King Charles has launched one of Scotland’s oldest sporting
traditions after officially starting the historic hand ba’ game
during a visit to Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders.
The King threw the brightly coloured ribboned ball into a
waiting crowd of players, marking the start of a special exhibition
match between the town’s traditional rivals, the Uppies and the
Doonies. At one point, the energetic scrum surged towards His
Majesty, prompting his security team to step in briefly, although
the King emerged from the close encounter smiling.
Historians believe hand ba’ has been played in Jedburgh for
centuries, with the annual contest formally dating back to 1704.
The game sees the Uppies attempt to carry the ball towards the
town’s castle, while the Doonies aim to reach the River
Jedwater.
Charlie Young, president of the Jethart Callants Club, said it
was “an honour” to have the King start the match, adding that His
Majesty “got a bit of a shock” when the play moved unexpectedly
close to him.
The King revealed it was not his first experience of the ancient
sport, having previously launched the Royal Shrovetide Football
match in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.
The royal visit coincided with the opening of the two-week
Jethart Callant Festival, the largest of the Borders’ traditional
Common Ridings celebrations. The festival commemorates the historic
riding of the town’s boundaries and features parades, music and
community events.
During the visit, the King watched the festival’s Callant lead a
horseback procession through the town before members of his
entourage performed a traditional Borders reel in the market
square.
Earlier in the day, His Majesty visited Jedburgh’s monthly
market, where he met independent traders and local residents
against a backdrop of live music and performances.
The King also toured the Jed Shed, a community workshop founded
in 2014 that provides carpentry facilities and a social space for
local people. During the visit, he watched a woodworking
demonstration and spoke with members about how the project has
supported their physical and mental wellbeing.
His Majesty also visited a local business producing insulation
materials from UK-grown hemp, before spending more than three hours
meeting members of the public who had lined the streets to welcome
him.
The engagement forms part of Royal Week in Scotland, the annual
programme of engagements undertaken by members of the Royal Family
north of the border.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source royalcentral.co.uk ’
