FOREWORD
What is a 'Gala Day' one asks. Well a Gala is an annual event that, in my youth, was one of the social highlights of the year.
To explain, I was brought up in Third Street in Newtongrange and went to the 'Local ' Primary School at Sixth Street.
It was a great honour in those days for a family to have somebody
on the "stage" and definite plus to the street, with the coloured
buntings and other decorations portraying regal splendour.
My memories of my first gala day were walking the few yards from our house
down to the Square Park, in my best clothes, assembling in class order along
with such as Joyce Foster, Helen Henderson, Anne Reid, John Melville, and
marching accompanied by my favourite teacher, Miss Fisher. The route to the
Park was to proceed down to the bottom of Third Street which fed on to Lingerwood
Road which, in turn, took us on to the Main Street and then straight to the
Public Park.
As a small boy, I wasn't really interested in who was running the galas but everything seemed to run like clockwork.
I can remember receiving a bag of buns along with milk and a sixpence. It was a time, like it is today, for families to meet up with each other and 'swear' that they would keep in touch.
The purpose of this book is to preserve, for ever, the image of "Nitten Gala", and pay tribute to the 'GIANTS' behind the scenes who, without reward, helped to make it one of the best run Galas in Midlothian.
'Giants' in question include, among others, in date order, Mr James Smith, Mrs Jessie Smith (my grandparents), Councillor J Rutherford, Mr & Mrs Porteous Peacock, Mrs Eliza Wright, Mr J McGuff and last, but not least, the redoubtable Miss Janette Stewart who, with her marvellous team, brought an almost professional touch to the Galas with their outstanding fund-raising efforts.
MR ALEXANDER SMITH
1993