1969
Blazing sunshine enhanced the colourful spectacle of the Crowning of the King and Queen at Newtongrange Gala. This year's King and Queen are Derek McBride and Eileen Shearin.
The afternoon of pageantry for the 56th Gala began with the traditional procession from the Square Park. The procession wended it's way through Third St. Lingerwood Road and Main Street to the Public Park where the crowning ceremony took place. Gala Day Committee Chairman, Councillor John McGuff, presided at the crowning ceremony, which was watched by a large number of school children and their teachers and a crowd of several thousand interested onlookers. The Herald, Ian Smith, read the Royal Proclamation and the actual crowning took place, with June Hunter "doing" the honour with grace and dignity. She was Queen in 1968. Members of the Royal Court were presented with a gift by the Gala Committee, and the King and Queen received watches.
The Court
King - Derek McBride;
Queen - Eileen Shearin;
Chief Maid of Honour - Fay D. Benson;
First Lord - John G.R.Shalliday;
Maids of Honour - Lynn Saddler, Anne Campbell;
Lords in Waiting - Keith Cornwall, Derek Wilson;
Herald - Ian Smith;
Crown Bearers - Keith A.L.Stewart, James Dolan;
Halberdiers - Thomas Pearson, Allan McWhinnie, William H.Dick,
Tom Connelly;
Ladies of the Court - Clare Sykes, Joan McIlreavy, Jean Flynn,
Jean Knight, Shirley Clark, Pamela Wilson,
Martine Robertson, Rosemary Clark;
Bower Girls - Jennifer Short, Margaret Lockhart, Ruby Mann,
Shona Pryde;
Yeoman - Walter McVetis;
Flower Girls - Gail Currie, Janet Dickson, Marion Booth,
Jennifer Smith. Rhona Grieve, Alison Lamb, Karen Richardson, Diane Potter;
Pages - AIan Shearin, Alan Fernie, Gary Black, James Milne.
Gala Titbits: Miss Crawford, who has assisted at every Gala
for the past 25 years and taught at Newtongrange School during the same time,
received a gift to mark her retiral. (I wonder how many of my generation would
remember her)? Among those who watched the ceremony were Nettie Temple, the
1935 Queen, who was home on holiday from Zambia; the 1940 Queen Elect Ruby
Pryde and Mr Alex Eadie MP with his agent, Mr. Alex McKinnon.