safe oot, safe in!

Civic Week is a celebration of local history and traditions dating back to the 13th & 14th Centuries where people of the Borders would ride their boundaries (riding the bounds) to protect their land and belongings. Today this tradition continues throughout the Borders during each town's Civic Week.

Towns from all over the Borders (Lauder, Musselborough, Galashiels, Jedburgh, Kelso, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Melrose, Selkirk, Yethom, Hawick, Peebles) celebrate the tradition of long ago with riders on horseback riding the boundaries, now called Common Ridings and Ceremonies where each town display their own flag, known as Colourbussing.

Parties, fireworks, fancy dress competitions, sing songs and a Ball are just some of the festivities each town hosts during their week.

The town of Coldstream completes the celebrations during the first week of August with rideouts to Norham, Birgham and the grande finale... Flodden.

It is an honour to be selected to be a Coldstream Principal. Coldstream has three Principals, The Right Hand Man, The Coldstreamer and the Left Hand Man. The Right Hand Man is next year's Coldstreamer and The Left Hand Man is the previous year's Coldstreamer.