Home is where the heart is
Published 16 Aug 2011 09:30
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HE moved halfway round the world to start a new life in Australia more than 40 years ago.
But Robert Hastie, from Newstead, revealed he still thinks of his beloved Borders as home.
The 1961 Melrosian returned to his roots to celebrate his Golden Jubilee year at the Melrose Festival last week.
He revealed he last visited for his Silver Jubilee celebrations 25 years ago.
Rob, who played stand-off for the Melrose side which won the old unofficial Scottish Championship at the Greenyards in 1962/63, told the Border Telegraph: "It's always good to come back. They don't have anything like this in Australia."
The retired motor mechanic worked at W & J Redpath in Melrose and Edinburgh City Police before emigrating to Perth, western Australia, in 1968.
However, before he left, he worked hard on the Festival Ball Committee and for the Ex-Melrosians Association, particularly in the pioneering work to introduce a Rideout to the Festival programme, and served as a mounted marshall on the historic first rideout in 1966.
"I was very proud - very honoured and proud - to be chosen to be Melrosian," Rob said. "I still keep in touch with one or two of the Principals - the friendships I made during that time have been lasting.
"The last Melrose Festival week I attended was 25 years ago and there have been little changes since then."
But he added: "This year's Melrosian is a great lad, a really upstanding young lad, and he has done Melrose proud."
Former Festival Queen Joan Burnett also celebrated her Golden Jubilee this year. And she revealed she still has fond memories of her time in office. "It doesn't seem like long ago that I was Queen," Joan recalled. "My memories were just all the excitement and being the centre of attention and enjoying all the activities that go on.
"One highlight was going round the town in a coach pulled by the Boys Brigade. I thought that was just the greatest thing. It was good fun."
The former Melrose Grammar School pupil, who now lives in Dumfries where she worked as a dietician with NHS Dumfries and Galloway before she tried in 2003, attended a reunion with her former primary seven classmates on Thursday night.
And she revealed it was good to renew old acquaintances.
Joan, whose sister Jennifer was Queen in 1957, said: "It's lovely to come back and see all the old faces. I thought this year's Queen did really well." But she added: "I look at them (The Queen and Court) and think: 'Oh my gosh, they are so young!"
The Golden Jubilee Melrosian and Golden Jubilee Queen were recognised during the Installation and Crowning Ceremonies in Melrose Abbey on Thursday night.
They were joined by Silver Jubilee Melrosian Stewart Bunyan and Silver Jubilee Queen Wendy Barker.
Ex-Melrosian Rob Moffat gave the address before this year's Melrosian, Ruaridh Nairn, and Festival Queen, Kirsty Davidson, and her Court, led the Triumphal Procession through the town.
This article appeared in Border Telegraph 19 Aug 11
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