Published at 21:37, Wednesday, 08 August 2012

These now annual sports came off on Saturday week last with great eclat, although there was not such a muster of known athletes from across the border as was usual on former occasions.At a Burgh Police Court on Monday, before Baillie Bell, James Robertson or Sullivan forfeited a bail of 2s by non-appearance.An interesting relic which was on view on the race day was an 88 years old bill intimating that Langholm Common Riding and Races would be held on Wednesday, 29th July, 1874, the Town’s Standard to be borne by Mr. William Douglas.The reference recently to a possible museum for Langholm made us search back through the files of the E&L until we came to an article which appeared in January 1881.

Langholm Flute Band returning from the hound trail – right of line David H Elliot

150 YEARS

NEWCASTLETON BORDER GAMES

By eight o’clock the town has assumed quite a lively and busy appearance, and on the arrival of the trains from north and south large numbers of pleasure seekers were added to the throng.

In the afternoon an excursion train from Hawick brought a few additional hundreds, some attracted by the sports, others to see friends and acquaintances, while numbers came to see the very much lauded and picturesque vale of the Liddell.

100 YEARS

BURGH POLICE COURT

Joseph Jardine, clogger, pled guilty to riding a bicycle without a light and was fined 2s 6d.

Jeremiah Carolla, ice cream dealer, and John Clark, retired saddler, pled guilty to committing a breach of peace in the High Street on June 29th, and were fined 5s each.

50 YEARS

COMMON RIDING JOTTINGS

After the ride round the common there was a horse race for a pair of spurs and a double bridle, the second horse to receive an excellent riding whip.

We doubt if anyone will remember the flute band when members wore “cheesecutter” hats of navy blue with gold braid.

According to the late David H. Elliot, who played in the band for 70 years, there was a public subscription to re-start the Flute Band – apparently it was defunct for a few years – and after buying flutes and drums, and presumably triangles, there was enough left to buy a hat for each member.

25 YEARS

GIFTS TO LANGHOLM MUSEUM

The article reported that some gifts had been sent to the museum by a Miss Hext, of Lostwithiel, Cornwall, and in the accompanying letter that she commented that she wished every town had a similar institution to that of Langholm as museums were a valuable means of education.

Amongst the items she sent were: a pair of Chinese slippers, bone China made by French prisoners, vegetable ivory in three states, piece of giraffe skin, paper cutter of Royal George Oak 1782, beads used for barter in the slave trade, specimen of spun glass, very old, bark cloth from Pitcairn’s Island, pair of antelope legs, death’s head in cocoa nut, two small Cornish diamonds, shells in red sandstone and many more items.

Can any of our readers give us any details of when Langholm Museum ceased to exist and what happened to its many contents?

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