Sponsored by
Kate Kennedy Procession trots into town
KATE Kennedy and her acolytes will again pound the pavements of St Andrews this weekend in Scotland's oldest historical pageant.
The Kate Kennedy Procession — which commemorates the niece of Bishop Kennedy, the founder of St Salvators College, the oldest in the University — will leave the medieval gates of St Salvators at 2 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday).
Over 100 colourfully-dressed characters from the history of St Andrews, including Robert the Bruce, Mary, Queen of Scots, Old Tom Morris, Queen Margaret of Scotland and former Rectors John Cleese and Rudyard Kipling will march out from the Quad, accompanied by the City of St Andrews Pipe Band and the band of the Officers Training Corps. RAF Leuchars will also provide a flyover.
The procession can trace its history back to the mid-15th century, when the Lady Katherine Kennedy would visit her uncle each spring and the citizens of St Andrews would gather on the streets of the town to celebrate her youth and beauty.
The pageant was banned in the 1880s by Principal Shairp, on the grounds it had become rather disorderly, but it was successfully revived in 1926.
The part of Kate is traditionally played by a first year male undergraduate whose identity is kept a well-guarded secret until the procession begins.
'Her' shield bearers will hand out daffodils to the waiting crowd, and a jester will be on hand to entertain the children.
This week children at St Andrews Cosmos' Centre were visited by some members of the Kate kennedy Club including Digby Don as The Marshall of tha Procession, Tare Nyabadza as Bobby Jones, James Smith as John Honey, Charlie Harbage as the Jester, and Thomas Pye, charities convenor.
For a full report and photographs see next week's St Andrews Citizen.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Kirkcaldy
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
