Ahoy there – a Fife pirate is on the hunt for ducks!
Young seafarer Pirate Bertie is helping to launch the first ever Anstruther Duck Hunt over Easter.
The fictional buccaneer is the brainchild of East Neuk father-of-two Steve Blair, who has written a brand new story to coincide with the treasure hunt.
Pirate Bertie and the Great Anstruther Duck Hunt tells of a band of pirates who step in to avert disaster.
Dozens of rubber ducks have blown away in the wind the day before the village’s annual duck race.
Bertie and his pirate friends are asked by the harbour master to find them and gather them up before they are lost.
In the story, it means villagers can hold the popular race held annually on the Dreel Burn.
However, the real duck race has been cancelled for the second year running due to Covid restrictions.
Instead, organisers have arranged a duck hunt involving the entire community.
Families can use a treasure map to find 10 lost ducks in the windows of shops and homes between Cellardyke Harbour and the Dreel Halls.
In addition, locals are invited to design or decorate a duck and place it in their windows during the Easter holidays.
The best designs will win a prize.
Steve wrote his first children’s book during lockdown last year.
Pirate Bertie’s Bother With Boats – about a pirate who doesn’t actually have a boat – launched his East Neuk Pirates series.
‘My kids love boats’
It was inspired by the Waid Academy teacher’s six-year-old son Bertie, who is now helping to promote the duck hunt.
“I’ve always had a passion for sailing and boats going back to my childhood in Northern Ireland and now my daughter Cicely and son Bertie are sailing obsessives too,” he said.
“My kids love boats but there were no books about boats for very young kids.
“I wanted to write one that also showed off the area because the East Neuk of Fife is really under-represented.”
Steve followed his original story with a Christmas adventure, while the latest one has an Easter theme.
“Anstruther Improvements Association wasn’t able to run the duck race this year but wanted to put together a programme that was Covid-safe,” he said.
“They asked me to write a new story for them.
“I wanted to pay tribute to the duck race while bringing in the duck hunt element,”
The East Neuk itself plays a starring role in the new book.
“I tried to mention as many places in the village that people would recognise as I could,” said Steve.
“I mentioned fish and chips, Bankie Park, the lifeboat station and the Fisheries Museum.”
Steve’s first two books have attracted praise from scores of parents after being posted on social media.
He hopes the third in the series will prove just as successful.
Christine Palmer, President of the Anstruther Improvements Association, is certainly a fan.
She said: “While we’re disappointed not to be able to get the community together for the popular annual duck race we’re excited to offer a selection of egg-citing activities for all the family to enjoy.
“They include local author Steve Blair’s brilliant brand-new pirate adventure story.”