Bo'ness Fair Day history explained with a series of Hippodrome movies

That fact became evident to Fair committee member Maria Ford in 2021, with families from the Miller Homes and Drum estates, in particular, asking what Fair Day was all about.

A small seed was sewn in Maria’s mind at that point...how best to explain the Fair Day and its traditions to people not from the town.

Initially, she enlisted the help of fellow committee member Robyn Adamson to host Fair Fact Fridays on the event’s Facebook page.

It was so popular that Maria started thinking about a much bigger project to help newcomers discover even more.

With that in mind, she applied successfully to the National Lottery Community Fund for around £6000 and embarked on creating the Miners To Monarchy film series.

This will see special movie screenings taking place at the town’s Hippodrome later this month and in May.

The first in the series focuses on miners and the role they played in establishing what eventually would become Bo’ness Children’s Fair Festival.

Commissioned by the Fair committee and created by Bo'ness non-profit company Sanctus Media, The Coal Road tells the miners’ story with two free screenings on Tuesday, February 20, at 2pm and 7pm.

Maria explained: “There was too much history to cram into just one sitting so we’ve split the project into two – Miners and Monarchy.

“Miners focuses on the very early beginnings of the Fair Day and we're putting on two sessions to give as many newcomers to the town as possible a chance to see it.

“A lot of people don’t realise that the history of coal actually started in Bo’ness.

“Duchess Anne Hamilton, Kinneil House, was appalled to discover that the Duke, who leased the mines for coal for the Carron Ironworks, owned white slaves – the mining families.

“She went to Parliament in 1668 and fought and won the miners’ rights to have three days off per year – three Feeing Fairs. The one in July they chose to parade around the town, starting the first Fair Procession.

“By the 1890s it just a drunken rabble so, in 1897, the first Provost George Cadell Stewart brought children into the celebration. The first girl crowned Queen was Grace Strachan from Anderson Academy, now Bo’ness Academy.”

The miners procession formed part of the first few celebrations but very quickly the children's event became the main celebration.

The whole story is told in The Coal Road, free tickets for which can be booked at https://tikt.link/bfdcoalroad. A free bag of old-fashioned sweeties will be given to each viewer.

Maria is also hoping that Unison Kinneil Band will play for the audience as they enter for the evening showing, although this has still to be confirmed.

On Tuesday, May 28, the Fair Day Monarchy will grace the big screen at the Hippodrome.

This will feature silent movies, dating from 1913 to 1960, filmed by Hippodrome owner Lois Dickson.

Coincidentally, Lois bought his Bo’ness home, Holyrood House in Grahamsdyke Road, which was owned by original Fair Queen Grace Strachan’s family – he changed the name to Hollywood House, given his love of movies.

Grace’s brother Henry Mareus 'Harcus' Strachan is also renowned in the town – having been awarded the Victory Cross and Military Cross in 1917 for his bravery in World War One.

Maria added: “Monarchy on May 28 will feature silent black and white films of Fair Day from 1913 to 1960, focusing on the town’s very own royalty.

“Lois Dickson filmed these wonderful moving pictures; it seems only apt to be showing them in the cinema that he once owned.”