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Mini-Vikings down the years to go on show

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Just because they are small, it does not mean they are any less frightening than their fully-grown counterparts.

And now, a very full-size exhibition of pictures of the Junior Up Helly Aa is to be launched to celebrate 60 years of the pint-sized event.

The new exhibition opens in Da Gadderie in Shetland on Saturday.

The origin of the Junior Up-Helly-Aa, or “Peerie Galley”, is almost as old as Up-Helly-Aa itself.

Several processions of young guizers and galleys preceded the main procession in 1903, and by 1914 no less than ten galleys and processions with torches were taking part.

These processions and small galleys sprang up around Lerwick and were organized by the parents and friends of the boys involved.

Between 1920 and 1939 it was reported that the standard of workmanship on the galleys and costumes was steadily improving, and each miniature procession had its little Guizer Jarl.

It was reported in the Shetland Times in 1909   “Amid no class in the town does the Up-Helly-Aa enthusiasm run higher than among the schoolboys.” This can still be said today, but instead of several peerie galleys and processions from various parts of the town we now have one main Junior Procession before the main Up-Helly-Aa starts.

The Junior Festival was the inspiration of the Headmaster of Lerwick Central School, George W. Blance. He wanted to bring together the Peerie Galleys into one procession and burning in central Lerwick, using this to install discipline in, and prepare boys for entry into the senior festival.

The first procession was held in central Lerwick in January 1956.The boys were mustered on the lower hillhead and the procession ended in the King George V Park. This was so successful that the senior committee, who at that time had to burn the galley on the outskirts of Lerwick, copied it the following year, and have burned the senior galley there ever since.

Be sure to pick up your Press and Journal and read our day-by-day coverage of Up Helly Aa.