Published: Thursday, 28th May, 2009 7:00am

Festival's sunny start

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THE organisers of the 2009 Haddington Festival say they have been greatly encouraged by the public"s response at a time of economic cut-backs.

Despite the deepening UK recession, ticket sales for this year"s festival have generally held up well, with few disappointments.

And the weather has also been kind, with Sunday"s official opening parade through the town centre bathed in warm sunshine.

Hundreds of onlookers turned out to witness the procession of around 120 marchers from Court Street to the War Memorial, led by Haddington Pipe Band.

Participating groups included Haddington and District Community Council, Scouts, Guides, Brownies, Beavers, and Cadets.

After the traditional wreath-laying ceremony, the opening service at St Mary"s Parish Church was conducted by St Mary"s minister, the Rev Jennifer Macrae.

Highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the John Lockhart Trophy for Young Achievers to seven-year-old Bobbi McBurnie, of Priory Walk, Haddington.

Later that evening, the pace picked up when more than 150 people enjoyed an evening of authentic Argentinian tango music and dance with Orquesta Atipica de Edimburgo.

Demonstrations by the well-known Rumbos de Tango also brought no shortage of volunteers from the audience.

The Festival Cafe, which is being held daily in the Corn Exchange from 10am to 2pm until tomorrow (Friday), has proved as popular as ever, as various local organisations take the opportunity to raise vital funds for their own operations.

Haddington Day Centre staff and volunteers, who ran the opening day of the cafe last Wednesday (May 20), also stepped in to the breach last Thursday when Haddington Guides pulled out, citing insufficient preparation time.

Tickets were reportedly selling well for all nights of the specially commissioned musical drama "The Mother of All Burns", featuring renowned Scottish actress Juliet Cadzow, which opened on Tuesday night at the West Church and was due to continue daily thereafter at Lennoxlove House until Sunday.

The story reflects Robert Burns" life through the eyes of his mother Agnes Broun, who lived at Grants Braes, south of Haddington, for almost 20 years and is buried, together with her other son Gilbert, in Bolton Kirkyard.

It is one of a number of events to be awarded grants by East Lothian Council and Tyne/Esk Leader as part of the Homecoming 2009 celebrations.

Up to 850 numbered plastic ducks were due to be launched in to the River Tyne from Waterloo Bridge on Wednesday evening for the duck derby, which followed the festival raft race.

One of the largest festival audiences is expected tomorrow at the Corn Exchange for the final of "East Lothian"s Got Talent". A limited number of tickets – not including dinner – are still available, priced £10.

Tickets, programmes and further information are available from the Festival Box Office at the Corn Exchange, tel 01620 822198.