Latest news with #EastLintonGala
Edinburgh Reporter
24-04-2025
- Edinburgh Reporter
East Linton gala gets licence for drinks tent
Police have called for a fence to be erected so children cannot see adults drinking alcohol at a village gala after it was given the go ahead to sell booze. East Linton gala, in East Lothian, applied for a licence for a drinks tent at this summer's event which will be based at the finishing line of an annual over-18s hill race which is linked to the traditional family day. However Police Scotland asked for screening to be put in place to ensure children at the gala could not see the grown-ups drinking in an outside area on the day. East Lothian Licensing Board instructed its Licensing Standards Officer to work with the gala organisers and police to come up with a screening solution for the event in June as it approved a licence to sell alcohol at the event. Last year East Linton Gala was refused permission to serve alcohol after the board ruled it was a 'predominantly children's event' and should not be licensed. However organisers, who had argued the event was for all ages, said the ban led to fewer adults attending and those who did bringing their own alcohol. The village green, where the gala is held, is exempt from local bylaws barring drinking alcohol in public on gala day meaning people were able to drink without any designated area provided. At a meeting of the board members heard from the Licensing Standards Officer that after the licence was refused there was some promotion of a Bring Your Own Bottle approach to the event locally with claims there would be a 'Pimp your Prosecco' tent on the day. Haydn Thomas, from the gala association, told the board no such tent had been at the gala on the day and that the decision by some attendees to bring their own alcohol had caused issues for organisers who were faced with a lack of control over where people drank and litter problems. He said following last year's event, the association had looked at how to ensure the drinks tent could operate alongside the children's events with serving times restricted to after the main parade and linked to the annual hill race which was for over-18s. The gala, which is in June is attended by around 400 local residents and described by organisers as the county's 'smallest' one held in the village's War Memorial Park. The licence was granted with the decision over screening delegated to the board clerk to oversee. By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
Edinburgh Live
24-04-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Call for East Lothian village gala drinks tent to be fenced off to protect children
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Police have called for a fence to be erected so children cannot see adults drinking alcohol at a village gala after it was given the go ahead to sell booze. East Linton gala, in East Lothian, applied for a licence for a drinks tent at this summer's event which will be based at the finishing line of an annual over-18s hill race which is linked to the traditional family day. However Police Scotland asked for screening to be put in place to ensure children at the gala could not see the grown-ups drinking in an outside area on the day. East Lothian Licensing Board instructed its Licensing Standards Officer to work with the gala organisers and police to come up with a screening solution for the event in June as it approved a licence to sell alcohol at the event. Last year East Linton Gala was refused permission to serve alcohol after the board ruled it was a 'predominantly children's event' and should not be licensed. However organisers, who had argued the event was for all ages, said the ban led to fewer adults attending and those who did bringing their own alcohol. The village green, where the gala is held, is exempt from local bylaws barring drinking alcohol in public on gala day meaning people were able to drink without any designated area provided. At a meeting of the board members heard from the Licensing Standards Officer that after the licence was refused there was some promotion of a Bring Your Own Bottle approach to the event locally with claims there would be a 'Pimp your Prosecco' tent on the day. Haydn Thomas, from the gala association, told the board no such tent had been at the gala on the day and that the decision by some attendees to bring their own alcohol had caused issues for organisers who were faced with a lack of control over where people drank and litter problems. He said following last year's event, the association had looked at how to ensure the drinks tent could operate alongside the children's events with serving times restricted to after the main parade and linked to the annual hill race which was for over-18s. The gala, which is in June is attended by around 400 local residents and described by organisers as the county's 'smallest' one held in the village's War Memorial Park. The licence was granted with the decision over screening delegated to the board clerk to oversee.
