Beltane Saturday!

It's Beltane Saturday! This morning the Beltane Queen was crowned on the church steps, with her courtiers around her and her schoolmates lining the steps! I have to confess... the pics of the court and the costumes are from another year - when I didn't sleep in and miss it all! That's what comes of going to bed at 3.30a.m., when it was just beginning to get light! Today's the longest day of the year! Longest daylight hours, that is. The day still has only 24 hours in it!

I saw the parade though, and finally after 20 Beltanes under my belt I have found the best place to stand to take photos! So first of all, some photos of the queen and her court and some of the costumes the primary school kids get dressed up in!

The Beltane Queen is chosen from one of the three primary schools' top classes, by her schoolmates and teachers. This year it is Queen Niamh ( Neve, an Irish name that is gaining popularity on this side of the water ever since we had an Irish programme called Ballykissangel on TV) but coincidentally the photo is of another queen with an Irish name. Erin is another name for Ireland!

The colours are really pretty when seen in a close group like this.











In the second picture the queen, her chief maid and two courtiers have already climbed into the landau that will lead the parade around the town. Again, this is Erin. You'll see Niamh later.

I love the little penguins!

















The helium
balloon man is always at the
festival!

It's actually the Cornet and his supporters who lead the parade again. This is Cornet Colin!

Then comes the pipe band again....







.....followed by the Beltane Queen's landau.



Shame Niamh just turned to wave to the people on the other side of the road, and I don't know what the royal courtiers are up to!






HUR-RAY! HUR-RAY!


More maids and pageboys in the next landau cheer with the crowd!








Anyone who has a truck seems to be roped in to carry the school kids round the town. It is traditional for sweets to be thrown and there is much scrambling around the floats for the ones that land on the floor!


One of these two wee mice is already unwrapping a sweet to keep him going!

Another Helen with plastic carrier bags from the different Peebles shops before they stop stocking them!

Two of my young pals, customers in the shop!

This sailor doesn't look too impressed with the admiral!

Onion Johnny

Two steak pies, one small pizza, one fish.... and a poke of chips!

A poke used to be a cone shaped paper container for chips/fries, sweets, anything at all really. Nowadays it's just any paper bag!

Once the parade has gone through the centre of town the cornet's group, landaus, cars and trucks all tour around the streets of Peebles, while the walkers pare off and leave the parade. That's it for another year as far as they are concerned. However the pipe bands and the silver bands will take their places in Beating the Retreat tonight, as the final day of Beltane Week comes to an end.

So I too must finish for today.
Talk again soon.
PS. PLEASE drop into my comments box to say hello and/or let me know what you think of the photos, the blog, the Beltane, NZ ............ I'd love to hear what you like or don't like about my blog. Which are your favourite photos? Just write me a comment any time you want! Love to know who's there!