This year the first full week in August will be very different for our wee town. With our Civic week having been due to start on Sunday the 2nd August, along with every other Common Riding and Festival we had to take the very difficult decision to cancel this year’s celebrations.

The summer months have had a very different feel to them this year without all the celebrations throughout the Borders.

Our principals should have been building up to one of the most exciting weeks of their lives with the approach to Civic Week. Unfortunately, Chris who should have been representing us all this year as our Coldstreamer has had to put all his excitement and hopes on hold until next year. Along with Harry who should have been enjoying his first year in office as our Right-Hand man and Jono who would have been in his last year as our Left-Hand man. Let’s all get together next year and make it a year they will never forget.

This year is of special significance to our 1970 Coldstreamer Angus Maxwell along with our 1995 Coldstreamer Sean Laidlaw who are celebrating their Golden Jubilee and Silver Jubilee anniversary’s.

May I take this opportunity to congratulate them both on reaching these milestones.

This year would also have been 1960 Coldstreamer Francis Kennedy’s Diamond Jubilee Year.

It is also my sad duty to say that we have lost 3 Coldstreamers throughout the last year, Dave Elliot 1964 Coldstreamer, Colin Johnston 1971 Coldstreamer and most recently Derek Campbell 1979 Coldstreamer. Coldstream has lost 3 amazing gentlemen who supported our civic week greatly over the years. Our thoughts go out to all their families.

Covid 19 may have stopped us having the Civic Week that we are used to, but we have strived to make the most of what we can do at this time by introducing some virtual events. Please check our Facebook page for full details.

I would also like to take this opportunity to give a personal thank you to everyone who has banded together through these unprecedented times and worked tirelessly to help support our elderly and vulnerable people in our community. This just shows that we still have an amazing community spirt here in Coldstream, people pulling together in adversity here in our wonderful wee toun.

Once again it just proves that Coldstream and its community are Nulli Secundas. We are and always will be second to none.

Stay safe and we will hopefully all be back together to celebrate Civic Week 2021.

Stuart A Galbraith
Coldstreamer 1997 & Chairman Presenting Coldstream.