Kelso Civic Week in full swing as Andrew Thomson installed as Kelso Laddie
Kelso Town Square was alive with singing and dancing on Wednesday evening as 22 year old Andrew Thomson was officially installed as this year's Kelso Laddie.
Kelso Civic Week kicked off on Saturday and various community events culminate in the Yetholm Rideout this coming Saturday 22nd July.
The installation of the Kelso Laddie and the Colour Bussing Ceremony is one of the week's highlights - and for Andrew, it all started to hit home.
"It's a very surreal feeling, It's hard to put into words how I feel," he said, following the ceremony.
"It's the most significant thing I've ever done in my life and it's something I've wanted to do my whole life, and now I'm leading it...I think it's hard for it to sink in."I just want to do the town proud this week and on Saturday, leading the cavalcade to the English Border will just be phenomenal, I absolutely can't wait."
The Laddie is entrusted with the town's Burgh Standard and then four girls selected from the local primary schools are selected as Lady Bussers.This year they are Mia Aldred and Paige Nairn from Broomlands Primary School and Skye Ayton and Lily Currie from Edenside Primary School - and they have the all important role of bussing the flag with white and blue ribbon to the music 'Bonnie Kelsae Toon.'For them the pre-ceremony nerves soon turned to excitement and all said it will be a night they'll remember forever, with dancing the reel being a particular highlight.
Kelso Civic Week began in the 1930s and the first Kelso Laddie was installed in 1937 so its history may not stretch as far back as that of some of it's neighbours, but tradition and town pride is still the backbone of the festival.
On Saturday the cavalcade will ride to the Yetholm War Memorial for a poignant service of remembrance, as well as the Scotland-England border where the Laddie will break off a tree branch from the English side and earn his 'Blue Bonnet,' before returning his horsemen and women safely into Kelso.