23/08/2026
With kind permission from Charlie McPherson - here is his planned speech for the opening of the Gala, had our sound system been behaving! Many folk have commented to me that they would have liked to have heard him properly.
Good Afternoon Rhynie Folk and Visitors !!
What a fine turn oot for the Gala !
A place to meet aul’ friends and maybe make some new ones too if you stay to “Boogie near the Bogie” in the big tent tonight !
What a fine day we have, the old village is certainly looking it’s best. A good friend of mine, another Rhynie Loon …. you might have seen his old postcards on Rhynie Online, has a name for Rhynie and the area – “The Promised Land”, I would agree. Maybe slightly different in Winter with snow up to your oxters but every season has it’s own beauty !
I lived in Rhynie from 1946 to 1964 when I left to go to work. My folks stayed on many years after that and I used to come back home for weekends and holidays too.
It was very different village in those days, there were more shops than you could imagine for just about anything you needed and 2 hotels, a well supported football team, a British Legion Club with Snooker table! Even a bus service to Aberdeen ! It was a STEERY place and a great community too.
Times changed, especially in rural areas and Rhynie was no different, shops and hotels gradually closed, some villages were left with none, Rhynie is very lucky, we have the great little Corner shop with Anne’s fine home baking too, you dinna’ get that in Asda or Tesco ! It must be the hub of the village.
I follow Rhynie online on FB and I am pleased to see Rhynie still flourishes, with new and very welcome faces moving in from places far and wide to enjoy Rhynie life. There is usually somebody there needing advice or help with a problem and the assistance always happens so what hasn’t changed is the great Community Spirit that Rhynie still has, the same Spirit that brought this Gala to life and keeps it going.
Kate and Rebbeca and all the other volunteers involved have spent many hours of their own precious time to make the Gala come together, not for fame nor fortune but just because they want to do it for the Community of Rhynie. A big “Well done” to them all.
Another volunteer group I would mention is Rhynie Car Aid, not for turning up with the jump leads for your car but for taking Patients to Medical appointments when required, that really is the Community taking care of it’s own !
Now to complete this Gala day all we need is for you folks is to leave your cares behind for a few hours, enjoy what there is to see and have a great day out !
That is all from me so I am delighted to declare this Rhynie Gala well and truly open !
Thank you very much!
