RIGHT on cue the sun came out to herald the beginning of the biggest week of the year in Peebles.

Rain had threatened to make it a damp start to the Beltane Festival.

But it was a bright summer’s evening as the parade set out from the Chambers Institution to launch the historic event.

Cheering crowds thronged both sides of the High Street as the procession made the short journey to the Old Cross Kirk.

Cornet Kevin Smith, carrying the Burgh Standard, led the marchers as they made their way to the end of the High Street, crossed the Cuddy Bridge and on to the Cross Kirk. Not far behind was the Cornet-Elect Keiran Scott with members of the Beltane committee, other principals, members of the clergy and representatives of the Callants Club.

The Beltane Queen, Emma Latto, and her Court lapped up the acclaim of the watching hordes as they smiled and waved constantly.

With the rain clouds now completely dispersed the traditional inaugural service in its historic setting was conducted under blue skies.

More than 500 people gathered at the ruins of the 13th century tower formed by the Trinty Friars to watch the Reverend Ian Gray installed as the Warden of the Cross Kirk by the retiring warden the Reverend Jim Benton-Evans.

Welcoming his successor, Mr Benton-Evans said: “Your commitment to the spiritual well-being of the town shines through. From a personal perspective I treasure your friendship and value hugely your wisdom and insight despite your frankly heretical views on ukeleles!” Mr Gray, the pastor of Peebles Baptist Church, introduced all the principals and praised the Beltane Queen for carrying off a speech to around 100 people at her party the previous Friday with “great poise and maturity”.

“I have no doubt that her year as Queen will be a huge success,” he said.

In his main speech Mr Gray got the audience to participate by getting different groups to shout out the words “frying tonight”, “charge” and “ahaargh” when the words friars, knights and sailors were mentioned in the story he related.

The moral of the amusing tale was the importance of striving to free people from captivity.

“The question is, why all this business of setting people free?” said Mr Gray. “People get taken prisoner in all sorts of ways. Sometimes it’s in war, sometimes they are taken to be sold as slaves, sometimes people are prisoners to drugs or alcohol, sometimes it can be something much more subtle, people that are prisoners to fear or to worry about what they look like or what their friends think of them.

“Over history God has been in the business of setting people from captivity. He sent his son to pay the ransom for our sins and to set us free.” There were readings from the Cornet-Elect and Warden of Neidpath Elect, Eric Gilmour and songs from the Peebles Burgh Silver Band, directed by Stephen Baird.

The service concluded with a blessing and the National Anthem.