Dunse History SocietyBringing the history of Dunse to life
For many years during the first part of the 20th. century there was held in Duns and elsewhere in the Borders an annual fundraising event known as Infirmary Week, the aim of which was to raise funds for the running of medical facilities (for your bed in the infirmary if you ever needed one).
With the coming of the National Health Service in 1948 this became somewhat redundant and it was decided that the week should be celebrated as Duns Summer Festival with the appointment of a Reiver and his Lass and the week accordingly also becoming known as Reiver's Week. There was also perhaps an attempt to emulate or resurrect the traditional Riding of the Marches which had survived since the middle ages in the Border towns of Langholm, Selkirk, Hawick and Lauder.
Three years earlier it had been decided to appoint annually a "Wynsome Mayde" elected by the children of the Primary school and duly crowned "Queen" with all due solemnity at an elaborate ceremony. Over two centuries earlier when witches were burnt on Witches Knowe in the grounds of the Castle Estate it had been open to the townspeople to save the life of the poor unfortunate condemned to death for witchcraft by bringing her to Town and crowning her "wynsome maid".
Since its inauguration in 1949 the festival has been staged every year during the first week of July. Over the week all sorts of events take place but the highlights are probably the Sunday evening service in the Parish Church, the ceremony of the installation of the Reiver, the crowning of the Wynsome Mayde, the ceremony on Duns Law to remember the events of 1639, the various ride-outs, the Ba' game, the grand ball and the firework display. Below some images from past festivals;
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The Reiver-The Reiver's Lass-Colours;
1949 David Young - Mary Morrison - primrose and pale blue 1950 William L. Renton - Nan Renton - maroon and orange 1951 Kerr Walkinshaw - Hilda Nairn - green and gold 1952 George Robertson - Molly Wood - scarlet and white 1953 James Mackie - Catherine Cowe - purple and gold 1954 David Massie - Alice Hogg - royal blue and white 1955 Alex Brown - Anne Millar - emerald green and lemon 1956 Lee Paxton - Sheila McLennan - vermillion and yellow 1957 William Walker - Jean S. Tait - orchid pink and cornflower blue 1958 David Redpath - Jean Borthwick - spring green and lilac 1959 William Nairn - Nessie Baird - royal blue and amber 1960 John Aitchison - Sheila Whitehead - kingfisher blue and tangerine 1961 William Robertson - Myra Collin - yellow and black 1962 George Storey - Evelyn McMurchie - primrose and deep pink 1963 Edward Ruddy - Margaret Fleming - Gainsborough blue and scarlet 1964 Walter Elliot - Ann Howie - orange and emerald green 1965 Christopher Robertson - Helen Lackenby - buttercup yellow and brown 1966 Frank Millar - Sandra Jones - jade green and royal blue 1967 Robert Denham - Jennifer Jeffrey - royal blue and deep pink 1968 Alan Lothian - Mary Massie - violet and orange 1969 William Cowe - Lorriane Cowe - emerald green and white 1970 Graham Walker - moss green and deep pink 1971 lain Lothian - Janet Scott - emerald green and bright red 1972 Walter Aitken - Brenda Renton - purple and primrose yellow 1973 Peter Dryburgh - Joanne Robertson - maroon and white 1974 Stuart Renton - Judith Aitken - purple and emerald green 1975 Ian Renton - Helen McKeeney - buttercup yellow and royal blue 1976 Alexander G. Brydon - Jennifer Aitchison - maroon and lemon 1977 Henry McKeeney - Caroline Lamb - red, white and blue 1978 Russell Duncan - Barbara Smith - emerald green and chocolate brown 1979 Alistair Redpath - Anne Walkinshaw - bright orange and white 1980 Kevan Walker - Pamela McKeeney - royal blue and Saxe blue 1981 Alasdair Nisbet - Carol Lackenby - tangerine and bright yellow 1983 Keith Nairn - Aileen Richardson - maroon and lime green 1984 Andrew Burns - Marion Smith - purple and white 1985 John Liddell - Hazel Turnbull - royal blue and silver grey 1986 Kevin Renton - Helen Burns - purple and pink 1987 Steven Hutchison - Julie Redpath - royal blue and orange 1988 Gavin White - Janice Wait - maroon and silver grey 1989 Andrew Feeney - Margaret Burns - emerald green and rose pink 1990 Gary Stevenson - Elaine Deuchar - national blue and cerise 1991 