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Title: 1956 RIDING OF THE MARCHES

Reference number: 4492

Date: 1956

Director: [filmed by Alex Lowe]

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bwcol

Fiction: non-fiction

Description: Queen Mother visiting Musselburgh, and commencing the 1956 Riding of the Marches. Gv's of the Queen Mother's visits to a fisher exhibition, and a local school. The parade, floats, and riders in the Riding of the Marches. Some sort of play depicting different periods in time, and a firework display.

Donor notes name the champion in 1956 as Douglas Lowe, however this was Bill Caird ("Ready to Defend their rights and Commons" Musselburgh News, August 17, 1956). David Lowe was Provost in 1935, and his son Champion in that year ("Queen Mother Visits Exhibition" Musselburgh News, August 24, 1956) See also: http://www.eastlothianmuseums.org/exhibitions/pastel/champion.html [last accessed 3/4/2008]

Also, for Bill Caird's account of the origins of the Honest Lad and Lass Festival see: http://www.honesttoun.co.uk/history.html [last accessed 3/4/2008]

Shotlist: REEL I
Musselburgh. The Riding of the Marches 1956. (0.07) The Kirkin'. (0.14) Sunday. (0.16) Dignitaries in horsedrawn carriages; the Town Officer processes, followed by Provost Reid, the Town Clerk and Baillies to and from Inveresk Church [filmmaker, Baillie Alex M. Lowe briefly looks at camera, moustachioed man]. (1.23) Monday. (1.26) The Opening of the Exhibition. (1.30) Very dark shots of men making speeches, and the dignitaries wandering around the tables at the exhibition. The women working at the exhibition are dressed in the traditional skirt, apron, and head square, of the fishwives. (2.47) [B/W] Men pointing to a map of the Royal Naval Minewatching Service. (3.01) Gv's of the various tables with trophies, badges, and handcrafts. (3.47) [COL] gv of a woman. (3.54) [BW] Gv's of the exhibition. Medals / badges ; Inveresk pottery ; models concerning all things connected to the sea and fishing. (4.53) Tuesday. (4.56) The Queen Mother's visit to -. (5.02) The Town Hall. (5.05) Gv's of a parade of guards. Dignitaries walking onto a raised platform. [Provost David Lowe]The Royal car pulling up, and the Queen Mother steps out. Gv's of the Queen Mother being introduced to the various dignitaries on the platform, and inspecting the guards. Just in the foreground a small group of photographers stand beside the platform. (6.48) Lewisvale Park.(6.52) Gv's of various dignitaries and VIP's arriving in the park by car. Arrival of the Royal car, and the Queen Mother. The children in the crowd wave flags. Gv's of the Queen Mother being presented with a small crafted box. Gv's of the Queen Mother and the VIP's leaving. (8.44) Pinkie School. (8.48) Gv's of the crowds waiting for the arrival of the Queen Mother. Royal car arrives and the Queen Mother is introduced to various dignitaries. Gv's of a small ceremony. C/u of the Queen Mother as she speaks with people in the crowd around where the camera is positioned. (11.11) The Start of the Riding of the Marches. (11.14) Queen Mother standing on a raised platform. The Turf-Cutter, Robert Fairnie, is presented with a ceremonial spade; the Champion [William Caird, previously an Honest Lad in 1937] rides past with Robert Fairnie. Gv's of the men, women, and children on horseback at the beginning of the parade. (12.15) The Exhibition. (12.19) Gv's of the Queen Mother in and outside the Exhibition. (13.09) L/s of the horse riding. (13.22) Gv's of the Champion digging up turf. Dark shots of the parade. (14.30) 391 ft

REEL II
C/u of some of the floats - Co-op ; Sprinkle washing powder ; Copex cooking fat, and sections of other floats; Ancient Order of Foresters; (0.42) Gv's of the parade; miners; fishwives; The floats - S.F.M.S.; pipers; sailors; boys brigade; lifeboys; Lowe's; army cadets; scouts dressed as robots; Girl guides; army hospitals; butchers ; bakers ; fisher men and wives ; Champion, Turf cutter and Squires [long haired Squire is James Arthur, the first Honest Lad], men and women on horseback; Elizabeth, 15 months old daughter of William Love, Attendant to the Champion, mounted on her Shetland pony "Fatty" ; dignitaries in carriages, including "Honest Toun's Association Committee members 1935-1956"; "Lowes Leeks" float; Ancient order of Foresters; fishwives; gvs procession as before, including liferboatmen; (5.21) Gv's of pageant, showing the history of the Riding custom written by Alexander M. Reid. (7.12) Dark shots, action unclear. (7.42) Pipe band; horses racing through the set of the Pageant. Players taking bows at the end. (10.12) Firework display. (12.38) 341 ft