Lord Mayor’s Tales: 4 - ON THE BEACHES AT NOON

The Grandest of Celebrations began on the Prestoungrange Beaches at noon. The Lord and Lady Mayoress, Jorgen and Lisbeth Linder, arrived already fortified by a 10 am visit to the Glenkinchie Distillery hosted by Charlie Smith with Dolphinstoun and Lady Prestoungrange. All the Residents of Prestonpans had been invited and more than 400 were there in the sunshine for the occasion.

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The Town Crier, John Smith, was first up - best dressed, and ready for employ. The Lord Mayor, Prestoungrange and the Lady Mayoress climbed the staircase to Maggie Conn’s front door and the microphone ... The crowd was hushed … and the speeches made. Prestoungrange spoke of the future to come and the Lord Mayor told of Scottish links with Goteborg ranging from its East India Company started by Colin Campbell, Chalmers University and the introduction of football to Sweden. Not to mention the Gothenburg Movement that built the finest pub in East Lothian just across the High Street.

The crowds roared approval as the Kate Hunter’s mural was unveiled to great acclaim.


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Everyone Wants their Picture with the Mural

It was the instantly adopted fashion shot location, standing or sitting in front of the new mural. (And let it not be forgotten that it was Maggie Conn’s idea to place it there and her daughter Adele Conn, an artist of no mean accomplishment also, modestly assisted Kate in her artwork.)

Adele is pictured seemingly enjoying the occasion with Prestoungrange atop the baronial sea wall. Next, before the mural in sequence are to be seen Abraham MacDonald and the Armadale Gothenburg visitors; then Ann Watts of Coffee House mural fame with Madge Henderson whose sister completed a dissertation in the middle of the last century on the historic buildings of Prestonpans soon to be published by the Baron Courts; then Maggie Conn with a host of friends; more of the same; and to conclude pictures of the Lord and Lady Mayoress and Prestoungrange.)

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Preston Lodge School and Bromley-by-Bow

As all this junketing was in progress, as if it was not excitement enough for muralist Andrew Crummy, he and colleague Frank Cerber from Bromley-by-Bow Youth Group had youngsters at work on the sea wall showing how its all done – on an evolutionary basis! It seems clear that a steam engine is emerging, hopefully No. 7 from the Heritage Museum called Prestongrange; and two young lads are very proud of a contribution they have already made.

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Meanwhile...Along the High Street at the Coffee Shop

There was to be no lunch however until the 400 or more guests for the day had made their way along the High Street to view Kate Hunter’s Salters and Town Mural, hanging for just three days on the Coffee Shop wall.

The Town Crier called everyone to order and the Lord and Lady Mayoress were escorted by Ann Watt and Linda Duncan to the location.

The mural has now been taken down so that proper precautions can be taken to make it weather proof and a final location found for it to be hung.

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