Five Years of the Auld Earlston Blog

Working lives, shops & shopping, leisure activities, clubs & societies, building,  events,  travel & transport,  war & remembrance,   emigrants, local people who have made their mark in some way, newspaper headlines, personal memories,   and Earlston down the decades from the 1790's to the 1950's. 

These are  all topics that have featured on the Auld Earlston blog, first launched five years ago to provide a written record on all aspects of the village's past.                 

Facts and Figures
In the five years,  165 posts have been published  and  the blog has received a total of  115,680 page views, with readers, predictably from:

• USA 
•  UK
• Ireland
• Australia
• Canada
• Rest of Europe

     Take a look back at some of the most popular articles over the years:

  
Top Five Posts Ever 

• Earlston Reading Room - Its  Past and its Future  
  
  
  Enjoying a break in the  Reading Room, 1960s.
  
• Earlston on Parade  - A look back at Civic Weeks and and other events
  
  
  Having Fun!
  
  
  
• Earlston's Posties of the Past
  
  Postie James McQuillin - late 19th century
  
• A Look at Earlston during the Second World War 
  
  Earlston Munition Workers
  
  
•  Earlston Railway Cuttings - Celebrating the First Sod

  
  Earlston Station

     

Top  Six Posts of the Past Year

• Earlston Shops & Shopkeepers in Times Past 
• 200 Years of Earlston Post Office 
• How Earlston got Its Name
• Sir Thomas Learmonth of Ercildoune - Thomas the Rhymer
• Looking Back to Earlston in the 1950s
• Earlston in the Headlines   A New Year Mill Festival and other Events        

 Thank you to all our readers for your continued interest and support.

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We would very much like to include  more items from  readers.

Have you come across an interesting story from the past?  
 Why not share memories of  more recent times  with others? 

Contributions are welcome from snippets, to short articles

 (approx. 200 to 1200 words in length)

We can add relevant photographs from our collection. 

Contact us at:     auldearlston@aol.com 

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Auld Earlston Show Proves a Popular Draw

Auld Earlston's  exhibition and slide show at the Church Hall has been a voted a great success. 

The exhibition theme of "The Changing Face of Earlston: 150 years of Shops & Businesses” drew a large audience throughout the two days. 

Visitors took a visual tour of the village, looking at information panels,   displaying vintage photographs of street scenes and shops, advertisements, and memories gathered from older residents.

 

 Large scale maps from 1857, 1897 and 1967 highlighted the location of shops in the different time periods.   

Drawing particular attention was the display  of the Earlston Gingham Girls Banner, carried in last year’s procession in Edinburgh to mark women gaining the vote in 1918.  

The browsing table of photographic albums again proved popular and visitors were also  asked to post on a panel, their own memories of the village. 

Throughout the event, four slide shows attracted capacity audiences who enjoyed a “Look at Earlston Then and Now”, with the slides sparking a lively discussion, continued later over tea and coffee. 

 Chairman David Lothian said "We are delighted by the many positive comments we have received and would like to thank everyone involved, who contributed material and came along on the two days to help our group keep Earlston's past alive for future generations". 

 

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Just a  week to go until our Exhibition and Slide Show 

See opening times on the poster below. 

The event's  theme this year is:

"The Changing Face of Earlston - 150 Years of Local  Shops & Businesses" 

  and features new material not previously on  display with :

• Three large scale maps of Earlston dating from  1857, 1897 and 1967,  showing the location of shops.
  
   
• An hour-long slide show with lively commentary on "Earlston "Then and Now - with new images. 
  

• A visual tour of the village  with photographs of people and places, old advertisements, shop receipts and press cuttings.

Lizzie Burrell who ran the sweet shop on the Green

• Memories and anecdotes gathered from older residents on shops and shopping in the village.
  
• The first public display in the village of the Earlston Gingham Girls' Banner, remembering Earlston's Whale sisters, the mid 19th century  gingham manufacturers.  Created by two members of Earlston SWI, the banner was carried on last year's Edinburgh  march to mark the granting of the vote to women in 1918.
  
  
  DO COME ALONG - WATCH THE SLIDE SHOW - BROWSE THE EXHIBITION - 
  CHAT TO FRIENDS  - AND ENJOY  A CUP OF TEA OR COFFEE.
  

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• AULD  EARLSTON
  Valuing the History of our Village for Future Generations
  
  
  EXHIBITION
   “THE CHANGING FACE OF EARLSTON”
  150 years of local shops & businesses.
  Photographs, Memories and Maps
  
  
  SLIDE SHOW
  “EARLSTON  - THEN AND NOW”
  
  
  Saturday June 22^nd:  10.00am-4.00pm
  Sunday June 23^rd:12.00noon-4.00pm
  in the Church Hall.
  
