What's On
What's on in Museums this March
Museums are a warm place with a friendly face
Free to visit with regularly-changing craft activities suitable for children and families as well as temporary exhibitions and reference books available to browse and read.
John Gray Centre (Museum) 15 Lodge Street, Haddington, EH41 3DX.
Thursday and Friday 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 5pm.
Saturday 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 4pm.
John Muir's Birthplace 126 High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ.
Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm.
Sunday 1pm to 5pm.
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1ER.
Saturday 2pm to 4pm courtesy of Dunbar and District History Society volunteers.
NEW EXHIBITIONS
What’s the story?
This new exhibition brings together 35 art works including paintings, photographs, drawings and prints held in the collection of East Lothian Council. The earliest piece in the show is a watercolour drawing of the late 1700s showing Haddington Town Officers on parade with fife and drum; one of the most recent is a composite piece responding to the East Lothian landscape during the 2020 Covid pandemic. The Friends of the John Gray Centre have worked alongside museum staff to present this varied and exciting show. Volunteers will be present in the gallery to chat to visitors about the art on display.
John Gray Centre, 15 Lodge Street, Haddington EH41 3DX.
Thursday 13 February to Saturday 26 April 2025.
Admission free.
Open Thursday to Saturday.
A stitch in time. Recycle - Reuse - Create
A family friendly art exhibition which explores recycling materials in the context of an art project.
John Muir’s Birthplace, High Street, Dunbar, EH42 1JJ.
www.jmbt.org.uk
1 February to 9 March.
Admission free.
Working Lives at Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery
Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery, High Street, Dunbar EH42 1ER.
October to March, Saturdays 2pm to 4pm.
Display open courtesy of Dunbar and District History Society. Free admission but donations welcome.
Dunbar’s Town House or Tolbooth is more than 400 years old and touched the lives of many people through the Town Council, Police Station, Library, Registrars, Tourist Information, Housing Office, MP and MSP Office, Museum and many more!
Do you know someone who worked here? Have you been to a wedding here? We would love to hear your stories and see your photos.
Step back in time as we help you discover the hidden past of this iconic building.
Visit past exhibitions or explore our local history from the comfort of your home or a local library!
John Gray Centre East Lothian History
What’s so special about bogs? An exhibition from one of our partner organisations, the John Muir Trust, as part of their Peatland Appeal. Discover more about this slow-growing, water-packed ecosystem that’s fast becoming recognised as an amazing collector of carbon, a rich archaeological site, and home to unique species of wildlife.
John Muir, Earth, Planet, Universe This exhibition focuses on John Muir’s legacy and his role as an environmental activist and successful campaigner and his relevance for our situation today in addressing the climate crisis.
Muir Houses Through Time Museum Assistant David Anderson spent part of the 2020 lockdown amalgamating all his research on the buildings occupied by the Muirs on Dunbar High Street. What has emerged are tales of commerce, greed and deceit as we follow the lives of those who have occupied the site from the iron age onwards. First published as a series of blogs June to August 2020
Gardens of East Lothian An exhibition by Sheila Sim Photography. East Lothian has a long and proud heritage of gardening and has produced several horticultural pioneers. With its good climate and fertile soil, the county has often been called ‘the garden of Scotland’.
125 Years of the Sierra Club This exhibition curated by Friends of John Muir’s Birthplace gave an overview of the history of the Sierra Club with an emphasis on John Muir’s involvement in the founding, and ethos, of the organisation.
John Muir and Geology Another exhibition from Friends of John Muir’s Birthplace John Muir and Geology explores the Scottish heroes who helped unravel Dunbar’s geological history.
What's on at The Brunton
As the days grow longer and the first signs of spring start to show, The Brunton is excited to introduce a fresh line-up of events that capture the vibrant spirit of the season.
Here’s to a month filled with creativity, connection, and the promise of new beginnings!
Corn Exchange, Haddington
At the Corn in Exchange in Haddington this March, The Brunton is kicking off the month with a visit from The Jersey Beats. A sensational show celebrating the wonderful music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons!
The Jersey Beats – Oh What a Nite Tour
Sunday 2 March at 7:30pm
Corn Exchange, Haddington
Click to book online
Join us in welcoming the incredible Ryan Corbett for a classical accordion concert in Haddington. Ryan Corbett will be joined by five accordionists of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Accordion Ensemble, for a programme that includes music by JS Bach, Reich, and Rameau.
Ryan Corbett and The Six Accordions
Thursday 6 March at 7:30pm
Corn Exchange, Haddington
Click to book online
Ryan Corbett
Film Fridays
Friday 7 March
Corn Exchange, Haddington
Click to book online
Film Fridays continues at the Corn Exchange in Haddington – a fortnightly programme of Family Films (1:30pm), Matinees (4:15pm), and Big Screen Favourites (7:00pm). Enjoy highly anticipated releases such as A Complete Unknown and Bridget Jones. As well as imaginative short films for the whole family to love.
Multi-award-winning Brandon McPhee will be performing at the Corn Exchange in Haddington this March.
After completing a series of shows across Scotland, McPhee will be bringing his love of music to audiences in East Lothian.
Brandon McPhee Show
Saturday 8 March at 7:30pm
Corn Exchange, Haddington
Click to book online
Get ready for an unforgettable evening, celebrating the music of global superstar and female icon that is Cher. The ultimate Cher tribute will be coming to Corn Exchange, Haddington on Friday 14 March at 7:30pm.
The Brunton has included an exclusive 20% staff discount off this performance. Use the code ‘Inform’ when prompted at checkout to redeem.
