Last updated 21:56, Wednesday, 30 July 2008

STARTING off the jottings after the Common Riding of 1948 were these words: “Appropriately enough the first jotting should be a vote of thanks to the clerk of the weather for such a marvellous day.”

These could well be my first words after the Common Riding of 2008 60 years later.

But whether the weather was attributable to the clerk of the weather or to another being whom many Langholm folk refer to when they say, after a fairweather Common Riding: “God must have been a Langholm man”, the weather did play an important part in what many people are now considering as one of the best Common Ridings.

But, of course, credit has to go also to Langholm’s choice of Cornet.

As officiating magistrate David Stevenson said, at the closing ceremonies at night, it takes two things to make a great Common Riding and we had them both in abundance – good weather and a good Cornet.

As I looked up the Kirk Wynd and beyond to Mount Hooley after the first fair crying, I couldn’t believe the hundreds who were crammed onto the slopes awaiting the gallop. Hundreds more were jammed into the Market Place to hear the first fair and they all had to find places on an already packed hillside.

But all were accommodated and several commented on the steady pace at which the Cornet galloped up the steep gradient. Sensibly, he didn’t rush it and there were no mishaps on the challenging terrain.

Our family ranks were swollen this year by cousins with husbands and children from Canada, Switzerland and the south of England as well as from further north, all here to support semi-jubilee Cornet Colin Irving and he gave them good value for money as he participated in every event possible.

He was right behind the front three on horseback; he played in the front row of the pipe band as it marched up the High street on Simmer Fair Night, and he played back to the town hall, this time in the flute ban’.

Our Canadian, Swiss and English cousins all made the climb to Whita Well to see him take his turn at carrying the flag.

These visitors were lucky, making it here for Langholm’s great day. But two others, at the opposite side of the globe and unable to be in the town of their birth on that day, were given a wee taste of the Common Riding when Zander Turnbull’s wife, Margaret, phoned her brother-in-law Colin in Melville, Western Australia at 5.15am (Langholm time) to give him and his wife Louvain the chance to hear a few Common Riding airs live from the flute ban’ as it played along Eskdaill Street.

She held the phone out of the window and, according to Colin, “fair made my day”. And what was he doing at the time of the phone call? Reading the E&L which had just arrived in the post.

Colin says he always relives the great day in his mind if he can’t make it across from Australia. So this was a bonus. He says a big thanks to Margaret and sends all their best to family and friends in the Muckle Toon.

The crowds gathered on the Castleholm for the dance and were entertained by the toon ban’ playing out of tune, probably the first time they’ve performed in public and not been in perfect harmony.

Pipe Major Craig Irving, who’d led his own band all day without a wrong note being played, had won a prize at the band social to conduct the toon ban’.

Bandmaster Alistair Becket handed over the baton but as soon as he started in his new role, Craig found the band playing games and not music as they deliberately played out of tune, much to the amusement of the dancers.

Never before, I’ll bet, has such musical discord been heard on the Castleholm.

There was a nice touch on Simmer Fair Night. After playing in the Market Place, the flute band presented certificates to two long-playing members.

Flute player David Latimer has played in the band for 50 years and drummer Eric Beattie for 40.

On each of the scrolls was a Sol-fa which I think would translate into the band’s theme tune Wullie Whustle.

No one, apart from my editor, responded to my request for Common Riding jottings, so I’m afraid all you’ve got are the same old, same old from yours truly.