For any event to span 700 years is a remarkable achievement but that is exactly what the Fife Burgh of Kirkcaldy will be celebrating this week as the largest street fair, and oldest in Scotland, once again stretches along Kirkcaldy Esplanade.This year some half a million visitors are expected to throng the sea front and other attractions as the 700th anniversary celebrations spring to life over the period 13 April to 19 April 2004. Under the banner KLM 700, a £100,000 programme of events organised by Fife Council, Kingdom of Fife Tourist Board and the Scottish Section of the Showman's Guild will highlight the 700th anniversary of the Links Market. High quality celebrations include a tented village in the Town Square with a medieval village showing how people lived in 1304 when the Links Market was born. Scotland at that time was still under English domination as the long Wars of Independence raged. Edward I of England, Langshanks, still held the upper-hand and it would be another two years before Robert the Bruce's bid for the Scottish crown and begin his successful fight for Scottish Freedom.

 

In 2004 The Esplanade based Market will host the largest Big Wheel in Europe as part of the showground, some 225 attractions in all, ranging from bairn's rides to white-knuckle rides on the latest attractions; and medieval-style entertainers reminding us of the market's origins.Visit www.fifedirect.org.uk/KLM700 for full details of the celebration attractions.

 

The Links Market has vastly changed over 700 years, from the humble trading for essentials in its medieval beginnings to the fun-packed fairground of 2004. But entertainment, from the outset, was part of markets such as Kirkcaldy's as the medieval-style entertainers will show. Even in the last fifty years the Links Market has changed - no longer does it host a Boxing Booth or Circus or the local traders who used to have stalls at the fairground entrance. One such colourful trader was the well-known Scottish Nationalist Jock Mackie whose confectionary was renowned. For those with a sweet tooth Jock's Sugar Hearts was an essential purchase at the Market.You can find Jock's poem 'Sea Coal' in our Complete Poems section.

 

Scots, as we well know, are renowned for their sweet tooth and this week's recipe should sastify that craving. Our old friends in the Dumfriesshire Federation SWRI, Langholm Institute, provide an easy made fudge recipe - Coffee Nut Fudge - from the Federation's 1922-1992 Anniversary Cook-Book.

 

Coffee Nut Fudge

 

Ingredients : 2 cups granulated  sugar; 1 cup black strong coffee; 1 teaspoon butter; 1 cup chopped walnuts

 

Boil sugar, coffee and butter to soft ball. Take from the heat and beat to a cream. Stir in the nuts. Pour into a greased tin and cut into bars when cold.