Strong Enough: The Ultimate Cher Tribute Concert
Friday 14 March at 7:30pm
Corn Exchange, Haddington
Click to book online
At the end of the month, audiences can experience a unique dance performance in Haddington. Bodies of Water invites you to immerse yourselves in an exceptional performance experience. Watch as they explore and celebrate the transformative element of water as it connects all living things on Sunday 30 March at 2:00pm and 6:00pm. Please be aware this is a limited capacity show, performed in the round.
Bodies of Water
Sunday 30 March at 2pm and 6pm
Corn Exchange, Haddington
Click to book online
Northesk Parish Church, Musselburgh
In Musselburgh, The Brunton’s lunchtime recitals continue with established and emerging, prize-winning performers. On Tuesday 11 March, Trio Chiara will be filling Northesk Parish Church with the Bohemian melodies of Dvořák and the charming tunes of Haydn. A light lunch of soup and a sandwich is served in the Church Hall adjacent to the church at 12 midday.
Dvorak and Haydn: Trio Chiara
Tuesday 11 March at 12 midday Lunch and 1pm Concert
Northesk Parish Church, Musselburgh
Click to book online
Also, at Northesk Parish Church this March, The Ali Watson Quartet. Originally hailing from the highlands, 25-year-old bass player Ali Watson has recently been making waves with his quartet compromising an all-star band of Glasgow musicians – Matt Carmichael, Alan Benzie, and Greg Irons. Catch them playing on Friday 14 March at 7:30pm.
The Ali Watson Quartet
Friday14 March at 7:30pm
Northesk Parish Church, Musselburgh
Click to book online
Loretto Theatre, Musselburgh
Over at Loretto Theatre, The Brunton’s midweek movies will be showing Hard Truths (12A), a fierce, compassionate, and often darkly humorous study of family and the thorny ties that bind us on Wednesday 12 March at 7:00pm. Then, on Wednesday 26 March at 7:00pm, the highly anticipated fourth film in the series of British romantic comedies, Bridget Jones returns to our screens.
Hard Truths (12A)
Wednesday 12 March at 7:00pm
Loretto Theatre, Musselburgh
Click to book online
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (15)
Wednesday 26 March at 7:00pm
Loretto Theatre, Musselburgh
Click to book online
Re-live the sounds of the swinging sixties with The Counterfeit Sixties as they pay tribute to the fantastic music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and many more.
The Counterfeit Sixties Show
Saturday 15 March at 7:00pm
Loretto Theatre, Musselburgh
Click to book online
Finally, National Theatre Live will be screening their world premiere adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece Dr Strangelove. Seven-time BAFTA Award-winner Steve Coogan plays four roles in this explosively funny satire about a rogue US General.
National Theatre Live: Dr Strangelove (15)
Thursday 27 March at 7:00pm
Loretto Theatre, Musselburgh
Click to book online
Drop-in, find out! Information event in Haddington
The John Gray Centre in Haddington is hosting an information drop in on Saturday 29 March from 12pm until 2pm.
The event is part of a series to offer the community local support on the issues that are important to them. A previous event was held in December at the Port Seton Centre.
People attending can find out about support for:
- Blue Badges
- boosting their finances
- services for young children
- mental health and wellbeing
The event brings together a number of council services and partners, including NHS Lothian. It is free for anyone to attend and confidential spaces are provided if required.
What’s the Story? exhibition at John Gray Centre
We are delighted to announce the opening of a fascinating new exhibition at the John Gray Centre Museum in Haddington, featuring paintings, photographs, drawings and prints held in the Council’s collection. 
Some of these works, which span several centuries, will not have been seen by members of the public for a while. The Friends of the John Gray Centre have worked alongside museum staff to present this varied and exciting show, in which artists have shown people working and at leisure.
The earliest piece in the show is a watercolour drawing of the late 1700s showing Haddington Town Officers on parade with fife and drum; one of the most recent is a composite piece responding to the East Lothian landscape during the 2020 Covid pandemic.
Visitors to the exhibition may recognise familiar landscapes, see intriguing glimpses into townscapes, lost working practices, and portraits of East Lothian characters recognised for their contribution to county life.
Michael Williams of the Friends of the John Gray Centre commented that working on this exhibition provided a fantastic opportunity for the Friends to contribute to the work of the centre, bringing together the efforts of staff and volunteers. He also emphasised the importance of exhibiting works held by East Lothian Council on behalf of those that live in East Lothian.
Jayne Stokes reflected on the creation of her watercolour, Day by Day, which is included in the exhibition. She noted: “I started the painting in March during lockdown and it documents the landscape experienced on the many daily walks, cycles and runs in East Lothian. It was a real labour of love and a piece which explores this strange period in our lives and the solace that can come from the small things around us. I am fascinated by our relationship with images, the value we attach to them and their ability to evoke emotion.
“This relationship has changed with the ubiquity of digital technology. I recall the enjoyment of looking at family photo albums as a child and reflecting on the places I had visited. Now we are more likely to store away endless files electronically after a brief glance. This process is mirrored by our increasingly transient relationship with places, as our lives become busier and less appreciative of our surroundings. The aim of my work is to make us stop and think carefully about the environment around us. Working on a miniature scale forces the viewer to look closely at the painting and having several small images in one large piece takes the viewer on a journey.”
What’s the Story? is on now until Saturday 26 April 2025. The museum is open Thursdays and Fridays 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm and Saturdays 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm.
John Gray Centre, 15 Lodge Street, Haddington, East Lothian, EH41 3DX