War Memorials Horses

I'm like a 48-year-old bairn

As the clock ticked round to noon on Friday, and voices from across the Borders filled Selkirk Town Hall, Royal Burgh Standard Bearer Michael Craig sat quietly on the balcony looking out across the Market Place.

It would only be natural for the 48-year-old to contemplate what he had just achieved, 11 years after first being appointed attendant to Standard Bearer Steven Squance.

He has since been the “best man” a further three times in 2002, 2004 and 2010, watching Grant Kinghorn, Colin Squance and Douglas Gunn carry the Royal Burgh flag.

When his turn came, the flag was in his possession for only four-and-a-half hours before the paramedic handed it back to Provost Les Millar “unsullied and untarnished”.

Was the effort and patience worth it? You only needed to look at the pride on the Standard Bearer’s face while he stood in the Town Hall immediately afterwards to know the answer.

Michael said: “Right from the day I was appointed as an attendant in 2000, I was thinking about this day. The weather, horses, casting; the whole lot was perfect.”

While his horse Salvador looked so calm it was as if he were taking part in a Sunday morning canter, the same could not be said of his behaviour the previous weekend.

“He had a nightmare at Hawick Common Riding,” said Michael, whose partner, Lynda Jackson, and mum, June, watched throughout. “He was trying to get rid of me and take off, but today he was absolutely brilliant.

“I could not have asked for more and he came in at The Toll really well.”

It was the sound of the Flute Band which woke Selkirk at 4am for its – as always – long-awaited Common Riding Day, the skies overcast but dry.

Crowds gathered at the War Memorial to see Ex-Soldiers’ Standard Bearer, Alex Williams, lead the tributes to the Royal Burgh’s fallen, including 1936 Standard Bearer Willie Lees, who was killed in the Netherlands in 1944 during World War II.

Among the riders who lined up on the Back Row at 6.30am to ride the ancient Marches was his great-niece Fiona Cruickshank with the hunting crop presented to Willie on his big day 75 years ago.

Also among the cavalcade of 323 – down by about 100 on the previous year – were Ian Rodgerson and Elliot Grieve, Standard Bearers of 25 and 50 years ago respectively.

Fifteen minutes later, Provost Les Millar emerged on the Victoria Halls balcony and let Michael finally get his hands on the famous standard. He led the procession Doon the Green to the tune of O’ A’ the Airts, the banners of each Standard Bearer held high.

Bulgarian War Memorial vandalized — Lost At E Minor: For creative ...

Of all the weird places the world has to offer, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia has to be one of the coolest. Literally. At 3,700m above sea level, it’s the biggest and highest salt flat in the world, where after dark, temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees celsius. The best way to explore the salt flat is to hire a 4WD and driver from the Uyuni township. En route, you can even stay at a Salt Hotel , where everything is, quite literally, made from salt: the chairs, beds, tables and even the walls. There’s no heating and the beds aren’t exactly ‘plush’, but it’s worth every salty second.

Second Boer War Memorials and Cemeteries, South African War Memorial, Horse Memorial, South African National Museum of Military History

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War Memorials

South African Military Memorials and Cemeteries, Second Boer War Memorials and Cemeteries, South African War Memorial

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