The best of local traditions
Over recent weeks, our focus has been very much trained upon Europe and Brexit and now that the European elections have been held, Scotland has voted overwhelmingly for the SNP.
We campaigned tirelessly to remain part of the EU, allowing us to travel, work and live freely across Europe and to welcome our European friends to continue to live and work here.
With more than 40 per cent of South Lanarkshire’s vote going to the SNP, voters locally have shown that Scotland is a tolerant, open and outward looking European society.
This does nothing to detract from our pride in the local traditions of our towns in South Lanarkshire, and our thoughts return to matters more local, as the whole town of Rutherglen looks forward once again to Landemer Day on Saturday.
This has always been the highlight of the Ruglonian calendar and this year marks 45 years since Landemer Day was restarted in 1974.
And while the event has changed over the years since I was a wee girl, many traditions, such as the crowning ceremony remain.
This year sees what I hope will become a new tradition. The Greening Camglen partnership which includes local organisations, Grow 73, R: Evolve, Healthy n’ Happy, Rail 74 CRP, Rutherglen & Cambuslang Housing Association among others hosting a Big Lunch in Overtoun Park from 1pm until 3pm.
Grow 73 have hosted Big Lunch events in the park for the last couple of years and they have been lovely, very successful community events, so it is fitting that the Big Lunch links in with Landemer Day, the festival which sees our community get together to celebrate our town.
It will also be fabulous in this 45th anniversary to see part of the celebrations return to the Overtoun Park – something I know I am not alone in missing in recent years.