THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS
1908 - 2008
(With quotes from the West Lothian Courier)
1908 - The First Gala Day
One hundred years ago, on Saturday 4th July 2008, the West Lothian Courier heralded "Children's Gala Day Inaugurated at Torphichen" as "Splendid Procession - Glorious Weather" after just two months preparation the village en fete was "arrayed in the most gay and picturesque fashion with bunting of all description upon all the principal buildings".
The village was "enhanced by the introduction of paper embellishments of different hues obtained from the Westfield paper mill". The decorators worked from 7pm Friday to 5am Saturday to build a large arch on the Loan and decorate the Queen Victoria Statue at the village square well.
Some decorations were lent by Bathgate where there had been a five spanned arch at North Bridge Street.
At 3pm, 400 children from Torphichen and Westfield assembled in the school playground for the "walk.
They were led by two figures on horseback dressed as characters from the recent pantomime held in the Village. Torphichen, although without a Gala Day until this time, had a popular pantomime every year of a high standard. One of the gentlemen on horseback was dressed as Lady Godiva and sat side saddle on his horse.
The "famous Torphichen pipe band" followed and then a band of twelve little girls dressed in white with scarlet hoods, carrying bouquets of scarlet flowers as "Babes in the Wood" also from the recent pantomime.
Then followed the rest of the boys and girls "all neatly attired. The procession went around the vilage and down to Wallhouse mansion where Mr and Mrs Wood stood at the front entrance to watch.
After the procession and their long wak, refreshments were given to the children. Then the Minister and the schoolmaster supervised games in a field. Among the races was a Boot Race for the boys and a Thread and Needle race for the girls. There was also dancing by the lads and lassies to the pipe band. The funds raised for this first Gala Day amounted to £17 1s 3d,
1909 the weather was "most unpropitious with frequent downpours of rain" and this caused the men's races to be put off. This year the committee offered prizes for the decorations and the first prize went to an arch over The Loan dressed with "evergreens, roses, and with two lions and a thistle".
There was also a prize for the best decorated pole but only one child entered. The refreshment for the 350 children was "a bag of pastry, tea and an orange".
1910 was very sunny and the newspaper report is full of praise for the picturesque setting. Comment was made about the long walk to Wallhouse Mansion for the younger children but what a good photograph it made of all the children standing outside the big house.
The Married women's race was picked out as the highlight of the activities on the sports field with many men calling for more - "they can not have too much of a good thing" was their excuse.
1911 was another sunny year. The Gala Day was growing each year, this time £20 was available as funds. The committee comprised 18 gentlemen, and 10 ladies also assisted. Most of the decorations were put up by the committee including the village square well, "neatly adored with floral decorations". This year the Torphichen Pipe Band and the Bathgate Public Band played. "Most of the children carried little flags and the procession crossed and re crossed the prettily decorated square". There were dozens of races in the afternoon with "splendid prizes" and the adults' races were taken very seriously.
1912 - "an important innovation - the crowning of the School Queen".
This year almost 500 children from Torphichen and Westfield participated. There was a "splendid display of bunting and evergreens and large garlands of artificial flowers from which were hung.
Chinese lanters being suspended across the entrances to the square where the crowning ceremony was to be held". There was a large wooden platform and a maypole. The Queen was Miss Catherine Brown and her court and attendants comprised of train bearers, maids of honour, arch bearers and flower girls. There was a Crown bearer and a Sceptre bearer. The party from Wallhouse arrived by motor car.
There was a dance of fairies around the Maypole and then the usual procession followed. A large programme of races followed with prizes of "brooches, pens, purses, hat pins, clocks etc". The married women's race was the event of the day "she kited them up to the knee" was a popular refrain for sometime afterward.
1913 because of its old world flavour, its quaintness and its historic lore connected with the famous Quhiere, where the old Knights of the order of St John of Jerusalem once upon a time resided, Torphichen, one of the most picturesque villages in Scotland, never fails to attract and fascinate the casual visitor within its precincts".
Adding the pretty spectacle of crowning the school Queen as part of Gala Day has made this "one of the principal children's festivals and pageants in the county".
This year the Queen was chosen from Westfield. During the afternoon sports, the children could also play on swings erected for the day and there were pillow fights for fun.
1914 this year the Ratho Brass Band played with the Torphichen Pipe Band.
Queen Mary Black was crowned by Mrs Beale who then presented the Queen with a gold bangle.
The newly formed troop of Boy Scouts looked fine in their new uniforms and formed 2 lines of crossed poles for the new Queen to pass under as she walked to her carriage.
1915 due to the onset of war, the Crowning ceremony was dropped from the Gala Day proceedings although the procession did take place. The decision was to "keep the child heart merry and bright" even in "these dismal days".
However Gala Days were suspended for 1916, 1917 and 1918.
1919 saw the welcome return of Gala Day, albeit with reduced decorations of streamers and flags and without a Queen. The Torphichen Pipe Band returned "seemingly little the worse of the long and arduous years in which it was engaged in sterer work" and the Camelon Pipe Band visited - as it will do this year (2008).
One of the races held was a Discharged Soldiers Race.
1920 was also a subdued Gala Day, with poor weather as well as austerity to deal with. There was a largely new young committee following the retirement of many of the original members.
1921 had no Gala Day and 1922 was races only, following the donation of the Park to the village by Mr Wood of Wallhouse. It was needed as the increased motor traffic was a hazard to the children playing on the streets.
In 1923 the procession retumed.
From 1924 to 1930 there were no Gala Days, due to the Great Depression.
1931 was the start of better days and a good Gala Day was well supported.
There was Fancy Dress and 5-a-side football for the first time and an extensive programme of races.
Private houses were beautifully decorated, but a comment was made that the shopkeepers had not made the effort to decorate their premises.
1932 was similar.
In 1933 the Gala Day was in danger of not taking place, until the ladies of the village took up the organisation. This Gala day, as the one for 1934 was at the end of the season on the 14th August, and so less well attended as it was outside the holiday season.
1935 saw the return of a Gala Day Queen, crowned once again by Mrs Wood of Wallhouse, although there was no procession around the village.
This year the Boy Scouts were dressed as Knights of St John and it was the first time the Royal Proclamation was heard on the evening before Gala Day.
1936 saw the procession return, although it was delayed for an hour by rain and this year the Queen was driven in a car.
1937 The Queen was seated in a landau for the procession, drawn by 14 young men "these human steeds were heartily cheered".
1939 due to poor weather only the main characters took part in the procession whilst all other children were given refreshments in Fitzgerald Hall.
The races were also postponed.
There was then an eight year break in Gala Days due to World War 2; they returned at the end of July 1949.
1949 to 2008 saw the Gala day settled in its current format with small variations such as:
1950 had 42 special guests from Wallhouse Residential Centre.
1954 had a Boot and Shoe race and the Queen visited the sick in their homes.
In 1961 the Torphichen and Bathgate Pipe Band were missing as they were at a competition in Edinburgh.
The Queen for 1966 was from Wallhouse Children's Home for the first time and there was a best dressed bicycle competition.
1974 was hampered by a shortage of committee members.
In 1979 Rev. Tom Crichton was the first gentleman to crown the Queen.
The Gala Day date was moved slowly over many years back to July and then into June in 1967.
It wasn't until the 1980's that the 2nd Saturday in June was determined to be Torphichen's Gala Day,
There have been years when apathy threatened the existence of the Gala Day but since a break in 1962, there has been a Gala Day and Queen every year. This happy day is a cause for the children of the village to celebrate and for us to have reason to invite visitors to our beautiful and historic village for "merriment and pleasure".