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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Jonathan Geddes

Popular Lanarkshire gala day curtailed by weather worries

Rutherglen's first gala day since 2019 was blown off course after health and safety fears resulted in most of the day being scrapped.

The organisers behind Landemer Day have expressed their disappointment that the Main Street event was severely curtailed due to strong winds on Saturday morning.

Landemer Queen Nell Gray was still crowned after Rutherglen West and Wardlawhill Church stepped in to host that part of the day, but the stalls and most of the funfair rides that populate the street could not go ahead.

Landemer committee chair Jim Nixon told Lanarkshire Live they had no choice but to call the day off.

He said: "The safety of everyone concerned was paramount and we had no option but to cancel the stalls, staging and related events on Health and Safety grounds.

"Time was spend contacting as many of those involved as possible apologising for the necessary cancellation and assuring those who had paid for the hire of a stall that they would receive a refund.

"Initially, it looked like the rest of the day would have to be cancelled as well, which would have been dreadfully disappointing for the Landemer Queen elect Nell Gray and her court.

"However, thanks to the generosity and good will of the people at the West and Wardlawhill Parish Church, we were able to secure the use of an alternative venue at very short notice.

Landemer Queen Nell Gray is crowned (Rutherglen Reformer)

"The church was opened up and the sanctuary was used to host the entire pageant ceremony. The guests were invited to attend and the church was packed with those who would have attended the ceremony had it been held on the Main Street.

"The change of venue did not detract from the traditional ceremony and everything went extremely well."

"Apologies again for the cancelation of many of the street-based activities but I reiterate that the safety of everyone involved left us no choice."

The mum of the Landemer Queen said the revamped plans did not ruin her daughter's big day.

Patricia Gray said: "It would have been lovely to have been on the Main Street but a beautiful, more intimate ceremony took place in the church and was enjoyed by all who managed along.

"The Queen, her Ladies in Waiting and the Ladies of the Court, carried on with their civic duties with great grace and poise.

Main Street was left deserted after the day was called off (Rutherglen Reformer)

"I am super proud of my beautiful young Queen and we, as a ‘royal family’, very much enjoyed Nell’s Coronation Day!"

Rutherglen MSP Clare Haughey attended the day and expressed sympathy for local businesses who will be hit in the pocket from the cancellation.

She added: "After a two-year break due to Covid, who could have anticipated that this year’s Landemer Day would be impacted at such short notice at the hands of the weather.

"It was such a shame after the months of work and planning by so many volunteers. For local charities and businesses, the loss of anticipated income would also be a tough blow.

"I do want to pay tribute to the organisers who, with only a couple of hours’ notice, managed to rearrange the crowning of this year’s Queen to the Rutherglen West and Wardlawhill Parish Church."

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