Leith
Festival 2009 ran from June 5th to 14th, climaxing in the Leith Gala Day on a
fine sunshiny Saturday on Leith Links which was enlivened by two short sharp summer
showers.
The
highlight of Leith Festival is the annual Gala, but the festival continues to
grow turning into a truly Leithwide event which embraces all sorts of activities,
and many venues. To name a few, it embraces the Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Ocean
Terminal, South Leith Parish Church, the Cruz ship, Leith Community Education
Centre, the Queen Charlotte Rooms, Leith Folk Club, and the Friends of Dalmeny
Park, as well as primary schools from all over the area. 
The climactic event of the Festival, the fixture between
Hibs Legends and Leith Athletic, held Sunday on Leith Links, became a match of
honour to lift the Peter Smith Memorial Cup in memory of the janitor of St Mary's
Primary School, recently deceased, who spent most of his spare time organising
the school's Soccer Sevens. Pot Pourri was a display in Ocean Terminal, of primary school children's art from all over Leith and North Edinburgh; it was sponsored by Crombies legendary butcher. Viewforth and Pirniehall joined in a massive project - the Burma Book to record images of life in Burma in 2009 under the present military regime.
The Leith Roll of Honour, a book of remembrance listing the
names of the 2,000 plus Leithers who died in the Great War (1914-8) and the details
of how they fell, was once more displayed in Leith Library. This gives relatives
a chance to find out a little more about their relatives and ancestors. One relative,
Andrew Grant, (pictured left, with the beard,) was inspired by his visit last year, and started a personal journey to discover
more about his wife's relative, and wound up tracing details of all 2,000 people
noted in the Roll.
Leith Festival web site >>>
