CONCERN over the future of Cockenzie and Port Seton Gala was raised at a meeting of its community council after the committee revealed it had to delay its traditional picking ceremony.

The annual gala, which includes a boat trip between the communities two harbours by the gala court, was cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

And at a meeting of Cockenzie and Port Seton Community Council last week Pamela Fraser, from the gala committee said it was unlikely things would return to normal this year.

She said the committee had been unable to pick this year's court because the traditional process required three people all in the same place to oversee it.

And she told the committee that while there were still plans to have a gala queen it would have to wait "until more than two people can meet up in the same place and pick names".

However she said that it was hoped the gala queen would be crowned privately, possibly by her mother, as happened to last year's Seton Queen Grace Hill.

Bryan Hickman, community council chairman, expressed hope that the annual festival, which has been going for more than 70 years, would return as before.

He said: "It is a shame, but hopefully we can keep it going when things settle down. It really is an important traditional event for our community."