Mae Morton, a Year 10 pupil at Berwick Academy, is the new Tweed Salmon Queen (77th overall) following the ceremony last Thursday.
Her attendants are Brooklyn Girdwood and Mayley Mitchell from Prior Park First School and Anna Nicoll and Adele Pringle from Tweedmouth Middle School.
The ceremony started in 1292 and was revived in the late 1940s. It has been adapted over the years to maintain and celebrate a joyous occasion.
The feast day marks the festival’s patron, St Boisil, who was one of the monks at Melrose Abbey. Accompanying activities, traditionally held during Berwick Trades Fortnight, had dwindled but an enthusiastic committee aim to reverse this.
Chair of the committee, Sharon Johnstone, said: “We have been holding fundraising events in the Guildhall to ensure a full programme of activities can be arranged in future years.
“This year, the choice of Queen has been slightly amended to include girls born in Berwick, Tweedmouth or Spittal, rather than being restricted to Tweedmouth as in the past.”
Committee member Joyce Birne, a former Salmon Queen, is keen to raise awareness of the tradition. Jalma Bryce, who now lives in Northampton, was an attendant to the Queen in 1976 and was delighted that her visit home coincided with the crowning ceremony.
Starting from the Town Hall, the Queen apparent and her attendants made their way to the Queen’s Gardens in Tweedmouth.
In earlier times, she would have been rowed across the river in a coble, the boat used for catching salmon. Now the boat was towed over The Old Bridge, led by a piped band, and followed by community groups to the Queen’s Gardens where she was crowned by the Mayor of Berwick, Coun John Robertson.
He said: “It is important that these traditions continue and become meaningful to the next generation.”
The ceremony was watched by the Eyemouth Herring Queen Keely-Jo Virtue and her Lady in Waiting and by the Left Hand Man Principal of Berwick Riders Association.
Philip Rowett gave the blessing before the Queen and her attendants made their way to the War Memorial to lay a wreath for the fallen and there was a two-minute silence.
After the formal ceremonies were over, a Salmon Supper was held in Tweedmouth Bowling Club.
1. Tweed Salmon Queen 1
Mae with attendants Adele, Anna, Brooklyn and Mayley. Photo: Margaret Shaw
3. Tweed Salmon Queen 3
Mae Morton alighting the coble assisted by firefighters She is a cadet. Photo: Margaret Shaw
4. Tweed Salmon Queen 4
Attendants alighting the coble assisted by firefighters. Photo: Margaret Shaw