The First Gala
First Reporting
In June 1948 a call went out for interested parties to meet to discuss the formation of a Children's Gala. The first Gala was held on Saturday 25th June 1949. The earliest record in local newspapers appears to be the following report from the Haddingtonshire Courier published on 1st July of that year.
Even today some of those names are instantly recognizable as coming from the local fishing families.
The same issue of the courier carried a small report relating to the new school song...
The choir must have been quite well trained because the tune to Hazard Yet Forward is not the easiest to sing. The most recent galas have not attempted to sing it.
Early Photographs
The following photographs show the very first Gala and were first shown in public in recent times during a local history exhibition in 2016. Permission to show the photographs here was most generously granted.
The first Gala Queen: Catherine Thomson:
Arriving at the Old Harbour:
On the boats at the Old Harbour:
Boats arriving into Port Seton Harbour:
Star of Hope carries the Gala Queen into the Harbour:
At Port Seton Harbour:
Queen with Maids:
Crowning Ceremony in front of the Pond Hall (now demolished):
