Civic Dancing

2022 was a good year for the band, twenty years since a conversation in a pub spawned the idea of resurrecting a village pipe band and a run of fantastic results in competition that resulted in being crowned 2022 Champion of Champions in Grade 4B and subsequent elevation to Grade 4A.

2022 Overview

As with all the other posts lately this is late. I write this on MV Loch Seaforth heading for Stornoway in a billowing snow storm after successfully completing the Inverness to Ullapool bobsleigh run. 2022 was our best season ever in competition and socialising. Period.

Felice Navidad

Merry Christmas everyone, the big day is over and it’s turkey sandwiches and cold sprouts for the foreseeable future. The band have been working hard on the new tunes Pipey wants mastered but tradition dictates a pause over the festive period so we can forget them and concentrate on Auld Lang Syne and tunes for the dancing.

Autumn Statement

With winter fast approaching and the pipe band competition season over the band are resting on their laurels with nothing to do until March when we dust down our instruments and learn a couple of new tunes. Aye right!

Cowal over the Rainbow

Once again I find myself apologising for the lateness of a blog but in all honesty I’ve been stressing over the end of season slide show and the Calamity Awards. More on those in a later blog. Cowal. The weather forecast was rotten but it’s Scotland so pack your waterproofs and sunscreen.

Rothesay Games 2022

Another early Saturday morning on a coach heading for the coast, the weather was actually cold but was forecast to improve after our first jog through the circle. The atmosphere on the bus was also subdued, Tiny Bubbles burst from the speakers, lasted a few bars then the bubble burst and we proceeded in silence. This was the second last competition of what has been a very long and the very best season we have ever had, could we keep up the standard?

All The Worlds a stage

Remember how I said I would be taking Worlds Week off from work as a matter of course. Well I couldn’t get it this year so had to make do with sporadic updates on Instagram and unpleasant gloating on Facebook. The star of the show this year has undoubtedly been Wee Joanne who has appeared everywhere. I will ignore everything that happened during the week and concentrate on Saturday, The Worlds. Because if I’m not there it didn’t happen.

Arran by instalments

We had been doing a running gag on FaceBook about ‘what did your pipe band do to get ready for whatever’. Well for the Worlds we returned from Arran and lost umpteen pipers, drummers and almost the entire tenor section to gastro-intestinal turmoil and Covid. We should all be fine before the Big Day except Ma McGeachy who I’d imagine they’ve locked in the summer house. I’m getting a wee bit ahead of myself here so lets rewind

Scottish Scenes

Saturday morning found me being dropped off at the bus at the very civilised time of 10:30 full of croissants and coffee but sans hat or sunscreen as it transpired. The search for a Bluetooth speaker began almost the minute we started moving but wasn’t resolved until we reached Dumbarton and Tiny Bubbles erupted from the bus PA, we know the words now so joined Steak and Kidney for a wee warble. As we approached Dumbarton, under a lowering sky, the DJ had the wheels of steel turning way before we had anyone to intimidate. The phrase, “He got aff at Dalreoch!” sprang to mind.

Renfrew (inaugural)

As this was a local competition there was no need for a bus and the attendant hilarity that entails. 2022 is the inaugural Renfrew competition and the first thing to say is where has Renfrew been hiding Robertson Park, even in the Scottish summer dreich it was awesome.