Lockdown Common Riding 2020 and its all over by 6.30am

For a week there has been rumours that there was something going to happen very early on Common Riding morning despite the fact that the 2020 Common Riding has been cancelled. The Common Riding Committee wanted to keep up the tradition of marking our boundaries while at the same time ensuring Social Distancing was kept to and people were safe. It was an almost well kept secret, but this is Langholm and as usual it leaks out so I was determined to go early to The Castle Craig's and Langholm Monument as I had enjoyed the spectacle there last year. Setting of at 4.15am I wondered if anything would be happening but when I got as far up as The MacDiarmid Monument it was clear that I was not alone. It was a glorious morning and as the sky lightened the prospect of a glorious day became a reality.

By 4.30am it was becoming lighter while at the same time there was still a bright star in the sky.

And soon the sun would rise over the horizon

Through the gate on the track to The Castle Craigs and Spade Bearer Gordon Reid cuts a sod the mark the boundary of the Common land. 

 Semi Jubilee Cornet Stevie Ellwood and the Right and Left hand men Henry Jeffrey and Ian Little head on to The Castle Craig's 

Arriving at The Castle Craigs for the second Fair Crying

From the Castle Craig's the procession headed to the Monument for a 3 times round the monument trip

The sun was up and it looks like we are going to have a beautiful day

Not the Leaning Tower of Pisa but just the way I was standing. 

A grand photo of the three horsemen when usually there will be 150 horses head up Whita Hill. It was approaching 6.00am and I headed back down the road to my car while the procession went back to the town and crossed the Ewes to the Castleholm and by 6.30am it was all over. Usually it is just getting underway now with the Flute Band and the trip up the hill to the Hound Trail which slips at 6.30am and is the start to a long glorious day. We shall certainly remember the 2020 Common Riding and for the Langholm Exiles it has been a Virtual Common Riding with many items shown on Facebook and YouTube so they would experience much more than they would in a normal year. If you have got this far in reading my blog my sincere thanks and Stay Safe at this difficult time.