Haddington-Cranstons – 2014 Memorial & Reunion Scotland – Day 1
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| Market Street Haddington, with our coach bus ready to take the Cranston descendants on a tour of the Scottish Borders – the ancestral homeland of the Cranston family. |
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| ‘Ooo, a coach!’, smile the delighted visitors. |
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| John McMillan (left) Councillor for East Lothian Council welcomes everyone to Scotland and the coach trip with Bob Mitchell (co-author of Blood on the Thistle) modelling the latest fashion accessory – a sky-blue plastic raincoat with the Scottish Saltire painted across it. Thankfully the weather was perfect! |
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| Ken Simpson (husband of Margaret Simpson, g.daughter of Agnes Cranston), shouts out, ‘I’m so excited, Let’s go!’ |
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| Two old farts passing the time of day. Colin Cranston on the left (g.son of James) and Stuart Pearson in the dorky Wallabies beanie (g.son of Agnes). It was a miracle they both managed to sit side by side – but it was a very tight squeeze! |
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| The folks tried to hang the flags on the windows but it contravened transport regulations, so the next best thing was to drape the country flags of the descendants over the vacant seats at the back of the coach. A good compromise. |
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| Colin Cranston, who lives in Scotland, kindly produced a brief summary of family genealogy back to the early 1700 so that everyone could understand where they family came from, and whose graves we would see shortly. Audrey Cranston (seated) is admiring her father’s work. |
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| The coach passed kilometres of rural and rustic scenes with cows, sheep and horticulture bursting in rude health. This is one of the most productive farming areas of Britain. |
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| The Cranston descendants were unexpectedly greeted at East Linton church (their first stop on the tour), by a piper magnificently attired in full highland dress, who welcomed us by playing many well-recognised tunes on his pipes. |
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| The graves are old and covered in lichen, but they convey the history of the Cranston family in the border district of Scotland going back many hundreds of years. |
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| Descendants from Canada, New Zealand, Britain and Australia gather round the headstones to pay their respects to forebears who died centuries ago. |
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| Colin is pointing out barely discernible words on the graves to overseas relatives – in particular sisters Sandy (legs bent) and Robyn from Australia (g’daughters of Agnes) |
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| Ros Meeker (g.g.daughter of Agnes Cranston) who came all the way from Tasmania in Australia lays a wreath at the grave of one of her forebears, |
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| Ross Meeker & Connie Chapman place flowers on Cranston gravestones at Linton graveyard |
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| It may look inviting and attractive in this photograph, but within minutes the hungry Cranston folk would do their best to eat their way through the lot! Spectacular lunch in Morebattle Pub courtesy of Colin & Rab Cranston |
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| John McDowell, Ros Meeker & Sandy Tambling, Colin Cranston in foreground tucking into a very substantial luncheon at Morebattle Pub, provided by Colin and Rab Cranston. Gosh it was good food!at Morebattle |
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| The expansive and magnificent grounds of Floors Castle – where your average fabulously wealthy Duke lives! |
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| The ceilidh at the Corn Exchange in Haddington. The Cranstons joined in the dancing. |
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| Alison and Peter Mackey in the left foreground learning the steps to a Scottish dance |
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| In the forefront in the black dress is Pauline Cranston (daughter of Colin and Isabel and therefore the g.g.daughter of James) |
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| Kiwis and Poms on the right, and Canadians on the left. What a night. What a day! |
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