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Lord Cornet Elect 2005 Selected
Tracking down a Lord Cornet - to a hotel in Italy
Lanark's selection committee members found themselves a Lord Cornet on Sunday - in a hotel in Italy!
They tracked down their chosen candidate, then sent a fax to the hotel in Claviere Sauze D'oulx asking Tom Waddell, who had just arrived there for a ski-ing holiday, to contact the Lanimer Committee chairman urgently.
And then Ernest Romer was able to persuade him to accept the position of Lord Cornet 2005.
Ernest on Monday described the difficulties in getting in touch with Tom as "horrendous".
The selection committee met on Sunday, and unanimously agreed that Tom, a health and safety expert with the railway, and Lanimer stalwart for many years, was their ideal choice.
But Tom had set out in the early hours of that very morning on a ski-ing trip to Italy.
Leonard Gray was delegated to visit his mother and get his address without giving away the game.
"I this she jaloused right away though," said Ernest.
However, Leonard returned with the brochure for Tom's hotel, and Ernest initially tried to phone him. But he could not get through, and eventually it was decided that a fax should be sent.
"We had to watch what we said, because we didn't want him to think there was something wrong at home," said Ernest.
He faxed the message: "Urgent - get in touch with Ernest Romer, chairman of the Lanimer Committee", then the selection committee waited.
Ernest understands that when Tom was given the fax, he read it and said "It's no' that urgent".
However, he did phone, and was persuaded to accept.
"The selection committee decision was unanimous, whether he was here or in Italy, and eventually he said 'yes'," said Ernest.
Tom has a long history of working for the Lanimer celebrations, with lorries including those put out by the Crazy Gang, and by Beth Brown, and then he served as Lanimer procession convener, organising the event, for a good part of a decade.
Now everyone is keeping their fingers crossed that he returns home fit and well, and able to start the riding lessons and other preparations which will lead to Tom being installed as Cornet at Lanark Cross in June.
Lanark Gazette
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Tom's 2005 Lord Cornet
For years Lanark man Tom Waddell ran the town's famous Lanimer Day parade, working hard to ensure it was as spectacular as ever, and the morning ran like clockwork.
Even after finally standing down as Procession Convener Tom still found a starring role, appearing as a Moulin Rouge cast member in last June's award-winning entry. He has also been involved in preparing 11 entries for the event.
Now he's coming to terms with the fact that this June he will definitely be centre stage - as the town's new Lord Cornet.
Tom was invited to be the town's 2005 standard bearer by the selection committee on Sunday. But their task proved somewhat different from usual when they simply turned up on the doorstep. For Tom left with a group a friends on Sunday for a week's holiday in the Italian Alps!
Having unsuccessfully tried to contact him via his mobile, the selection committee discovered which hotel he was staying in; they then faxed asking Tom to contact Lanimer chairman Ernest Romer urgently. After an anxious wait the return call came through, Tom having interrupted his dinner to make it.
Mr Romer said this week that they were delighted Tom had accepted. After a week celebrating the honour with his friends in Italy, Tom can now expect more celebrations when he returns home to Lanark.
Lanark & Carluke Advertiser
Thursday, January 27, 2005