Hawick Reivers Festival 2012

**cessna152towser** · 24th March 12, 03:05 PM

Hawick Reivers' Festival is an action packed Renfaire which marks the start of our summer tourist season.
The Saxhorn Band played on the concourse between The Horse Statue and Turnbull's Cafe.

Gabrielle on the High Street awaiting the arrival of the Reivers.

Here on Saturday morning the Reivers begin to march into town.

The Younger Generation

Blue Bonnets on the Fifes and Drum

Mounted Reivers and followers.
More to follow shortly

**cessna152towser** · 24th March 12, 03:13 PM

Lone piper at Drumlanrig's Tower

Mediaeval Market in the Courtyard behind Drumlanrig's Tower.
The 16th century Drumlanrig's Tower is the oldest building in Hawick. It was later extended to provide a town house for the Duchess of Monmouth and then became a coaching inn. When the railway came the inn became a hotel and later the stables became a motor garage. Nowadays the whole site is devoted to tourism and leisure activities.

Hog Roast and Haggis were available.

Peeling carrots

Kitchen implements

Targes and other items

Cromag making

Over there....

....you will find the Stocks.
After a mock trial by the town's lawyers, a member of the rugby club is found guilty of being English and is placed in the stocks where you can make a donation to charity to throw wet sponges at him.

Merchant at Rest
More to follow shortly

**Downunder Kilt** · 24th March 12, 03:23 PM

Great photos Alex, love the one with the stick maker. Thanks for sharing, looks to be a great day out

**cessna152towser** · 24th March 12, 03:29 PM

The real Mackay.
Gabrielle's username on several fora is Penny MacKay and she wears a shawl in MacKay tartan. At the market we met up with this gentleman who was wearing a MacKay tartan kilt.

Horseman at the Market

Minstrels

Is it a vacuum cleaner?
Is it a set of bagpipes?

Shortly before dusk Hawick Scout Fellowship Pipe Band begin to muster at the town's Common Haugh.
Traditionally the townspeople set off at dusk to attack and burn the reivers' camp and this is re-enacted with a torchlight procession led by the pipe band.

The pipers have a quick warm up with a guest piper (the one in the Saltire kilt)

Gabrielle holds my torch along with her own as I take her photo while waiting to set off at dusk on the Hot Trod.

As I was taking part this year I was unable to take pictures of the Hot Trod so here's one from last year as the Hot Trod crosses the bridge in the park on the way to the Reivers' encampment.
Nowadays on reaching the park on Saturday night we watch a fireworks display instead of burning the reivers' encampment.
Tomorrow we will go back to the park to visit the Reivers encampment and with pleasant spring weather and daytime temperature of 18c 64f it should be a pleasant day out. I will post some more photos tomorrow night if anyone is interested.