HOW appropriate that the two Toms were given special recognition for the work they did in making the Broad Street story happen.

We were probably a bit fortunate that Tom Dair had been appointed education convener in the 1970s when the problem of the lack of a community centre in the town came up.

Had it been someone from outwith the Central Fife area who had taken up the role this facility probably would have been lost forever and the town might have had to wait for a very long time to get any community facility at all.

But Tom saw the potential in the old Mining School gym, as did Tom Bain, and between them they ensured that the building was retained while at the time there would have been officials wanting it removed.

Their efforts meant that the town had something which would tide Cowdenbeath over until a brand new facility would arrive.

As it happened the people of the town had to wait 40 years for the arrival of the Maxwell Centre but in the meantime Broad Street Centre ensured that there was something there which could be developed into facility which would give a lot of Cowdenbeath organisations a welcome home.

The two Toms deserved the recognition given at the Centre last Friday and of course there have been many people who have played their part in helping develop Broad Street into a facility that has filled so many gaps in the local community.

Danny Kinloch has led the way but many others have played their part in ensuring that Broad Street has been a success.

Could I also say that the Legacy Group deserve a lot of praise for ensuring that the successes of Broad Street are remembered, raising the money to make it happen was a brilliant effort and the work that Stuart Duffy and his team did deserves the utmost praise.

COMMUNITY,

Lochgelly (formerly Cowdenbeath).