July 1948
With regal pomp and pageantry the annual ceremonial of the coronation of the Newtongrange and District Children's Gala Day King and Queen was carried through on Saturday afternoon. The function, which is one of the oldest of its kind in the district, was again favoured with fair weather until the concluding items of a lengthy sports programme , when torrential rain terminated the proceedings. On this occasion the King was John H. Blair, 54 Reed Drive, Newtongrange, and the Queen Elizabeth Robertson, 33 Fifth Street, Newtongrange, the respective best pupils in the qualifying standard in Newbattle and Newtongrange Junior Secondary Schools. Over 1700 children assembled in the Square Park in dull weather to await the arrival of the King, Queen and court. Headed by the local silver and three pipe bands the King and Queen and their court drove slowly through streets lined with interested onlookers, via Third Street, Lingerwood Road, Picture House and Main Street to the local Welfare Park, followed by 1700 'loyal subjects ' in processional order . At the park the royal party and attendants mounted the raised dais.
In the presence of the schoolchildren and several thousand adult
spectators, Mr John Rutherford, Chairman of the Gala Day Committee , welcomed
the large crowd present and thanked them for their support. He made a special
appeal for parents to take a more active part in the organising of the Gala
Day, which was annually increasing, to augment the present small committee
who have laboured so conscientiously to make the Gala Day a success. He warmly
thanked Messrs Chas D Walinck, MA, BSc and Charles Barrington, MA, and Miss
McClinden, respectively heads of Newbattle, Newtongrange and Newtonloan Schools
and their staffs for their able co-operation and labour in the interests of
the Gala. He also expressed the Gala Day Committee's appreciation of the valued
assistance
provided by the officials of the National Coal Board and all who had in any
way helped to make their annual Gala Day celebrations so successful. The crowning
ceremony was performed by Robert S. Thomson, Dux pupil in Newbattle School.
Congratulatory telegrams were received from the ex-King and Queen. On behalf
of the Gala Day Committee, the Chairman handed over savings certificates to
the King and Queen to mark the occasion. He also made a similar presentation
to George S. Thomson and congratulated him on his educational success when
handing over the Gala Day Dux Championship Shield. During the crowning ceremony
the sun broke through on the picturesque scene and greatly added to its attractiveness.
After the royal party had left the children were provided with milk, a bag
of eatables, and a new sixpence. Highland dancing exhibitions were given by
the pupils of Miss Brownlee and Miss Mclntosh's schools of dancing and gymnastic
displays by the local Boy Scouts interspersed with musical selections from
the bands. An added attraction for the children was pony and cart rides, for
which there was a continual queue.
The Court
King - John H. Blair
Queen - Elizabeth Robertson
Herald - John Finlay;
Chief Maid of Honour - Janet E Weston;
First Lord - Gordon P Law;
Maids of Honour - Bethica D.Campbell, Frances Hadden, Elizabeth
Sinclair;
Lords in Waiting - James McFarlane, John McKenzie, Henry
Stanners;
Yeoman - Thomas
Powell;
Crown Bearers - William Blackett, George Conway;
Flower Girls - Joyce Armstrong, Mary Blair, Fay Carson, Evelina
M Dickson, Sonja Drever, Margaret Gillies,
Helen Henderson, Jessie Kerr, lna McDonald, Mary A. Munro, Annie Smith, Agnes
Stewart;
Lord High Justice - Robert S Thomson, Dux pupil of Newbattle
Junior Secondary School.