Author: esther Page 8 of 11

Dog Show and Sports Events

On February 19, 2013

Dog Show:

Following the success of last year’s Fun Dog Show at the Public Park and Winterfield. We would like to organise a show that ties in with the Dunbar Civic Week in June. The date we have, provisionally, is Saturday 22nd June in the morning: 11am to 1pm. I’m looking for anyone who might want to get involved in helping to organise it or assist with its running on the day. If you are interested in helping then please contact me by email. I hope to form a planning committee next month. We organised everything with only a handful of people last year and did feel a little stretched on the day. This was entirely our fault for not involving the Friends at an earlier stage.

Jobs we need filled: caterer; volunteer “Friends” to promote membership and to hand out questionnaires; helpers for registration; a dog judge; ring assistants; people to help assemble the gazebo on the day

We’re open it ideas on what we can do at the show. Last year’s theme was to promote responsible dog walking in the park.

Sporting events:

Scheduled amateur football fixtures have returned to Winterfield and Dunbar Grammar School are using the Public Park for rugby. We’ve been talking to the sports clubs that use the park and are supportive of moves towards providing changing and toilet facilities in Winterfield. We feel this can’t happen soon enough.

Funding Successes

By esther

On February 19, 2013

In News

We’re in the process of making some improvements to the park. This has been due to the hefty support of East Lothian Council. Last year we benefited from £500 startup costs and a new bench from Dunbar Community Council, a £2996 Environmental Community Fund grant for picnic benches and bins; £5000 Civic Pride funding for new benches and planting and a vehicle gate. We are also promised £6500 towards an adult exercise area from Fields in Trust and a further £4400 from Civic Pride towards wall repairs. Lafarge has kindly offered us some building stone for landscaping and ELC have also generously offered some topsoil for some structural land contouring for an imaginative play area. Later this spring we’ll be looking for other funding to top up the budget of the adult exercise area wall repairs and signage plus a possible project involving the Pavilion and its environs that we hope would provide a viewing platform and an imaginative play area

QEII Fields Challenge

By esther

On February 19, 2013

In News

East Lothian Council are in legal discussions with Fields in Trust to join the parks to the QEII Fields Challenge which will permanently protect the parks from development as a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. This was thanks to the 68 nominations that QEII Fields Challenge received in favour of our application. We’re very excited to be included in this as only two open spaces in East Lothian were successful. To attain this level of protection is special to us as it forms a permanent and binding legacy to Dunbar which complements the park’s “Common Good” status. http://www.qe2fields.com/scottish.aspx

Dog Show Success

By esther

On July 1, 2012

In News

Dunbar’s Fun Dog Show was a great success with 48 canine entrants and approximately 200 people in attendance on a gloriously warm and sunny evening at Winterfield Park. The event organisers, Friends of Winterfield, had a display stand in the show tent and were on hand to discuss plans and ideas for the park. Tom Anderson provided vintage photographs of Winterfield in its heyday which provided a good talking point for many of the show’s visitors; both young and old. Guide Dogs for the Blind were represented and offered information on their work with volunteer puppy walkers. Dog Watch gave away freebies and advice on their current anti dog-fouling campaign. Dunbar In Bloom and the Lochend Woodland Trust were also represented. Catering for hungry visitors were The Garden Path Cafe and ice creams were sold from Sunny Sundaes bicycle. Prizes for the show were donated by Mrs Maureen Blair and The Westport Petshop, Dunbar.

The evening began with a display of dog agility provided by K9 Adventures and some very fit volunteers who put their dogs through their paces over jumps and through tunnels. All the dog classes were well attended with a full class of 20 dogs in the adult dog show class. The final class for “Best in Show” saw the top three dogs from each class in the ring for a final showing. “Best in Show” was won by senior (aged 8+) Sierra, seen with her keeper Rosalind Srivastava (fifth from the left, beside the show Judge, retired vet, Pam Meldrum MRCVS). Just as the competitors left the ring, the heavens released a torrential rain shower and the show tent filled with people as the rain hammered down on the canvas overhead. It made a spectacular end to a superbly entertaining evening.

I think, given the surprising support we received, that we’ll consider repeating the event next year. Winterfield and Dunbar’s Public Park has proven to be a great venue for community events. It’s obvious how well loved the parks are from the people we talked to.

Dunbar Civic Week Fun Dog Show

By esther

On May 9, 2012

In News

To publicise the parks and to also have a bit of fun over the Dunbar Civic Week we are planning a “fun” dog show at Winterfield Park on Monday 18th June: dog show2pdf

Entries: 50p per dog per class. Entries will be limited to 20 per class

Registration opens at 6pm and classes will commence at 6.30pm.

The timings of classes are approximate

Order of Events:

K9 Adventures Dog Agility Display will commence at 6pm

6:30 Owner-doggie look-a-like

6:50 Dog with the waggiest tail

7:10 Best Trick

7:30 Junior dog (6 months to two years)

7:50 Adult dog (2 years to 8 years)

8:10 Senior dog (8 years +)

8:30 Best in Show

Classes will be judged by retired veterinary surgeon, Pam Meldrum. K9 Dog Agility will lay on a display and energetic owners and their dogs will be able to try out the course. Sunny Sundae Vintage Ice Cream Tricycle will be selling ice cream and cold refreshments and tray bakes, from The Garden Path Cafe’, will be on sale. Friends of Winterfield will have display boards and will be consulting with the public, during the event, to canvas opinion on the future use of the park. Other exhibitors include Dog Watch and Dunbar in Bloom.

In addition to the dog show, Dunbar Community Tennis Centre are holding a junior tennis competition at the park, so there will be plenty to see. This is the first event to be run by Friends of Winterfield. If it catches on then perhaps it could be a regular event. We’ve had a lot of help locally: West Port Pet Shop have donated prizes and Sustaining Dunbar have helped with some of our admin, while others have helped with the displays or distributing fliers. We’ve our fingers crossed for some good weather. Obviously we’re hoping people will come to the park and enjoy the show but we’re also hoping to draw people to the park who have never been before.