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 Lanimer Queen's Reception, The Honest Truth

Anne Gray is the present convenor of the Lanimer Queens Reception, a post she has held since 1999 when she took over from Karen Craig. To an outsider this is a job that must produce huge logistical problems, yet each year the Reception proceeds for two evenings with hardly a glitch! We asked Anne to describe how the whole thing works.

When do preparations start?

As soon as the entries for the Procession are disclosed, the running order of the Reception is drawn up. This is usually in April. First is usually Stanmore House School because of their special needs. The Lanimer Queen's school is traditionally second. The remainder are arranged according to a number of factors, the age of the participants, the size of the holding areas, and where they were in the order in previous years.

What are the holding areas?

The Memorial Hall is too small to hold everyone. We use the Lesser Hall, the two Committee rooms and even the space under the stage. The Cargill Club next door is also invaluable. We have the use of upstairs and downstairs. At one time we used the wee "Tin Kirk" but that is no longer available.

How many people help at the Reception?

I have a sub-committee of around twenty people who are all members of the Lanimer Committee but many sons, daughters, friends and anyone else we can rope in come along to help. In recent years some ex Lord Cornets have come along to act as 'usherettes'. However the show could not go one without the sponsors and teachers who supervise the children. It is all great fun and new helpers are always welcome.

For years the Ticket Sales have been a special event, with long queues. Is this the best way to sell tickets?

We have always numbered the tickets to avoid people queuing on Lanimer Day. We try to have one go at it on a Friday evening towards the end of May. Both evenings are a sell out. There is a priority voucher scheme where pink holders are allowed to purchase their tickets first. These are given to the Queens Court, and a limited number to each entry sponsor. Other participants are allocated white vouchers and they are dealt with next. Finally remaining tickets are available to anyone else, and any unsold tickets that night are then made available at Upstairs Downstairs in the Broomgate.

Any changes to the Reception over the years?

A number of years ago the Reception was held on three nights, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The Saturday night is no longer held.

Until recently the entire show ran from 7.15 till 11pm. Children turned up to bow to the Queen, then could be held for three hours until it was their turn to perform. Now it is held in two halves, which means holding the children is made easier, and they don't have to wait nearly as long.

Another change that was introduced in 1987 was to have a time limit imposed on performances. Acts are now asked to run for eight minutes or less. Ten is the absolute maximum. This helps the Reception to finish at a reasonable time, especially on Lanimer night. After a long day children are ready for their bed!

Do you have any major problems at the Reception?

Not really. Everyone joins together to make the evening a success. One problem is, we never are able to have a rehearsal, so the whole show is put together on the first night. This can lead to some difficulties when you try to have one act follow another.

Nowadays we have an announcer who can help with the continuity between acts, but sometimes he can be too quick to announce the end of an act. Without the information about how the act will finish, it is sometimes easy to get this wrong. Now we ask the organisers to indicate when they want the curtain to close!

Any major disasters?

A few years ago there was a power cut near the end of the Reception. New Lanark were on stage and continued as if nothing had happened! When they finished their act they received a huge applause, then the hall was evacuated in a safe and efficient manner!

Last year my husband was locked in the Cargill Club by some children who stole the keys! Luckily he escaped through the back door. The culprits were identified and the Police contacted the parents, but the keys were never returned and the Lanimer Committee had to pay for replacement locks.

It seems a great event. What would you say it achieves?

It gives the children a chance to perform on a professional stage in front of a packed house of around 500 people. I am certain this is one of the things that encourages them to take up performing later on as they get older. Lanark has a great reputation for having talented youngsters keen to perform in public. Lanark Panto Club, ICE and ICICLES, Stars in Your Eyes and the LAMS all have many young people who probably first stepped on to a stage at the Reception.

The Lanimer Procession has many spectacular aspects. One are the lorries which are always outstanding, and another the costumes the children wear. If the weather is poor they can often be covered up and are not seen to their best advantage. At the reception we have another chance to see them under ideal lighting conditions. They are always superb and well worth another view.

It also gives the children a great deal of fun. You only have to stand at the side of the stage to see their excitement as they are about to go on stage, and their sense of achievement when they come off!

Finally it raises a considerable amount of much needed money for the Lanimer Committee funds. Last year nearly £2,800 profit was returned.

So when can we buy tickets this year?

Tickets go on sale in the Memorial Hall on Friday 4th June at 6.30pm for pink vouchers and 7pm for white vouchers. See you then.