TWO hugely popular events in Haddington’s social calendar will not take place this summer – the second year in succession they have been cancelled.

Organisers of the Nungate Gala stated at the weekend that the event would not take place, with the Haddington Festival confirming on Tuesday that its fun day would also not be happening.

Haddington and Lammermuir ward Councillor Tom Trotter, who was previously chairman of the Nungate Gala committee for about 20 years, felt it was “sad but inevitable” both events would be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: “It is more than sad; it is tragic. We missed out last year and it is soul-destroying, especially for the organisers and volunteers that put in so much time. When it does come back, it will be a good cause for celebration.”

The week-long Haddington Festival dates back to 1968 and is a key fixture in Haddington’s summer celebrations.

The fun day in Neilson Park has games and events for youngsters, as well as live music.

Organisers confirmed that would not take place but they were looking to see which traditional events could take place as online versions.

Speaking at the end of last week, Chris McEwan, chairman of the town’s community council, stressed the decision would lie with Haddington Events Group.

Mr McEwan said: “We have not had a meeting but the way things are looking with other events that I attend, they are all getting cancelled.

“I have received notification that the BVAC Classic at Thirlestane at Lauder, which takes place the day after the Haddington Festival, has been cancelled.

“It is more to do with the fact that we are trying to organise something and nobody knows how long the pandemic is going to last.”

The festival has had problems in recent years, with organisers having to move the event hub from the Haddington Corn Exchange in 2019 as it was under renovation.

A decision was taken in October 2019 that the event would not go ahead the following summer, as the Court Street building was still out of commission, but the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring would have seen the event cancelled anyway.

Mr McEwan, who is a technical architect, said smaller-scale events could go ahead during the summer.

He suggested a best-dressed window competition – similar to that which took place in the town during the festive season – and a socially distanced treasure hunt for youngsters could be organised.

Meanwhile, a statement on the Nungate Gala Facebook page highlighted the toughness of the decision.

It read: “It is with deep regret that we have come to the difficult decision not to go ahead with this year’s gala.

“The safety of our community is our main focus and this was at the forefront of our minds when making this difficult decision.

“We understand that this will come as a disappointment to many but, hopefully, when it is safe for us all to mix, we can organise something for the community.

“We are looking forward to seeing you all for the gala in 2022.”