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A new book which aims to share the positive community benefits of Levenmouth’s new railway through people’s voices has been published.
“Beyond the Tracks” has been created to capture the positivity around the link which opened earlier this year – and to share the social and community aspect of the railway.
Fifty images were captured in April and May of 2024 from every corner of Levenmouth, and each person was asked what they love about the area and how they might use the railway. A total of 1000 copies of the 108-page book have been printed, and the money raised will be donated to local charity Autism Rocks which is currently fighting to stay in its home of the last ten years.
In the months leading up to the railway opening, Levenmouth-based photographer Ryan Morris the district capturing local peoples’ photographs and quotes.
Ryan said: “Working on the Beyond the Tracks project was something I will be forever proud of. It gave me a chance to meet people and talk, to hear their stories. My photography has always been rooted in storytelling and I hope this book will be a reminder of that.
“The idea came at a time where I was still deep in grief at the loss of my mum last September. I know she’d have been proud of me. The final portrait in the book is of my mum – her name was Sylvia Fairgrieve, and she lived in Buckhaven for the whole time she stayed in the area.
Ryan approached Levenmouth’s tourism officer Matt Pointon, who also co-ordinated the successful “Postie the Scotty Dog” campaign and other local initiatives, who loved the idea.
He said: “Ryan’s passion was clear. He’s a local man who wanted to do something to celebrate this special moment. I had seen similar photography projects such as Humans of New York and loved the idea. Levenmouth’s railway isn’t just a transportation project – it’s a community being reconnected. It’s difficult to get that message across to people, so I wanted to share the optimism and positivity that the railway brings, and this was the perfect opportunity.”
“I was overwhelmed by the response on social media. Everybody who commented was so positive and it was great to see the local people really excited about the railway. We applied to the Levenmouth Reconnected Fund so that we could print some books to make this moment more permanent, and to share with those who don’t use social media.” The book could also help Autism Rocks as it faces an uncertain future. It has a lease on a church hall in Randolph Street, Buckhaven, but the Church of Scotland has decided to sell the building.
Liza Quinn, founder, said: “We recently increased our opening days, as well as added a youth group and sensory friendly Saturday session. We had to do this due to the massive increase in members. There are very few services in Fife set up to support autistic individuals and their families, which is what led us to set up the charity.”
The initial run of 40 books was presented at an event celebrating the rail link at The Scottish Parliament where copies were handed out to Network Rail bosses as a thank you from the people of Levenmouth for all their hard work put in to getting it built. Copies were also handed to Transport Secretary Fiona Hislop MSP and Jenny Gilruth MSP.
> Copies are available now from The Together Levenmouth Hub on the Leven High Street or Collier’s Coffee, near Leven bus station, for a recommended donation of £5.
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