FORTHCOMING MEETINGS

The club's AGM will be held on Wednesday 19 October at 7:30pm in the British Legion. Any motions must be in writing and sent to the Secretary by Friday 14 October.

LATEST NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2011

Members of the Coldstream-based Flodden 1513 Club, and guests from the Selkirk Ex-Standard Bearers' Association and Hawick, travelled to Branxton last Friday evening, 9th September, to commemorate the Scots who died at the Battle of Flodden on 9th September 1513. On arrival at the Piper's Hill car park at Branxton, the company was piped up the hill by Pipe Major Robert Bell and Duncan Bell of the Coldstream Pipe Band. The monument was decorated with Lion Rampants and Saltires, thanks to the dedication of David Shepherd.1513 chairman, James Bell, welcomed everyone to the monument. Club Member John Elliot carried out the first toast of the commemoration, an interesting account of 'James IV of Scotland'. Thereupon, two wreaths were laid at the monument, by Steven Bell the 2011 'Coldstreamer' and Grant Kinghorn, Chairman of the Selkirk Ex-Standard Bearers' Association. Piper Duncan Bell played the Lament, coincidential with the 1513 Standard Bearer, Harry Brydon, dipping the 1513 flag. This year, the 'Toast to the Border Men' was carried out by local historian and 1513 club member, William Murray, who highlighted the waste of life of border men at the battle. Thereafter ex-1513 club Standard Bearers laid sprigs of thistles. Grant Kinghorm of Selkirk relayed a few poignant words, on behalf of Selkirk. The visit to Branxton had been preceded by a short remembrance ceremony at Coldstream's Tweed Green where the 1513 Club monument points to Branxton and remembers the Scottish fallen nobility at the battle.

PROGRESS WITH THE FLODDEN 500 PROJECT (LORD JOICEY)

1. I was asked in the autumn of 2009 if I would join the Flodden 500 Project Steering Group and I received clearance from the 1513 Club to do so.

2. Since then Lord Joicey has asked if I would be a liaison person for all the Coldstream-based groups namely the Community Council, ‘Presenting Coldstream’, the Riders’ Association, the Ex Coldstreamers’ Club, the 1513 Club and Coldstream and District Local History Society. I think Lord Joicey wrote to all these organisations to see if my representation was acceptable. I have heard nothing to the contrary, so I am assuming that I will be a source of information, and a link between the project and Coldstream organisations.

3. I should say the other Scottish representative is Jane Warcup of Scottish Borders Council.

4. This is the first update. By far the biggest source of information is the project website and you can find this on http://www.iflodden.info/.

5. At a meeting at Etal on 12 December it was pointed out that an Initiators’ Group had researched the availability of grants, of large sums. The meeting seemed to indicate three possible grant sources - Heritage Lottery Fund Landscaping Partnership (unwieldy deadline dates and if we don’t get the grant, it may be too late for 2013); Heritage Lottery Fund Natural Heritage Fund (could be a possibility) and a multi-source bid to eg Regional HLF, OneNE, Leader + etc

6. The advice was that the multi-source avenue would be the ‘safest’ as it doesn’t depend on one source.

7. Before these grants are officially applied for there is the matter of tapping into a Leader + grant to fund a Project Development Officer for a year. This is being carried out and the officer should be in post by the spring. He/she will be tasked with developing a business case to attract the bigger funding.

8. The project website refers to the central theme of an eco-museum. This is not a building but a computer network, which will cover all the Flodden sites and be a comprehensive source of information on Flodden.

9. Eco-museums are relatively new and grant funders like them. Apparently there is a world authority on eco museums at Newcastle University and he is willing to help with this. Eco-museums are deemed to be sustainable, they preserve the community heritage, there is no building, instead it takes the local attractions and links them, it acts as a hub of information, it would be the first in England, it ‘captures’ visitors and tells them about the battle, bridleways, monuments, walkways, cycleways and it is thoroughly modern. It needn’t be called the ‘Flodden eco-museum’; it can be called something else, as long as it is an eco-museum.

10. The Initiators’ Group is to be replaced in February by a Steering Group made up of Lord Joicey, a representative from Leader +, Rob Horne from Northumberland County Council Regeneration, Jane Warcup from Scottish Borders Council, Clive Hallam-Baker from Remembering Flodden, Chris Burgess, County Archaeologist and me.

11. In relation to Coldstream organisations, there will be opportunities to tap into grants under the overall grant funding ie a local awards scheme.

12. Finally the Flodden 500 Project is not here to hinder local groups; it is here to encourage them, note what activities they are planning in 2013 and help to coordinate these events.

13. I will circulate groups as soon as there is any further news.

Gerald Tait
Hon Secretary

FLODDEN STAINED GLASS WINDOW

The Flodden stained glass window in Coldstream Parish Church was officially dedicated on Sunday 22 March 2009 and the plaque on the church wall unveiled by Professor John Hume, formerly Convenor of the Art and Architecture Committee of the Church of Scotland. The church service was attended by several 1513 Club members and wives, representatives from the Selkirk Ex Standard Bearers' Club, The Hawick 1514 Club, representatives from local clubs and bodies and Lord Joicey.

Accompanying Professor Hume at the Church Window were the Reverend Jim Watson, James Bell, 1513 Club Chairman, Eddie Park with the 1513 Club Standard, 1513 Club Piper, Duncan Bell, and Bugler, Peter Meikle. Afterwards in the Royal British Legion, a luncheon was had, thanks to lady volunteers of the Legion, and Chairman James Bell welcomed 1513 Club Members and guests, Professor Hume congratulated the Parish Church and the 1513 Club on their enterprise and Lord Joicey referred to an imminent meeting of all Flodden stakeholders with a view to consolidating all ideas about 2013.

THE BORE STONE

Colin Johnson (1971 Coldstreamer) has spotted this stone in Edinburgh and thought that 1513 enthusiasts would like to hear about it.

The stone is on display just above a wall outside a church in Morningside and, according to the plaque below the stone, it was used before the Battle of Flodden to hold up the King's Standard on the Borough Muir in Edinburgh. It has a big hole in it to support the flag. Apparently the stone lay abandoned for about two hundred and fifty years in a nearby garden and was erected in 1862 or so in its present position.

CORRESPONDENCE

The Club has received a relatively anonymous postcard from a Bernard Elliott of no given address saying ' Tae the Flodden 1513 Club. Sir/Madam, Can I speak plainly tae yous. I found your website on the library computer when i was looking to pay my respects tae the fallen at Flodden. Would it not be mair respectful to call yoursels a commemorative society or something like that? Yours patriotically. Bernard Elliott'

It is disappointing for Mr. Elliott not to have left a forwarding address or telephone number so that we could discuss this with him. At the end of the day the 1513 committee feels that we are very respectful of the fallen at Flodden and we are preserving the Flodden legacy, along with other interested parties, to significant degrees and the name of the Club is not important. So Mr.Elliott, if you are reading this, we haven't heard of you and if you would like to get in proper touch we would like to speak to you.