SELKIRK Colonial Society has announced its Standard Bearer for 2019 will be American-based Stuart Smith.

The IT consultant from Florida will continue a family tradition when he casts the flag this June.

Stuart's grandfather, Jim, was Ex-Soldiers Standard Bearer 75 years ago and his dad, Raymond, also cast the Colonial's flag exactly 50 years ago.

Born in Selkirk, Stuart lived in Africa, Belgium, England, Hong Kong and Scotland, before finally settling in Florida.

With dad and mum, Rosemary, moving across the globe for employment reasons, Stuart also moved from country to country, starting his globe-trotting at the age of three weeks when he travelled to Malawi. School-life for Stuart was certainly international, ranging from Hong Kong to USA.

Ian Clapperton, chairman of Selkirk Colonial Society, told us: "Stuart recalls visiting Selkirk quite often during his childhood to visit the grandparents and has fond memories of helping his Grandpa dig up potatoes in the back yard of their house in Bleachfield Road, watching the horses on Common Riding morning going up the hill behind the house, sitting on the sofa with tomato soup and toast cut into fingers on the TV tray and listing to his Grandma tell him that he was a Souter of Selkirk and what that meant."

When his parents and brother moved to Barbados in the late 1990s, Stuart remained in Florida where he has since settled.

Married to Michelle, who will be sharing the Common Riding experience with him as Lady Busser, he has two children and two step-children.