STV News
21-04-2025
- General
- STV News
Gala day in plea for alcohol licence after ban led to 'uncontrolled drinking'
East Lothian's 'smallest gala' is fighting to get its drinks tent back amid claims a ban last summer saw uncontrolled drinking as people brought their own booze. East Linton Gala was refused permission to serve alcohol in a tent last summer after East Lothian Licensing Board ruled it was a 'predominantly children's event'. However, organisers, who had argued the event was for all ages, say the ban led to fewer adults attending and those who did bring their own alcohol. The village green is exempt from local bylaws barring drinking alcohol in public on gala day, meaning people were able to drink without any designated area provided. Now the gala, which is a registered Scottish charity, has applied for a licence to operate a tent at this year's event with moves to link it to a hill race, which is for over 18s only, and takes place on the same day. The marquee will be operated next to the Traprain Hill Race on the green and will operate after the children's parade and earlier events of the day have taken place. Applying for the licence, the gala committee said the loss of the drinks tent last year had a negative impact on the community event, which raises funds for the village each year. They said they received feedback from some in the village that they had chosen not to attend or left early because it had been 'perceived as a children's event' following the licensing board decision. They added: 'Since there is no bylaw preventing the personal consumption of alcohol, many attendees chose to bring their own. Refusal of an occasional licence has no impact on alcohol consumption at the gala day. 'Instead of alcohol being primarily consumed in a separate, controlled area, there was widespread alcohol consumption throughout the day. 'We are thankful that 2024 saw no incidents however our view is that this runs counter to the stated concerns of the licensing board since there is now no means to manage consumption.' 'Committee volunteers were also required to liaise more closely with the local Co-op where some staff expressed concerns they had become the de-facto bar for the event while volunteers had to deal with a large volume of littered drinks containers during and after the event.' The gala committee said it has taken steps such as ensuring hours of sale are after the main children's events and siting the tent near the hill race to ensure safety and hope the board will allow a licence for the event once again. The June gala, attended by around 400 local residents, is described by organisers as the county's 'smallest' one held in the village's War Memorial Park. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Organisers of East Lothian's 'smallest gala' fighting to get drinks tent back after 2024 ban
Watch more of our videos on and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565 Visit Shots! now East Lothian's 'smallest gala' is fighting to get its drinks tent back amid claims a ban last summer saw uncontrolled drinking as people simply brought their own booze. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... East Linton Gala was refused permission to serve alcohol in a tent last summer after East Lothian Licensing Board ruled it was a 'predominantly children's event'. However organisers, who had argued the event was for all ages, say the ban led to fewer adults attending and those who did bringing their own alcohol. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The village green is exempt from local bylaws barring drinking alcohol in public on gala day meaning people were able to drink without any designated area provided. Now the gala, which is a registered Scottish charity, has applied for a licence to operate a tent at this year's event with moves to link it to a hill race, which is for over 18s only, and takes place on the same day. East Linton Gala is held on the village park | Google Maps The marquee will be operated next to the Traprain Hill Race on the green and will operate after the children's parade and earlier events of the day have taken place. Applying for the licence, the gala committee said the loss of the drinks tent last year had a negative impact on the community event which raises funds for the village each year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad They said they received feedback from some in the village that they had chosen not to attend or left early because it had been 'perceived as a children's event' following the licensing board decision. They added: 'Since there is no bylaw preventing the personal consumption of alcohol many attendees chose to bring their own. Refusal of an occasional licence has no impact on alcohol consumption at the gala day. 'Instead of alcohol being primarily consumed in a separate, controlled area, there was widespread alcohol consumption throughout the day. 'We are thankful that 2024 saw no incidents however our view is that this runs counter to the stated concerns of the licensing board since there is now no means to manage consumption.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Committee volunteers were also required to liaise more closely with the local Co-op where some staff expressed concerns they had become the de-facto bar for the event while volunteers had to deal with a large volume of littered drinks containers during and after the event.' The gala committee said it has taken steps such as ensuring hours of sale are after the main children's events and siting the tent near the hill race to ensure safety and hope the board will allow a licence for the event once again. The gala, which is in June is attended by around 400 local residents and described by organisers as the county's 'smallest' one held in the village's War Memorial Park.
Edinburgh Reporter
21-04-2025
- General
- Edinburgh Reporter
East Lothian's ‘smallest gala' fights to get drinks tent back
East Lothian's 'smallest gala' is fighting to get its drinks tent back amid claims a ban last summer saw uncontrolled drinking as people simply brought their own booze. East Linton Gala was refused permission to serve alcohol in a tent last summer after East Lothian Licensing Board ruled it was a 'predominantly children's event'. However organisers, who had argued the event was for all ages, say the ban led to fewer adults attending and those who did bringing their own alcohol. The village green is exempt from local bylaws barring drinking alcohol in public on gala day meaning people were able to drink without any designated area provided. Now the gala, which is a registered Scottish charity, has applied for a licence to operate a tent at this year's event with moves to link it to a hill race, which is for over 18s only, and takes place on the same day. The marquee will be operated next to the Traprain Hill Race on the green and will operate after the children's parade and earlier events of the day have taken place. Applying for the licence, the gala committee said the loss of the drinks tent last year had a negative impact on the community event which raises funds for the village each year. They said they received feedback from some in the village that they had chosen not to attend or left early because it had been 'perceived as a children's event' following the licensing board decision. They added: 'Since there is no bylaw preventing the personal consumption of alcohol many attendees chose to bring their own. Refusal of an occasional licence has no impact on alcohol consumption at the gala day. 'Instead of alcohol being primarily consumed in a separate, controlled area, there was widespread alcohol consumption throughout the day. 'We are thankful that 2024 saw no incidents however our view is that this runs counter to the stated concerns of the licensing board since there is now no means to manage consumption.' 'Committee volunteers were also required to liaise more closely with the local Co-op where some staff expressed concerns they had become the de-facto bar for the event while volunteers had to deal with a large volume of littered drinks containers during and after the event.' The gala committee said it has taken steps such as ensuring hours of sale are after the main children's events and siting the tent near the hill race to ensure safety and hope the board will allow a licence for the event once again. The gala, which is in June is attended by around 400 local residents and described by organisers as the county's 'smallest' one held in the village's War Memorial Park. By Marie Sharp Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
