Wot No Sports Heroes Mural at Pennypit? She'll be Right ...

Civic Pride in the Pans isn't created in Haddington ... it's homegrown!

.... and talking of home grown, the Coastal Regenerators [including three monks from the Prestoungrange Players] were out planting on the Power Station bunds as pictured lately ... the programme of murals restoration goes forward [Ronnie Elliot pictured below] ... as well as the upcoming 3Harbours Festival ... and a great deal more.



Cuthill Park is abuzz with goings on from planting to murals fest to re-enactments and big lunches and music .... and the Battle Trust is gungho with the Tapestry heading south to Alexandra Palace in October after 3 months in Edinburgh at St Mary's Cathedral ...

So, an ELC knockback for £5,000 for a Sports Mural at The Pennypit is no big deal really ....

... but its manner was a surprise. The Pans doesn't expect to be patronised and second guessed by Committee in Haddington as to what constitutes Panners' Civic Pride. The Pennypit Centre was bizarrely deemed 'inappropriate' as a location for the community's Sports Heroes Mural. The second, amended, explanation offered from Haddington was a wise improvement .... 'only £30,000 to go round the county and we couldn't prioritise all good ideas'. That's OK.



The Pans regards such outside funding support as jam on the cake anyway. Civic Pride is for the community itself to generate. The funds for this particular mural will have to come from elsewhere in the community and they surely will. 35 already have! The proposal to honour our Pans Sports Heroes is long overdue.

There are of course two other 'new' murals on the go as well as much restoration afoot. Ronnie Elliot [pictured below] is recreating Kate Hunter's original John Muir mural opposite the Prestoungrange Gothenburg which Sweden's Gothenburg Lord Mayor Jorgen Linder unveiled in 2003 - in time for that Lord Mayor's third visit to The Pans this May 26th/ 27th. Bit of Civic Pride there alright. Something right around The Pans brings him back then ...



The two newbies are at the Railway Station created by Adele Conn and community youngsters and at the Labour Club by Michael Jessing. The latter does indeed need Planning Approval since it's appearing in the local Conservation Area.



Jim Cursiter, who painted the Beam Engine Mural at the Prestongrange Heritage Museum some 8 years ago, is pictured below restoring it for this season's expected 40,000 visitors to The Pans.