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 Little Bee ...

My earliest memory of Lanimers is of myself neatly disguised as a bumble bee. My mum, along with many others, had finally come to terms with the pattern for the costume and had done me proud. A rough guess puts that very special year as falling between 1963 and 1965. Although I wasn't born in Lanark, the family moved here in 1959, so my formative years were spent in the town - I was very much a Lanarkian. It was really only a matter of time before I would grace the historic event with my own eager presence.

With my usual attention to detail I 'perambulated' around the town, meticulously 'buzzing', as requested. Whether this made a blind bit of difference to the overall effect or whether we won a prize I couldn't tell you. I was as proud of myself, fellow 'workers' and our lorry, as a little bee could be.

I cannot honestly remember just exactly how many times I made this journey with various lorries/floats. I only know that attention to detail and teamwork from all involved was paramount. Families, schools, council and workers and numerous other organisations joined together in a throng. My family, year on year, walked to the top of Stanrnore Avenue to watch the Cornet and office bearers on horseback making their way out to the racecourse on the Thursday afternoon - that was tradition. My dad up until his retirement as a councillor two years ago had been heavily and tirelessly involved every year since getting the job of burgh surveyor in 1959. I felt sad but very proud to see him walk for the last time down the high street to the cross. I made sure my own little bee was there to see him. Like Christmas and Halloween we gather together as family like many generations before us - a day with so much to make us smile.

As a child there were also the evening performances at the Memorial Hall to look forward to. It's possible that my great love of performing had roots here. Although I have to say that far from being out front I was generally a member of the chorus! In the last couple of years I brought my band to Lanark to the hall where I performed for the first time in many years. The stage seemed tiny and not the proportion I remembered, which was undoubtedly due to my size and not the stage. Looking out at the hall it felt like there had barely been the blink of an eye since my childhood.

So many years on and having travelled many, many miles, coming home is something I don't have to do physically to feel it in my in my heart. On my last trip to New York I was awakened by a massive commotion outside the window of my apartment. I put my head out for a peek and to my amazement there was a procession on the street below. It was Columbus day and there were numerous floats, many children and not pipe bands but Mexican bands (I was in little Brazil St on W46th) I was filled with such excitement. I was reminded of Lanark and our own celebrations, suddenly the world was a little smaller.

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