Haddington-Cranstons – 2014 Memorial & Reunion Scotland – Day 2
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| Haddington Pipe Band performs in the street because it is the monthly Farmer’s Market Day in town, but as far as everyone else is concerned the pipe band is playing to especially welcome Day 2 of the Cranston 3-day weekend – and boy what a big day it turned out to be. |
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| Huge piles of books have arrived from London and are on display to officially launch the worldwide release of Blood on the Thistle – the true story of remarkable sacrifice of the Cranston family of Haddington Scotland in the Great War. |
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| Co-authors Bob Mitchell (left) and Stuart Pearson, together with the owner of Kesley’s bookshop (Simon Kesley) are pleased to show off the book prior to the start of the official launch |
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| Our first sale! – and it happens to be to a descendant of the Cranston family Anna Pearson from New Zealand. Hey, we’re off and running! |
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| As fast as the books were autographed, they flew out the door to a string of eager buyers. |
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| Stuart needs time to think about how he’s going to personalise the message to another willing purchaser. |
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| Proud daughter Anna and an even prouder Dad share a moment. |
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| Heaven’s, do we get a break? |
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| Hurry up Bob, only another few hundred books to go! |
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| Bob says, ‘I cannae believe it, did she say she wants to buy ten books!’ |
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| Still signing, while Simon Kesley looks on grinning from ear to ear. The cash register never stopped ringing all day. |
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| Stuart says, ‘I’m getting repetitive strain injury on my wrist can’t I sign my name with a stamp!’ |
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| Crickey, half the town’s turned out for the book launch at the Town House. |
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| Buy a book, get a drink. What a wonderful formula – except we couldn’t sign the books fast enough! |
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| Stuart spends some time making sure that the many, many contributors to the book are acknowledged and thanked. |
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| Luckily some contributors were in the audience and were asked to stand for appropriate acclamation, such as Shayron Weir (g.daughter of Mary). |
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| The audience in the packed Main Hall (some 200 in all) consisting of family, friends, noted invitees and literary critics. |
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| Cranston Family Reunion held at the Golf Tavern. |
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| Poring over the family tree: Colin Cranston and Linda Sacouman with Jim and Karen Rowbottom looking on. |
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| Scottish dancing provided by the Canadian lassies Elizabeth and Claire Gillies. |
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| These Canadian girls can sure dance! |
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| I mean really dance. |
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| Margaret Wall (right), sister Patricia Duffy (centre) and Pat’s daughter Lauren (all descendants of Angus Cranston) enjoy the afternoon’s family reunion at the Golf Tavern. |
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| Everyone left these old guys to reminisce about times past (l-r Colin Cranston, Bill Rathband and James Cranston on the extreme right. The gentleman in the middle is a random guy who turned up claiming to be part of the family, but wasn’t. We let him stay anyway and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. |
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| Stuart Pearson leading the group on a walking tour of places of interest for the Cranston family in Haddington. |
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| Hours later, Stuart is still jabbering on about a place he’s been to once only before this weekend. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, but still everyone was getting tired. The supposed 45 minute Cranston walk around town petered out after 90 minutes of walking. |
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