A Colour Dedication and a Golden Anniversary

[cessna152towser]

Its been a busy weekend. This morning I was on usher duties at church for the Royal British Legion Scotland Hawick Branch laying up of the Hawick Branch Old Queen's Colour and Legion Colour and the Dedication of the New Queen's Colour and Legion Colour. Here Reverend Marina Brown and Church Treasurer welcome our town's Honorary Provost, Zandra Elliot.

The old and new colour parties rehearse in the church grounds.

After the dedication service, the new colours are marched out of the church, to music from an unseen piper on the balcony above.

Yesterday there had been a kilted invasion of England on the occasion my friend John's golden wedding. The celebrations were held in the March Bank Hotel, which stands on Graham lands. The hotel grounds are bounded by Scots Dyke so the hotel is a few yards into England.

This foxy fellow greeted us as we entered the hotel.

The anniversary couple at the dinner table.

John and Yvonne

This is a view of the back of the hotel taken today from the eastern end of Scots Dyke. Most of the border between Scotland and England runs along rivers and streams but there is a four mile earthwork known as Scots Dyke which runs from the River Sark to a short tributary of the River Esk.

Turning the camera 180 degrees from the above view, this is the border at Scots Dyke, with England to the left of the marker and Scotland to the right.
More to follow shortly.

[cessna152towser]

The house next door to the March Bank Hotel is the first house as you enter Scotland and the owner has created this welcoming kiltie out of an old tree.

This old stone within the tree belt at Scots Dyke appears to mark the boundary between England (left) and Scotland (right).

This border crossing was on the old turnpike road on which the stagecoach would have travelled from Carlisle to Edinburgh. The old toll house on the border still stands but today the road is now the A7 trunk road and the traffic travels much faster.

Failte gu Alba - Welcome to Scotland.

Also this afternoon, I met two friends from another forum and showed them around the airport.

Finally, not a kilts shot, but Riverkilt will be interested in the World War 2 control tower as his father served at this airfield for a time during the war. The control tower was built for the Royal Air Force in 1941. It has been discretely modernised with a new cupola and double glazed windows. The airport restaurant is in the ground floor, with the passenger terminal being an adjoining post war wooden structure off to the right.

[JolyStNicholas]

Do love the photos. They are grand indeed. That appears to be one happy couple after 50 years.

Thank you very much for sharing your adventure with us.

[Sionnach]

Great photos. If that fox were kilted, He would become my new avatar.

[Dan R Porter]

Nice photos, but i hope the stuffed fox was not a sign of things to come in that hotel...

[KFCarter]

Great photos. I appreciate all of them, and especially the glimpse of the Scots Dyke. If I ever do get my family to Scotland we're particularly keen to spend time in the Borders area.

:ootd:

[BEEDEE]

Alex, another interesting set of photos.

Thanks,

Brian

:ootd:

[The Vicar]

As others have said I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to post your wonderful and interesting photos!


Thanks again for always offering your amazing photos to the members here.

Robert "V"

[Ancienne Alliance]

Great photos Alex .

Thank You


Robert

[SFCRick]

grand photos once again