A STAINED glass window depicting Lauder Common Riding was unveiled at the town’s Public Hall this week.

Councillor David Parker, Leader of Scottish Borders Council and Lauder councillor Iain Gillespie were joined by children from Lauder Primary School and representatives from Lauder Community Council, Lauder Common Riding Committee and the local community at a ceremony to unveil the specially designed stained glass window.

In 2012 pupils from Lauder Primary School each drew designs for a stained glass window on the theme of 'What Lauder Common Riding means to me’.

At the time, four designs were chosen as the winners, and these were: P4 – Ben Weir; P5 – Gabriella Purves; P6 – Eve Lee; and from P7 – Finlay Anderson. The overall winner was Gabriella Purves.

The four designs were then taken away and developed into the stained glass window which was unveiled this morning.

Hawick Company, Decorative Door Products which employs 24 people in Burnfoot Industrial Estate, were chosen to manufacture the window.

Councillor Parker said: “The designs of the young people at the primary school were fantastic and it has been a pleasure working with them and local company Decorative Door Products to create the window.

“We have worked closely with the company and with Lauder Common Riding Committee and the Community Council to finalise the design of the window that was unveiled this morning and it is truly something special.” Councillor Gillespie added: “The P7 class from Lauder Primary School sang three songs before the unveiling and the young people were tremendous. It was also great that the four winners of the original competition were able to join us to see their work unveiled in the finished window.” At Friday morning’s ceremony Ben Weir, who at the time of the original competition was in P4 and who is now in P7, was given the task of unveiling the new window.

Nick de Burgh Whyte, owner of Decorative Door products, said: “This was a very special and unique project for our company as we normally manufacture glazing for doors. It was a very special, bespoke, job, and we very much enjoyed working with the children and local community to create the window.”