Residents of Dalkeith from 1926 were filmed awaiting the annual Gala parade in footage which has been unearthed online.
The video, held by the National Library of Scotland, tracks the crowds as they await the parade in the street before we see fancy dress floats and the open-air park. We also see the exterior of the Picture Palace, a converted church that served as a cinema for a period.
With a sea of ‘20s caps, well-dressed folks and babies in old-fashioned bonnets - the footage truly captures the style of the time.
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While the tradition of Scottish Gala days is still around, it’s very different to what it once was. House decorations, floats and parades on the main street and brass bands are rarely found in 2023.
As tradition goes, a Gala Queen and sometimes a King are crowned - who then typically lead the parade float the following year. Midlothian’s longest running gala is in Loanhead, first held in July 1923.
Back in the early years of Gala days, miners in West Lothian would construct huge arches to span the roads in front of the homes of the Queen and her ‘Chief Lady’. In following years, miners who lived in different parts of town would then compete to build bigger and better ones.
The practice has all now but died away. Regardless, people still find a way to celebrate on local Gala days.
As for this particular day recorded in the footage, it was promoted in the Dalkeith Advertiser a few weeks prior. On June 24, 1926, they published an article which read: “Dalkeith Children’s Gala Day, fancy dress parade, will be held on Friday, June 25.
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“Open and confined classes for best dressed horses and vehicles. G Clark Hutchison has kindly presented a cup to be awarded for best dressed horse (local). The cup is to be held for one year.
“Classes for original and comic characters.”
You can find out more about the history of Gala days in Midlothian here.
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