A one-day display of pictures and memorabilia of Wick's gala and herring queens at the Pulteney Centre in Wick was visited by queens and attendants past and present on Friday, July 28.

The show included photographs and costumes stretching back over the decades to the days when the local royals were known as 'herring queens' until the title changed to gala queen in 1960.

The event was organised by the development officer at Pulteneytown People's Project (PPP), Jennifer Harvey, who said: "We've put on a display of gala queens throughout the years and it's been going great.

"People started coming in at the back of 9am and they've been sitting and chatting to each other and having a cup of tea. There's a slideshow by Harry Gray, and a film about the herring queens. It's a nice social day; it's been a relaxing day and people can just come in and study things."

Jennifer said that past queens and attendants were invited and word sound went around after the event was advertised in the Groat and on Facebook.

She went on to describe the show: "We started off at 1960 and ended up with the current day but then, at the last minute, we added a display of herring queens. They stopped it in 1953 and restarted it in 1960 and it changed to being a 'gala queen'."

Jennifer said that the oldest attendant at Friday's event was Ray Richard who was a herring queen in 1949. "We've got her here today and she's having her afternoon tea upstairs."

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At the top of the building were assembled women of all ages, from teens to pensioners, and all had one thing in common – they had been part of Wick's gala royalty as queens or attendants.

Sprightly Ray Richard, who is celebrating her 92nd birthday this month, said: "I was the first after the war. It was lovely – the boat with the herring queen sailed out beyond the Trinkie with 10 other boats and she sailed in with five on each side coming behind. All the boats in the harbour blew their horns. It was a really lovely day."

She said that the main events in her itinerary as herring queen were mainly focussed in just one week and she said it was "a great honour" to be chosen for the role. "There were three herring queens in '37, '38 and '39 and nothing during the war; and then '49 I was the first one."

Sitting beside Ray at the special luncheon was Nancy Nicolson who was a gala queen in 1964. "I wanted to be a herring queen but was a gala queen," she said.

"I don't remember much except going home to tell my mother that I'd been chosen as gala queen was interesting. I said to mum, up at the croft, 'Oh mum, I was up at the dance at the Boys Brigade Hall last night and they chose the gala queen'. She says, 'Oh aye' and I said 'di ye ken who it was?'. She said 'no' and I said it was me. She said, 'Oh my God, as if we didnae hev enough to do!'"

Abby Dunbar is the present gala queen and said she was chosen in February at Wick High School. "We got interviews at the school. They were asking about my hobbies and interests," she recalled. Abby admitted to feeling "a wee bit nervous" doing her speech on the night of her crowning. "The microphone wasn't working on the night but it's all been brilliant."

Her attendants Katie Cass and Iona Simpson were also at the Pulteney Centre event. Katie said: "Abby summed it up and we've all been enjoying ourselves."

Iona said she felt a bit nervous at first while on stage at the riverside during the crowning ceremony. "I'm glad I didn't have to do any speaking!"

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The PPP development officer said: "When they restarted with gala queens in 1960 it was a small afternoon event at the riverside with no procession. It was more like a family fun day and there was no crown at first. We have had dresses donated by different queens and we have scrolls with different herring queens and gala queens. There are robes and sashes."

Jennifer added that the original herring queen event took place in 1937 and continued until 1953 with a break due to World War Two. She explained how a lot of the early herring and gala queens made their own dresses. "In those days they did baby shows and went around the hospital to see everybody."

The exhibition filled one side of the Pulteney Centre's Breadalbane Hall and staff had spent the whole of Thursday trying to organise it. "What I'm planning to do is place it all in a folder and donate it to the Heritage Centre."

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