub quiz, a 1950s-style village show and a “platinum picnic”.

“We’re telling people to bring their own picnic and set up on any patch of sand or grass in the village to eat it,” said Shona.

Anyone who finds any pictures is asked to email them to Elie and Earlsferry History Society at Webmaster@eliehistory.com

HELP: Shona Jones, Graham Johnston and Carol Birrell are hoping to be sent some photographs of princesses from the fayres of the past. Picture by Steve Brown.

One of the former princesses Mollie Stevenson, with attendants Alexandria Adamson and Hannah Cairns.