Dale Wakenshaw - Diane Ross - dark royal blue and canary yellow 1992 Steven Redpath - Jayne Ainslie - emerald green and white 1993 Michael Ruddy - fuchsia and charcoal grey 1994 John Bryce - Denise Burn - bottle green and gold 1995 Jim Carnie - Lesley Carnie - sky blue and cream 1996 Vikki Rybowska - electric blue and emerald 1997 Niall Whyte - Anthea Reed - sunshine yellow and turquoise 1998 Brian Bolton - Alison Boutland - terracotta and gold 1999 Dougal Affleck - Jennifer Herbert - lemon and purple 2000 Scott Lindsay - Paula Jane Preston - hunting green and mint 2002 Dale Robertson - Windsor blue and Erin green 2003 Sandy Aitken - Julie Thomson - bishop and citrus 2004 Ann Lindsay - Erin and tulip 2005 Craig Prentice - Louise Denham - bottle green and navy 2006 Kevin Aitchison Lisa Fortune - Windsor blue and mailbox red 2007 Christopher Blaikie Sara Thomas - emerald green and aqua 2008 Stuart Pearson Nicola Gillies - viola and Windsor blue |
Wynsome Maydes - Crowned by;
1944 Nan Renton - Mrs. Baillie of Manderston 1945 Agnes Stevenson - Mrs. Hay of Duns Castle 1946 Joyce Burt - Mrs. Petrie, The Geans 1947 Jean Utterson - Miss Thomson, Mansefield 1948 Sheila Aitchison - Mrs. Tait, Sandylands 1949 Anne Morrison - Miss Burns, Mount St Michael 1950 Jean Bryce - Mrs. Renton, Castle Street 1951 Mary Speirs - Mrs. Davidson, Earlsmeadow 1952 Jessie Pringle- Mrs. Connell, Winterfield Gardens 1953 Edith Massie - Mrs. Swinton of Kimmerghame 1954 Linda Wightman - Mrs. Lennie, The Schoolhouse 1955 Jean Knox - Mrs. Landale of Whitchester 1956 Elizabeth Hume - Mrs. Laidlaw, Chirnside 1957 Mary MacLennan - Mrs. Mackay, St. Mary's 1958 Moira Hood - Lady McEwan of Marchmont 1959 Sally Helik - Lady Haddington of Mellerstain 1960 Louise Hume - Lady Ramsay of Bughtrig 1961 Isabel Dickson - Mrs. Wm. Robertson Jnr, Market Square 1962 Catherine Melrose - Mrs. Dickson, Temple Hall 1963 Anne Boyd - Miss J. S. Cunningham, Bridgend 1964 Kim Parle - Mrs.H. C. G. Allan, The Manse 1965 Winifred Beedie - Mrs. P. Redpath, Teindhillgreen 1966 Aileen Stobie - Mrs. A. Lothian, Cheviot Way 1967 Anne Anderson - Miss M. A. Knowles, Kirklands 1968 Mary Chisholm - Mrs. R. McEwan of Marchmont 1969 Sheila Stevenson - Mrs. W. Clark, Castle Heaton, Cornhill 1970 Jacqueline Turner - Miss I. A. Gillon, Abbey St. Bathans 1971 Margaret Brown - Mrs. W. B. Swan, Blackhouse, Reston 1972 Anne Walkinshaw - Mrs. J. Elliot, Bridgend House 1973 Barbara Davidson - Mrs. R. Massie, Easter Street 1974 Sandra Hardie - Mrs. J. Fairbairn, Redholme 1975 Sandra Mcintosh - Mrs. J. Small, Castle Street 1976 Susan Douglas - Mrs. D. V. Hugonin, St Mary's Cottage 1977 Linda Stewart - Mrs. M. Mackay, The Manse 1978 Hillary Fleming - Mrs. R. Clarkson, The Glebe, Gavinton 1979 Shona Scott - Mrs. A. Hay of Duns Castle 1980 Katie Buss - Mrs. W. S. Landale of Whitchester 1981 Trudy Sawers - Mrs. J. L. Wilson-Smith of Cumledge House 1982 Elaine Sweeney - Mrs. W. Nairn, Cheviot View 1983 Nicola Buss- Mrs. W. L. Thorburn, Creian 1984 Lesley Gallagher - Mrs. J. Fortune, Cheeklaw 1985 Vicki Millar - Mrs. L. B. Chappell, Murray Street 1986 Catriona Wilson - Mrs. J. Boyd, B.E.M., Polwarth 1987 Shona Turnbull - Lt. Col. W. B. Swan, C.B.E., T.D., of Blackhouse 1988 Sheena Carss - Lady Swinton, Kimmerghame 1989 Jenny McColl - Mrs. Louise Aitken-Walker, Berwick Road 1990 Gillian Reid - Miss Sheila Whitehead, Brierybaulk 1991 Kate Jones - Mrs. K. H. Candlish, The Elms 1992 Lisa Fortune - Lady Palmer of Manderston 1993 Laura McCraw - Mrs. Rosemary Stewart, Kimmerghame 1994 Ruth Budd - Mrs. Sheila Romanes, Norham Lodge, Duns 1995 Roxanne Brown - Mrs. Margaret Nitsche, The Mount 1996 Nicola Davidson - Mrs. Anne Robertson, Eran, Sunnyside 1997 Hannah Budd - Miss Doreen Calder, Marygold 1998 Fiona Romanes - Mrs. Connie Lamb, Coldingham 1999 Ashleigh Dixon - Mrs. Winifred Dodds, Kelso 2000 Lynn Blaikie - Mrs. Jennifer Finnie, South Street 2001 Chantel Lackenby - Mrs. Janis Pearson, Trinity, Duns 2002 Gail Weir - Mrs. Jessie Atkins, Easter Street 2003 Leonie Robertson - Mrs. Catherine Kirk, Brierybaulk 2004 Jasmin Lackenby - Mrs. Eileen Stewart, Todlaw Road 2005 Jodie Hutchison - Mrs. Wilma Brack, Earlsmeadow 2006 Mhairi Deuchar - Mrs. Molly Aitchison, Turnbull Court 2007 Ashely Brack - Mrs. Moira McCraw, Winterfield 2008 Hayley Simpson - Mrs. Rosemary Thorburn, Duns |