Coronavirus meant Dunbar Civic Week’s 50th anniversary celebrations were cancelled – but the event’s best-dressed competitions still went ahead.

The best-dressed house, window and scarecrow competitions saw 24 entrants, with judging said to be “extremely tough as the entries were so good”, according to organisers.

The best-dressed house was won by Team Anderson, of John Muir Crescent, with its Wimbledon royal box display; and Cherrytrees Nursery, on Abbey Road, was runner-up with its display titled Welcome to Sunny Dunny.

Kerry Lugton, childcare manager at Cherrytrees Nursery, said: “We based our theme on Dunbar and we used wood to make some of the iconic features of the town.

“Our practitioner Simon did a super job of cutting out the shapes with his jigsaw cutter, while the children put their artistic talents to good use, and added fish and crabs to their harbour. We had so much fun making it.”

The best-dressed window competition was won by Jennifer Holland, of Comrie Avenue, with Community Spirit. Anna Carpico, of Pine Street, was runner up with her Shop Local display.

Charlotte Johnston, of Salisbury Walk, won this year’s best-dressed scarecrow with Battling Bertie.

She said: “Our new friend Bertie is made of old pillows and wooden sticks, with draught-excluders for arms and legs.

“His head is a former sunglasses model, but he’s very modest about it.

“Bertie is dressed as a Scottish soldier at the Battle of Dunbar in 1650, so we have given him a wooden musket too.”

Nicola Tait, of Brunt Court, and Anne Low, of Letham Park, were joint runners-up with their entries Black Agnes and Jacqui Burke.

George Robertson, head of the Civic Week organising committee, said: “The Civic Week competition in Dunbar was a great success, and provided some cheer to the whole community during lockdown.

“The idea came from Eileen Moore, our main Civic Week organiser, and it has been widely publicised over the last few weeks.

“There were three categories: for the best scarecrow [based on a historical character or local character with Dunbar connections], for the best-dressed house and for the best-dressed window. The event was sponsored by BeGreen, who gave us a generous grant of £500 to fund the prizes.

“Finding winners was very difficult, with so many brilliant designs to choose from, but the committee debated the pros and cons.

“The winners in each category will receive £100 and the runners up £50.

“This will be in the form of vouchers from Dunbar businesses, nominated by each of the winners.”

Dunbar Community Council had initially planned week-long celebrations to mark the annual event’s golden anniversary.

George added: “It was obviously a great disappointment to have to cancel Civic Week for what would have been a major anniversary of 650 years since the granting of King David’s Charter, and the 50th year of Civic Week.

“Nevertheless, the competition has raised all our spirits and we look forward to business as usual for Civic Week 2021.”