How Did The Theatre Get Its Peculiar Name?
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For this we have to understand a bit of Carnoustie folklore...so let us begin...
In Napoleonic times Carnoustie was a much smaller coastal farming village and Thomas Lousen, a Sea Fencible (coastguard) and small time farmer was trying to plant out a relatively infertile plot of land close to the village. Thomas was using a willow 'dibble' (planting stick) and in the planting process grew tired, fell asleep and when he awoke forgot where he had left his dibble. Some months later he found it again but as is the wont of willow, it had rooted.
This became Carnoustie's very own Dibble Tree. David Lowson, Thomas's great, great grandson, now a man in his nineties (as of July 2016), lives close to the site of the Dibble Tree which grows just on the edge of the theatre grounds. Over the years he tended the tree which has suffered lightning strikes and other injuries and now shows its great age.
The Executive Committee of the Club, in seeking to find a suitable name for the theatre wished to link it strongly to the town and so it wasn't difficult to choose 'Dibble Tree' Theatre as the name. David Lowson and his wife performed the official opening of the theatre at a Grand Gala Fete 18 months after the start of work.
And there you have it.
Tah Dah!
