I ve lived in Scotland almost sixty years, but what I ve come to see in the Scottish
Borders today is something I ve never experienced before...
So come and experience it with me. If you re interested in the people,
places and events in Scottish history then click the subscribe button at the
bottom right of the screen and ring the notification
bell to be told when I upload new videos. In the meantime, let me tell you a story.
People from all over the world watch these videos...
and folks outside Scotland might see us as a homogeneous group of hard drinking, tartan clad,
bagpipe playing Groundskeeper Willie lookalikes. You couldn t be further from the truth.
I m from Perthshire, I ve been to many a Highland
Games and lowland Burns suppers. I ve been to ceilidhs and danced
the Dashing White Seargent... I ve been to Up Helly A in Shetland...
but I ve never been to a Border common riding. Have you?
Is it even something you re aware of? Let me know in the comments where
you re from, and if you ve been to, or even heard of common ridings.
The history of common ridings goes way back to the days when
Borderers had to guard their boundaries. In the days of Reivers or English invasion
you had to ride your own local borders to keep them safe from incursions.
This has developed into annual commemorations that are the high
point of the year for so many border towns. Each town has a different name for their iconic
gent and lady who leads the ride out...... Cornet, Standard Bearer, Ensign, Callant...
and in Gala it s the Braw Lad and the Braw Lass. Now before we go any further,
I know that there are folks in Hawick, Selkirk, Kelso and Jedburgh are exploding with rage
right now. Gala?
Ours is older! Ours is better! Ours is Look if you d like me to cover other
Border ridings then let me know. ...but there are a couple of reasons
why I was interested to come to Gala s Braw Lad s gathering.
Firstly, BECAUSE it s only been established for around a hundred years...
a Johnny come lately... I think it gives us a
unique insight; and secondly, I m doing my live Scottish history
stand up show Stories of Scotland here in Mac Arts in Gala on 9th September,
so I thought I should get to understand the town a little...
and I thought you d like it too. Unless you re from Hawick,
Selkirk, Jedburgh or fill the gaps... So if you re in the Borders then why not click the
link top right and buy tickets for the show or, as always there will be a link to my website in
the description below for details and tickets of all tour dates throughout the country...
and in Newcastle. That s right, we re going south of the border.
Here in Mac Arts is where it all happens on 9th September....
but if you want to see where it all happens today
The day all starts here at the Burgh Chamber, where the Braw Lad, Braw Lass, President
and uncle Tom Cobbley are in attendance The standard is ceremonially handed over to the
Braw Lad at an ungodly hour in the morning, to be left in his care as he, the Braw Lass
and their attendants ride the boundaries.
It all started in 1930, when Gala, looked at
neighbouring Border towns with common riding ceremonies going back for hundreds of years,
and they thought: We want one of those. I think what s intriguing
about this being so recent is that we know from newspaper reports how the
first Braw Lad and Braw Lass were elected... and that, on the day of announcement,
5000 people gathered in the streets just to hear who had been chosen.
We can understand the context for choosing the historical events that would be commemorated
as the representatives rode the boundaries It was post Great War 1930.
From here the party rode out to the Raid Stane....
The first record of Galashiels is in 1124, but in 1137,
when some English troops were heading back from a failed attempt besieging Edinburgh Castle
during the Second War of Independence.... Coming closer to the border
they started to relax and, with it being autumn
and them being hungry they started searching the area for plums from the local trees.
Some local lads saw them, rushed them and hacked them down with sword and axe,
killing the English to a man and the stream ran red with blood for three days and nights.
I m guessing they exaggerated the end of that story,
but congratulating themselves that the plumbs
had been a sourer fruit than the invaders expected...
sour plumbs, or soor plooms were added to the burgh crest.
A song was written, and at the Raid Stane each year the town crier makes a proclamation,
the Braw Lads place the standard in the Raid Stane,
then are presented with cuttings of the Sour Ploom tree,
from which they present a sprig on bended knee to their Braw Lass.
