ABOUT 100 members of the Orange Lodge will parade through the streets of Prestonpans this weekend to celebrate a 50th anniversary.

On Saturday at 3.30pm, members of Loyal Orange Lodge (LOL) 252 Enniskillen Purple Guards will march through the town to celebrate the lodge’s formation in Prestonpans on September 2, 1971.

And they will be joined by other members of LOL East Lothian District 44.

The hour-long parade will be led by the Prestonpans Star of the East Flute Band.

It will begin from the gates of Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, on Prestongrange Road, and conclude at the car park opposite the Prestoungrange Gothenburg pub – travelling along North Grange Avenue, West Loan, Preston Road, Schaw Road, Appin Drive and High Street.

East Lothian Council has confirmed that no official road closures will be in place.

But instead the event will be managed by police accompanying the parade, meaning rolling closures will be in place and vehicles may be held up until members of the group have passed through the streets. Residents should expect traffic delays.

A council spokesperson said: “Proposals for this parade, in common with other public events, are assessed by the East Lothian Safety Advisory Group (ELSAG), which includes representatives of the emergency services including Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“The ELSAG provided advice and guidance to the organiser of this event, as is given to all event organisers, in relation to a number of safety matters including Covid-19 and the final route, parking restrictions and road closures.

“Ensuring disruption for the public is kept to a minimum was also discussed and, again, advice provided.”

The Prestonpans lodge was formed half a century ago, with members meeting on Thursday evenings – different to most other lodges at the time, which met on Saturdays – to accommodate weekend shift workers at the former Cockenzie Power Station who could not attend weekend gatherings.

Pre-Covid, meetings were held on the second Thursday of the month at Prestonpans Town Hall on High Street.

The lodge was opened by Bro James G MacLean and Bro Gus Kenny Snr, who represented the County Grand Lodge of the East, with seven members and one new candidate initiated into the order at an opening meeting within Castlepark Social Club – known previously to locals as Billy’s Bar.

Bro MacLean, former County Grand Master of the East for over 20 years, is the current Grand Lodge of Scotland Treasurer and will attend the parade on Saturday.

He will be joined by three founding members – Bro Tam Powell, Bro George Wilkie and Bro Roy McDonald – who are all still active in the lodge.

Dave Reynolds, County Grand Secretary and District 44 Secretary, said: “We are delighted that LOL 252 is celebrating this significant anniversary.

“The Orange Institution has existed and has been parading in East Lothian for over 100 years.

"The membership from the other lodges in Tranent, Prestonpans and Port Seton will be joining the celebrations and parading with LOL 252 on Saturday along with other distinguished visitors from Grand Lodge and the County Grand Lodge of the East.”

LOL 252 will hold a celebration dance on Saturday evening in the Prestoungrange Gothenburg.