Border patrol

In Scotland it is never possible to escape the past. At every turn it confronts you and although some of our more progressive politicians would happily wipe the slate clean and start again, the lessons learned by our ancestors have a funny way of coming back to haunt us.

That is why much of what takes place in everyday Scottish life has become a celebration of the past, coupled naturally with the dynamism of the present and our aspirations for the future. Scotland's cultural life is rich, varied and reaches across oceans to the descendants of those who once made their homes here.

These thoughts were very much on my mind when talking to a friend from Calgary who asked if I knew anything about the forthcoming common ridings in the Scottish Borders. I was able to say that I had, indeed, been at one, as a spectator, I hastened to add, and that they are extremely important social events for people who live in that region. To some extent, that is why they still take place, but there is more to them than pure sentiment.

Like so much of everything else that involves pageantry and tradition, the common ridings of Roxburghshire, Selkirkshire and Dumfriesshire have survived as local folk festivals only because the succeeding generations that take part in them are so enthusiastic about them. In many ways, they have become a rite of passage for the young, a healthy distraction from television soaps and video games.

More importantly, they are fun to take part in, though Hawick has rece...

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• By : Roddy Martine
• In : Roddy Martine's World
• Issue : 3
• Page : 7
• Words : 830