THE rain may have put paid to last Sunday’s family day, but it did not dampen spirits for the rest of Morebattle Festival Week’s celebrations.
Villagers enjoyed a fun-packed week which started with the sashing of this year’s Queen Susie Thomson and drew to a close with the fancy dress parade, presentation of cups and the disco on Friday.
One of the week’s organisers, John Mabon, said: “We had a great week despite the wet start. The fancy dress parade was the highlight, with a lot of good entries, especially in the children’s groups.”
There were 10 creative entries for this year’s scarecrow competition and Thursday’s teddy bears’ picnic, children’s egg hunt and treasure hunt proved as popular as ever, while the overall winners of the fancy dress parade were Emma, Lucy, Jenny Thomson and Tamara Mallen with their The Jubilee and The Olympics.
After Sunday’s disappointment when organisers had to cancel the family day because of torrential rain, Monday’s coffee evening boosted spirits – and cash, raising £205 for festival funds (and the winner of the jar of sweets was Jean Fleming).
The quiz in the Templehall Hotel lounge raised a further £156 when the winners were Gail Gibson, Janette Marshall, David Lang and Ben Stenhouse, with runners-up Pam Gold, Danielle McNulty, James Gray and Spike Borthwick. Money raised from the quiz and other Templehall fundraisers over the year will go to the festival week, the Margaret Kerr Unit Appeal and Clic Sergeant.
Tuesday’s local camera club exhibition raised about £200 and Games Queen Susie presented Dick Warren with the Fox Trophy for the club member winning most points throughout the year.
That night at the pool competition in the Templehall, Ben Stenhouse beat Alan Sharp in the final to scoop the Challenge Cup.
Wednesday’s women’s whist drive was won by Mary Tait with Pat Lindsay, Anne Reid, May Tinlin, Greta Middlemas second to fifth respectively. Janice Palmer won the booby prize and the longest sitter was Christine Ballantyne.
The gents’ competition went to Angus Cameron with Alastair Hogarth, Gil Telfer, Jeannie McNulty and Dorothy Corrie second to fifth respectively. The booby went to Mary Pringle and the longest sitter was Sheena Nelson. The dominoes was won by Angela Cook with Sarah Little and Matthew Little second and third.
Thursday’s egg hunt winner was Jenny Thomson, with Millie Workman, second and Duffy Hillier third. Teddy bears’ picnic winners were Jenny Thomson, Millie Workman and Duffy Hiller, while Robyn Gold, Emma Thomson and Kym Cessford won the treasure hunt. The team that came in second were Susie Thomson, Lucy Thomson and Kate Elliot, while Lucas Debolle, Finn McEwan and Liam Purves were third.
Pet show winners : Small dog – Matthew Little with Tactic, Alice Little with Talisman and Alistair and Marion Currie with BO; Large dog - Susie Thomson with Leith, Tamara Cook with Patch; Pet other than dog – Liam Purves with Goldie the hamster, Emma, Lucy and Jenny Thomson with Tigger the cat and Tamara Mallen with Tom the cat; Rescued Pet – Tamara Mallen with Tom the cat, Emma, Lucy and Jenny Thomson with Tigger the cat; Owner most like their pet – Lisa Donaldson with Milo, Tamara Cook with Patch, Matthew Little with Tactic (all dogs).
Winning the eight to 16 years children’s fancy dress was Sam Johnston as Chris Hoy and Kym Cessford was second as Victoria Pendleton; Emma, Lucy, and Jenny Thomson and Tamara Mallen won the children’s group as The Jubilee and The Olympics, while Bradley and Dale Adams were runners-up with The Olympic Canoeists, and Robyn and Dan Gold and Eilidh Telfer third with Morebattle Rock & Roll.
Carol Purves scooped the adults section with The British Weather, Louise Bryce was second as Jimmy Saville and Angela Cook took third as the Morebattle Nun. The Morebattle Shop Assistants won the mixed groups category with their Morebattle T in the Park, Helen and Grace Cessford were second as Lost Torch Bearers, and Jamie Wilson, Lucy Brown, Lisa Miller, Millie Workman and Duffy Hillier were third as The Circus.
Villager Helen Cessford was in the prizes again when she won the scarecrow competition with her Blooming Olympics. The Thomsons of Eildon View were second with British Summertime, while Carol Purves’s The Queen took third.