ACCLAIMED Lochgelly poet, William Hershaw, launched his debut novel Tammy Norrie - the Hoose Daemon of Seahouses (published by Grace Note Publications) at an event in the Lochgelly Centre. The audience enjoyed ‘A Night of Celebration with Music and Selected Readings’ along with some related songs from members of the Bowhill Players, Willie read extracts from his book, spoke with the audience about his first venture into novel writing and signed copies of his new book. The title is in Scots - tammy norrie being Scots for a puffin – though the novel mainly concerns the story of a house in a Northumbrian fishing village, told by the spirit (or ‘hoose daemon’) who has lived there through the changing generations of residents. The sonnet Willie Hershaw wrote to commemorate the opening of the Lochgelly Centre, just over two years ago, hangs framed in the foyer and a copy of it featured in Jennie Lee Library’s Local History Week (1st to 8th March) display which staff members put on, as the poem includes a reference to Bayne’s the bakers who are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year.

A talk on the Co-operative and shopping in Lochgelly was also arranged for the morning of Thursday 6th March in the Jennie Lee Library. Local people were invited along to the special talk on the Co-operative movement by WEA Tutor, Nicola Dibley, and to share their memories of shopping in Lochgelly over tea and biscuits afterwards. Janice Erskine, Local History Librarian at Dunfermline, provided wonderful old photographs of the old Co-op building and shop assistants from the early 1900s for the display. Carolyn Johnston, Customer Services Adviser at Jennie Lee Library, explained, “On the Thursday, it was World Book Day and the Saturday was International Women’s Day so we had a really busy week with these events and displays all coming together - as well as a crime feature on Quintin Jardine books, but we really wanted to hold an event for Local History Week. “We were delighted that the staff from Bayne’s came along to the library to see our Local History display.”