Coronavirus forces cancellation of Hawick Common Riding and Kelso Civic Week

Two more of the Borders’ traditional festivals have been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Cornet Connor Brunton at the 2019 common riding.Cornet Connor Brunton at the 2019 common riding.
Cornet Connor Brunton at the 2019 common riding.

Hawick Common Riding, which runs from mid-May to early June, and Kelso Civic Week, which is the penultimate festival on the central Borders common riding calendar, have both been cancelled by organisers.

Hawick Common Riding committee member John Hope said: “The decision was only made this week. We had a meeting of the executive committee of Hawick Common Riding on Tuesday and made the decision then.

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“Obviously all the other members of the committee had to be involved.

“The cornet elect for this year and his acting father and the lasses, they have to go through getting the right clothing organised, and everything else sorted for the rideouts.

“They have a lot to do and it wouldn’t be right for them to go and get all of these things done for it then to be cancelled.

“We felt it was the right thing to do to cancel it now.

“It’s for the wider community as well. The community riding involves a lot of the public and this decision was made for their safety as well.

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“You can have up to 300 horse on each ride over the common riding weekend.

“It’s not just that though, we have the overseas night too and that brings in a lot of overseas visitors. They are Hawick folk that live abroad or elsewhere and they return from all over and down south as well. It would be wrong for them to go booking in to come home and then it doesn’t happen.

I have been involved and round all the other common ridings and festivals over the years.

“They are great things for the Borders but I think it’s the right thing to cancel them.”

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Ex-cornet John, who led the 1963 common riding, added that the cornet elect, his lass, the acting father and acting mother will instead lead the 2021 event.

“They will all be rolled over to next year,” he added. “At some stage we have got to mark the boundaries.

“For the wider community to be safe, this cancellation had to happen.”

Kelso, which was due to announce its laddie on Friday, April 17, and takes place the third week in July, made the decision last night.

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Kelso Laddies Association chairman Tom Weatherston said: “The government and Scottish Borders Council have issued guidance and direction from which the Kelso Laddies Association have reluctantly taken the very difficult decision to cancel the declaration of the 2020 Kelso Laddie and this year’s Kelso Civic Week.

“Whilst we understand that this will be very disappointing news for so many of our supporters, we consider this to be the only sensible and responsible option to ensure the safety and welfare of the people of Kelso and further afield and we sincerely thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented difficult times.

“We have already started planning to deliver an enjoyable and successful Civic Week in 2021 and hope that we can rely on your continued support.

“Please look after yourselves and keep safe.”

Last night both Galashiels and Innerleithen called off their Braw Lads’ Gathering and St Ronan’s Games weeks respectively.

More here:

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Their announcements followed the cancellation of the Jethart Callant’s Festival earlier this week, too.