Then they remount and head off to Abbotsford.... the home of the man who invented the historical
fiction novel. They
tell me that Gala was originally a village to house pilgrims visiting Melrose Abbey,
So maybe Abbotsford was where the monks forded the river.
Today it s forded by the Braw Lad, Braw Lass and their attendants as
they bear the flag over the Tweed to the Abbotsford of Walter Scott.
There s no doubt that this is a stage of the day much loved by the locals
Crowds find every vantage point to cheer the riders on.
Parents wean their children on the culture of the town.
There are more safety precautions these days than there would have been in days of yore,
... but this is possibly the most dramatic part of the boundary riding
as the supporting riders follow the flag bearers in a wonderful
equine ribbon flowing across the river It s not just on the watching riverbanks that
young ones are weaned, but on horseback as well. Horses and riders of all shapes and sizes make
the spectacle for the whole town and surrounding area.
For me this was a special experience seeing them cfross over to Abbotsford
At the first common riding the company was welcomed by Scott s
descendant Major General Maxwell, who welcomed them into his home.
Today there will be a representative, who ll take them to sign the visitors book
and present some roses... more of the roses later.
Before that there s a gallop round the Gala Hill to ensure the safety of the metropolis,
Then up the main street and back to The Town Cross for the
next ceremonial. Now this bit is interesting. This Mercat cross replaced an older one in 1887.
At its base are bronze plaques that celebrate the marriage of James IV of
Scotland and Margaret Tudor of England with Emblems of both Countries.
It seems things had moved on from the blood thirsty plumb incident.
So, at the first gathering in 1930, when The Union wasn t a hot political issue,
they commemorated the marital union in 1503 that ultimately led to the political union of 1707.
I ve made a video about this marriage of the thistle and the rose,
and you can see it if you come back and click the tab top right.
I m told part of the Ettrick Forest was given to Margaret Tudor to secure her dowry
and this part of the day commemorates that, with the Braw lass mixing white roses of York
and red Roses of Lancaster together to make the Tudor rose.
Then she puts them on the Cross in a wreath of thistles.
Next, she accepts a sod of earth and a stone that have been brought from the Torwoodlee tower as
part of the ceremonies earlier in the week. It all represents the transfer of land.
Then, at the Old Town Cross, The Laird of Galashiels presents
the Provost with a parchment
with the Citation creating Galashiels into a Burgh of Barony.
Now for all the ancient history represented in the various common ridings throughout the Borders
here s the thing that strikes me about the one in Gala being so recent.
You see because it was instituted in 1930 it was only just after the Great War.
Bear in mind that Galashiels isn t a huge town...,
it lost 600 men in that war. Six hundred husbands, brothers, sons, friends.
People who would still be remembered ten short years after that gruesome
conflict ended. Little wonder that
remembering them became the culminating event of the day s grand ceremonials...
as the braw lad dips the standard and the gathered crowd observe respectful silence.
Now this is just the main day in what will be weeks, even months of activity.
Folks will go on to celebrate this evening.
There ll be music and dancing in various venues...
including Mac Arts that will host me on 9th September remember.
I said one of the things I found interesting in coming to THIS Common riding
was when it was instituted. The sensibilities of the time
produced a day that honours a writer we still read today.
It celebrates both battles against our southern neighbours AND the root of the Union with them,
as well as commemorating a time where men both sides of the border gave their lives for...
I m not entirely sure what for. These events wouldn t even have happened,
let alone been commemorated at the first Hawick common riding.
Of course, over the years, the nature of the ceremonials have developed and evolved
within the main structure. It made me wonder...,
in the current political environment of independence versus union...,
would the town include the same events and ceremonials if starting today.
Then again... I m a Scotsman who s come down from Perth.
Kev, my mucker who s helping with filming and drone work is an ex-army Englishman...
or more accurately a Scouser, who now lives in Selkirk
In different ways we re both outsiders This event is something that s much more
local than either of us. It s Border culture.
Kev and I are just observers. This is Gala s Day
but I do feel privileged to have brought you here to sample part of it.
What history would be included in your town s Common Riding if it was invented today?
There s another Border story coming up on screen now.
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