Helen Crummy


Helen Crummy MBE was a founder of The Craigmillar Festival Society, and served as the Organising Secretary for the group until 1985.

Biography

Helen Crummy was born in Leith, Helen Murray Prentice. She became one of the first residents in a new council housing estate at Craigmillar in 1931 when her family moved to the estate which became one of the poorest areas of Edinburgh. Her family were also neighbours of the family of Jack Kane, the first Labour Lord Provost of Edinburgh.

Craigmillar Festival Society

The Craigmillar Festival Society started in 1962, after she asked the headmaster of the local primary school if her son, Andrew, could be taught to play the violin. He replied by telling her that it took the school all its time to teach these children "all three R's". Helen with the local mothers group decided to show how talented their children were and started The Craigmillar Festival which grew to gain international acclaim.

Honours

She was awarded an MBE in 1972, and an honorary doctorate by Heriot-Watt University in 1993, and is part of The Edinburgh Women of Achievement trail. She is also in The "Travelling the distance" sculpture at The Scottish Parliament and mentioned in The Bill Douglas statue at Newcraighall Railway station. On 21 March 2014 a statue, created by Tim Chalk, in her memory was unveiled by Richard Demarco and Ruth Wishart outside the East Neighbourhood Centre on Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh.

Publications

Her book, Let The People Sing!, has been sold in many countries. Tells the story of The Craigmillar Festival Society. Her third book is the novel, Whom Dykes Divide, was published in 2008.
Other publications are "Mine a Rich Vein" 2003; essay and editing: Arts The Catalyst Catalogue, 2004; The Heritage and Arts Trail for Craigmillar, 2009; Edited with Douglas Galbraith: Craigmillar Gold, Community Musical songs, 2004. She was involved in most of the publications that came out of The Craigmillar Festival Society from 1962 - 1985, including "The Comprehensive Plan for Action" 1976, which is recognised as a milestone in Community Planning.