Glasgow Times

From weddings to tartan mill visits... Susan is on the move

- Secret Scotland Channel 5, tonight, 8pm

THE small village of Gretna Green in Dumfries and Galloway is arguably the most romantic place in the UK, if not the world.

In 1754, a new law, Lord Hardwicke’s Marriage Act, was brought into force in England.

This law required young people to be over 21 years of age if they wished to marry without their parents’ or guardian’s consent.

The Scots, however, did not change the law and continued with their centuries-old customs, allowing anyone over the age of 15 to enter into marriage.

Being so close to the English border, Gretna became popular with English couples wanting to marry.

Then, in the 1770s, a toll road was built running through the village making it even more accessible from south of the border, so it soon became renowned as the go-to destinatio­n for eloping couples.

In this week’s penultimat­e edition of of her travelogue, Susan Calman heads behind the scenes at the UK’s wedding capital, and uncovers the secrets of weddings past, including some intriguing tales at the famous Blacksmith’s Forge.

Although she discovers that times may have changed, ‘runaway’ weddings can still happen at Gretna Green, and Susan even gets a chance to play her own part in a ceremony happening that day.

Travelling through the Borders, Susan follows the course of the world-famous River Tweed, trying her hand at fly-fishing.

Apparently, it’s all about casting – but this proves to be easier said than done as Susan gets waist deep in the fastflowin­g water.

The name Tweed also gives its name to the rough, woollen fabric, made to withstand harsh climate and traditiona­lly worn for outdoor activities such as shooting and hunting.

The original name of the cloth was tweel, Scots for twill, but around 1831, a London merchant received a letter from a Hawick firm, Wm. Watson & Sons, Dangerfiel­d Mills, about some ‘tweels’.

The merchant misinterpr­eted the handwritin­g, understand­ing it to be a trade-name taken from the River Tweed.

The goods were subsequent­ly advertised as Tweed and the name has remained since.

Although, the textile industry is not as prominent as it once was in the area, Susan does manage to meet up with weavers at the last commercial hand-woven tartan mill in the world.

She also discovers that her own ancestors would have needed quite a large wardrobe for all the tartans to which the Calmans can lay claim.

Next up, Susan learns how rugby became a very different game when it made its way to the town of Melrose.

The comedian even takes part in a game in the town that hosts the oldest rugby sevens competitio­n in the world, the Melrose 7s, which dates back to 1883.

Finally, Susan, who captured the public’s imaginatio­n on Strictly Come Dancing last year, is able to put her dancing skills to good use in an unexpected setting as she learns the secrets of herding sheep with the smartest dog breed in the world – the border collie.

It is thought by some that the word ‘collie’ comes from the old Celtic word for ‘useful’.

But will Susan’s moves prove to be just that when it comes to keeping a flock of sheep in check?

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