The kind of energy that comes for free was there in bucketloads at Prestwick as the Scottish Coastal Town celebrated its 10th annual festival.
A party atmosphere is common among the many bars and restaurants along the Main Street in Prestwick especially at the weekend. But, on one particular weekend every year things get cranked up just that bit more. In the warmth of the Ayrshire community, revellers dance to the strains of every type of music you can imagine as the party atmosphere of the annual Prestfest gets into full flow. With a full set of Tribute Bands paying homage to the likes of The Beatles and The Kinks sharing the main festival stage with more traditional performances from the Ayrshire Fiddle Band and the Ayrshire Rock Orchestra, the scene was set for another amazing year at Prestfest. Arriving late to my home in the town, I wolfed down a hastily prepared dinner of fish fingers and toast and headed out into the party already in full flow.
A Comedy First
My first venue was 'Some Comedy Yeah' at the Prestwick Cricket Club where some friends of mine were among the acts at Prestfest's first ever comedy night. Local writer, comedian, and musician Robert Neil teamed up with Ayrshire comedian Ian White to bring a comedy line up to Prestfest for the first time in its history. Robert, who opened the comedy set at the Cricket Club, is keen to attract comedy to Ayrshire as a local alternative to the thriving scenes in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Ian hosts a popular comedy night at the Smoking Goat Bar in Ayrshire on the first Thursday of every month.
Arriving late, my first impression was of the tremendous success of the night. The venue was packed to capacity, definitely standing room only, and laughing uproariously as Jim Hobbit worked his way through a hilariously chaotic act. I found a corner at the back of the room to stand and watch as comedian Liam Farrelly made a fantastic job of rounding up the night. He discussed such insightful subjects as the complications of having an aunt who you had to call 'sister' because she was a nun. Hosts and acts alike would later comment on the amazing audience. I was smiling broadly as I made my way back to the Main Street where I'd heard that a 7-piece Sca Band was playing in The Buff.
The Main Stage
When I had mentioned to the Prestwick community that I was going to be out at Prestfest looking for a story, someone said that I should bring a Brolley. This is because the Main Stage at Prestfest is an outdoor affair located in the beautiful Boydfield Gardens at the Town Cross. Typical of the Scottish weather, sunshine and rain changed places overhead almost as often as the acts changed on the main stage yet, unperturbed, the audience stayed and sang and danced to the music.
The edges of the gardens were lined with tented stalls selling food and drink aplenty. There were also charity stalls and craft stalls set up around the event. One stall which caught my eye was the wood carvings of Scotia Crafting. A newly formed business run by Gary Nicholson from Ayr. His stall was adorned with wood carvings and signs depicting everything from humour to deep sentiment. A sign for Dad's Man Cave with the slogan, "Don't worry, beer happy." A chopping board adorned with a likeness of singer Lionel Richie and the words, "Hello... is it me you're COOKING for..." and a deeply sentimental poem to mark the passing of a dad. For sure there was as much emotion in this stall as there was from the music on the main stage.
Even as the rain made a frequent appearance, music fans stayed undeterred. I chatted to a lady called Linda who had been there since the start of the day. Linda and her friend had come to see the Dalrymple Ukulele Band and decided to stay on and enjoy the music.
Showcasing New Talent
Sunday found me back on the Main Street where I made my way to Bar Central to see a host of new musical talent performing with the talented musician Scott Nicol. Possibility Screams is the brainchild of Scott and showcases young and up and coming musicians every year at Prestfest. An emotional highlight for me was watching Shayla Belle Bletsoe performing 'Love In The Hurricane'. This was a song she had written especially for her husband, Craig, to whom she has been married for 10 years. Sitting beside the stage, Craig had never heard the song before but was treated, as the rest of us were, to an emotional and heart felt rendition as we all smiled, sighed, 'awwwwww'ed' and clapped along.
With Prestwick now basking in bright summer sunshine, I made my way back along the Main Street towards Boydfield Gardens and stopped in at the Main Stage one last time. The sun accompanied the sounds of some Beatles classics to draw a crowd as Just Beatles performed the second part of their set. I then stopped in The Buff where I was ordering the proverbial 'one for the road' when the distinct and irresistible first chords of Hotel California strummed out from three guitars on stage. Escapade began their set. So, my one for the road became several as I danced to the strains of Purple Rain and other classics and lost myself in the music once more.
With so much going on over such an amazing weekend, I can assure you, this article has only skimmed the surface. I can only thank the committee who put this all together so much. Mine and the enjoyment of so many people are a testimony to their hard work and dedication, to the light of the talent they presented and the warmth of the community of the people of Prestwick.