Community finally get to celebrate their Harbour Day

Hopeman finally got its day (pic: Katy Sutcliffe/Facebook)
Hopeman finally got its day (pic: Katy Sutcliffe/Facebook)

A MORAY HARBOUR finally managed to enjoy its annual festival on Saturday after having to be cancelled because of adverse summer weather.

It was not all plain sailing either for Hopeman with a wary eye being kept on the local weather forecast all week – but conditions were just good enough to avoid a second cancellation.

The Harbour Fun Day had been postponed from its original June date when high winds made it too risky to go ahead with many activities being undertaken on the water.

First staged two years ago as a joint effort between the Hopeman Boatowners’ Association and Gordonstoun School, the day is aimed firmly at raising funds for repair and improvement work on the harbour as well as for local charities.

Taking time out from his current by-election campaign in Heldon & Laich, the chairman of the Hopeman Community Association, Dennis Slater, said that it was another great day and a relief for the local community that it was able to go ahead as planned.

Mr Slater said: “I enjoyed taking some time out from what has been a busy schedule to take in what is fast becoming one of the best harbour days along the Moray coast.

“The Buckie lifeboat paid a visit and was a major attraction for people as was the Moray Inshore Rescue Organisation who called in from their Findhorn base alongside the skiffs from Burghead.

“It was also great to see the part-time firefighters from Gordonstoun demonstrate their skills and remind us just how important the school is to the local community.”

It is believed the Harbour Day this year will have raised around £1000 with the Ladybird Development Home in Lossiemouth and the RNLI both gaining from the day.