LANARK LANIMER DAY
An ancient celebration held within the Royal Burgh of Lanark on the Thursday between the Sixth and Twelfth days of June annually since the year 1140.
 

The Good Times In Lanarkshire

Starting work in the mining industry as I did so many years ago, little could I have dreamt of being welcomed to Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace, Windsor Castle and Holyrood as has been our good fortune.

Few people can honestly say "I have one of the best jobs in the world" and mean it, but I can. I am so honoured and fortunate to be Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant for Lanarkshire.

The fact that I dearly love Lanarkshire and enjoy the people adds to my good fortune. Lanarkshire is such a diverse county, with its industrial north and its rural south. It's also a big county covering some 860 square miles with a population of some 650,000.

Lanarkshire is the largest Lieutenancy in Scotland and it also contains two Royal Burghs, namely Lanark and Rutherglen.

On my appointment I knew North Lanarkshire like the back of my hand having worked in the communities most of my adult life. South Lanarkshire in general was relatively new territory so Marjory and I set out on a very steep learning curve.

Memories of Lanark came flooding back. Saturday night high tea in the Silver Bell with my parents is, I think, my earliest memory. Our first-born gave his first yell in Wm Smellie Maternity - I was late (Airdrie were playing a cup tie that night!). As a young blade I cut a fine dash dancing at Lanark Loch but it was a long walk back to Chapelhall! My next memory was feeding golf balls to the loch, regrettably it was from the first fairway of the golf course, but thankfully some improvement is apparent from those days and now a highlight of the golf season is to play that beautiful course.

So arrived our first invitation to Lanimers in 2001. What an experience! Although I had a working knowledge of Lanimers, nothing quite prepared Marjory and me for that day. Arriving early I walked the High Street with the Police Commander watching the day come to life.

Then the meeting and greeting in the Memorial Hall and the walk round the town ... twice. The seat for the crowning was most welcome as we watched the splendid floats, marvelling at the ingenuity and resourcefulness, which had gone into the construction. It was a weary but happy Lord Lieutenant who took the salute that evening.

That really started my involvement in Lanark and surrounding district and over the past three and a half years we have spent many happy times with different groups and I trust that there are many more to come. There are times when I think I know more people in Lanark than my home town of Airdrie and I would swear my car goes down the A74 on automatic pilot.

South Lanarkshire folk in general and Lanarkians in particular have been kind to me in these learning days and I trust that I have returned some of their kindnesses.

We have our invitation for 17th June 2004.

Pray for a good dry weather day. The alarm will be set to allow us to leave Airdrie at 7.15 and meet the Procession Judges over a cup of coffee. Then it's a slow walk up to the Memorial Hall stopping to speak to all and sundry and so another Lanimers.

Happy Lanimers!

Lord Lt. of the County of Lanarkshire, Gilbert Cox MBE JP