  
  Slide Shows:
  Saturday:  1100am & 2.00pm
  Sunday: 1.00pm &  2.30pm
  
  
  Admission £3, Children Free - incl. Tea/Coffee
  ALL WELCOME
  
  
  Tel. 01896 848240.  E-Mail: auldearlston@aol.com 
  
  
  
  
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Four Years of the Auld Earlston Blog

This month marks four years since the Auld Earlston blog was launched in 2015;  the aim to present articles, press cuttings,  and photographs on many aspects of Earlston's past ranging from work and leisure, institutions, transport, wartime, and individual Earlston worthies who made  their mark at home or abroad. A list of the topics featured  is given on the right of  the screen. 

So take a look  back here  at some of the most popular articles featured over the past four years.

Looking Back at the Past Year

• "Black Sheep" continue to attract interest, notably The Murder and Execution of Robert Scott in 1823.
  
  
  Scotsman:  1st November 1823
  
  
• Life as an Earlston Land Girl:  A vivid personal account of life as a land girl at Georgefield Farm, Earlston in 1944-45 - the work, the food, and leisure time.
  
  
  
• Memories of Earlston People and Places by Rev. William Crockett (1866-1945):  A prolific writer William Crockett wrote of growing up in the village where his father was postmaster  and his memories of the Square, the West End  and travelling out of Earlston.
  
  
  
• Earlston Men Before the WW1 Military Tribunals:  We tend to think that World War One Military Tribunals dealt primarily with conscientious objectors,   but newspaper reports of the day  show that men sought exemption from service in the armed forces for a variety of reasons - amongst them men from Earlston.

In Previous Years

• A Look at Earlston Churches - In 1866 Earlston had three churches Ercildoune Parish Church, West United Presbyterian Church and East United Presbyterian Church, with religion and integral part of community life.

A charming tinted image of the Parish Church in early 20th century

• Travel around Earlston in Times Past - An Earlston travel timeline looking at development from the building of Craigsford Bridge c.1737 to the new bridge over the Tweed at Leaderfoot in 1974.

• Earlston's Village Blacksmiths:  The Brotherston family of blacksmiths continue in business in Earlston today, but in times past  there were many other blacksmiths in the village by the names of  Aitken,  Dickson,  Scott, Sudden, Lee,  Waldie and Wilkie. 

• Earlston's  Kirk Session Records - Censure and Charity  - The records  provide us with a unique  social commentary on life in the village at the time, as the church provided help to the poor and needy, but censure to those involved in what was regarded as moral turpitude. 

 As late as 14th October 1901,  a woman was brought before the Kirk Session  to be questioned on her "sin of fornication and having a child out of wedlock".

• Earlston Reading Room - A look  at the past   - and the future - for the Earlston Reading Room which dates from 1852.   It was a  symbol of  Victorian self-help and the  desire for education.  The rules and regulations make entertaining reading. 
   
  The Reading Room on the left, next to the Corn Exchange.  The photograph pre-dates 1921 when the pump tower on the right was demolished to make way for the war memorial. 
  
  

• Wartime Air Crash over Earlston  - An account of the air crash of 1943 when a German bomber came down near the village, killing all four members of the crew.  In 2015 the daughter and grandson  of the pilot made a moving visit to  Earlston to commemorate this war time tragedy. 

• Earlston enjoys Dances, Parties, Socials and Shows.  - photographs from  the past of people enjoying themselves in Earlston. 
  
  
  The Young Wives' Group, 1980's.

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Auld Earlston welcomes contributions from readers to feature on the blog.

Please contact:   auldearlston@aol.com

Earlston’s Changing Face - Exhibition and Slide Show

A Date for Your Diary  - “The Changing Face of Earlston” is the theme of the next Exhibition and Slide Show to be presented by the Auld Earlston  Group,  this year on Saturday and Sunday June 22nd and 23rd.   

The event will focus on village shops and businesses spanning 160 years.  Key features will be the display of large scale maps of the village in 1857, 1897 and 1967, together with photographs, advertisements, press reports,  and memories gathered from older residents. 

Complementing the exhibition over the two days will be four popular Slide Shows,  looking at the village “Then and Now”.

Auld Earlston  Chairman David Lothian said "We have been delighted at the positive responses to our four  previous exhibition weekends.    We were encouraged by the length of time many people took to look around, and exchange reminiscence.  Do come along to this two day event, with much of the material not shown before, and find out what our group is doing to keep Earlston's past alive for future generations". 

He added "Our  group  would welcome  contributions of photographs, old receipts, letterheads, plus memories of the many shops that once served the village.  These can be handed to committee members, or e-mailed to auldearlston@aol.com." 

For further information telephone: 01896 848240 or email auldearlston@aol.com 

 

c.1910 -  Weatherly's newsagent, printer and bookseller, 

After being empty for some time, the shop has recently opened

selling antique & recycled furniture  and gifts for the home

1953  - Guides  and brownies waiting outside Willie Alchin's baker's shop 

(now Tom Davidson Gallery) for a glimpse of the Queen passing through the village.

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