John McOwan hears the bells of Peebles Old Parish Church ring out in his honour as he turns 100 years old. Photo courtesy of Neil MacIntyre AS a young man, John McOwan would run through the crowds during Beltane Saturdays and make his way up the steep winding tower of the Old Parish Church to ensure the bells didn’t go off during the crowing of the Beltane Queen. Last Saturday, however, there was hardly a soul on the street, but an elderly man stood gallant at the bottom of the church steps, several medals adorning his jacket and wearing a REME beret.