HADDINGTON became little France as schoolchildren from Aubigny visited the town, reported the East Lothian Courier on 28th July, 1972.
If you noticed a group of young people in and around Haddington during the past week and possibly caught snippets of their conversations as they passed and thought ” Well that’s all Greek to me” then you would be wrong – because they are French.
They come from Aubigny, Haddington’s French twin-town, and are here on an exchange visit involving a party from their school in France and the Knox Academy.
On Tuesday night the Poldrate Mill was the venue for what must rate as the most unusual Civic Reception the town has ever held.
The usual procedure was thrown over in favour of a modern form of entertainment – a discotheque, with soft drinks and snacks to keep the dancers fortified.
Laurence Renier remit les cles de la ville a la John mcMillan pour inaugurer la trente et unieme edition des fetes franco-ecossaises .
La trente-et-unieme edition des Fetes franco-ecossaises d’Aubigny-sur-Nere a ete inauguree ce vendrred, trois ans apres la derniere edition.
C’est par cette phrase que Laurence Renier, maire d’ Aubigny, a inaugure hier, en fin d’apres-midi, la trente et unieme edition de l’evenement qui se tiendra jusqu’a dimanche soir. La Cite des Stuart etait privee depuis 2019 de son rendez-vous en raison de la crise du Covid-19.
Mais meme apres trois ans d’interruption, les habitudes n’ont pas ete perdues. Comme le veut la tradition, Laurence renier a remis les cles de la ville a John McMillan, prevot du council area [ comte ] , dont Haddington, ville jumelle d’Aubigny, fait partie. Les levees des couleurs ont eu lieu ensuite au son de Flower of Scotland, avant une Marseillaise.
Cette premiere s’est achevee aux Grands-Jardins avec le concert du groupe EPSYLON
Les festivites se poursuivent ce samedi avec au programme, entre autres, la course en kilt, l’election de chic en kilt et les concert des Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
Made in Paris, probably between 1493 and 1510, the casket is a superb and extremely rare work of early French silver. Very little French silver survives, even in France. It is likely that its long-standing association with Mary has kept it preserved for over 450 years.
Top of Casket.
The Silver casket is on display in Hawthornden Court at the National Museum of Scotland. From November 2022, it will be on permanent display in the Kingdom of the Scots gallery alongside other objects associated with Mary.
The Book of Hours.
For three centuries, it was owned by the family of the Dukes of Hamilton, following its acquisition, around 1674, by Anne, Duchess of Hamilton. According to a handwritten note stored from it from the late 17th Century, she bought the casket, previously owned by Mary, Marchioness of Douglas, on the understanding that it belonged to Mary. Queen of Scots.
According to a handwritten note stored with it from the late 17th Century, this is the Casket which played a dramatic role in Mary’s downfall. In December 1568, a similar casket was produced at a hearing ordered by Elizabeth 1 against Mary at Westminster . This contained what have become known as the Casket Letters. These love poems and letters, allegedly from Mary to her third husband, the Earl of Bothwell , implicated them both in a conspiracy to murder her second husband, Lord Darnley.
Mary, Queen of Scots & Lord Darnley
.
Earl of Bothwell.
I was priviledged on 24th June 2022 – to view the casket and other treasures belonging to Mary, in National Museum – Edinburgh. When the “Marie Stuart Society” were given a private view , talk and slide-show……
Irene Higgenbotham – Member of Marie Stuart Society viewing the Casket.
