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The World Pipe Band Championships, Glasgow 11 August 2007.
Grade 4 band, well done guys!
BIG ANDY SAYS; Worlds 2007 Did I mention rain? Yet again it bucketed down. That makes four out of four for the season - it's getting past a joke! The Bands all arrived as keen as mustard and, despite the rain, tried their hardest to put on the best performance possible. Try as they might, the weather put a dampener (ouch!) on proceedings. From the lowest Grade right through to the big boys in Grade 1 everyone found it difficult. Denny Grade 4 played really well and qualified to the Final of their section where, unfortunately, the fates conspired against them and they didn't claim a prize. They WERE well placed though and they did exceedingly well. The Grade 2 Band did really well also. The rain stayed off them whilst they played and they played really well also. Again, no prize, but they finished well in their heat and Mark was very happy with their performance. They finished eighth overall in the heat which was pleasing as that's where Mark was aiming for in the first year back in Grade 2.
Paul! What can one say about our Paul! Got a phone message to meet him and two others at the Worlds. He then asked where, as if I would be anywhere at 14:00 apart from the Drum Majors! Will he never learn?? (Probably not!) Duly marched to the DMs where I found him looking in the opposite direction!!! Doesn't change does he? and he was accompanied by two lovely young ladies who promptly tried to empty my flasks!!!! Promised to meet them later at the Beer Tent but they were nowhere to be found. Probably last seen being washed down the hill and into the river! Even the Beer Tent was a bog it was that wet! I reckon Paul left so's he didn't need to buy a round! With the day over I went to find my wife at the car. It was that wet I stumbled a couple of times due to the wet ground and uneven kerbstones. I deny absolutely the slanderous statement of my wife that I was puggled! Definitely not! Would I lie?? (Shaddup Paul!)
WEE PAUL SAYS; It rained. The band were leaving Denny at 6.45, not for me that, still in me bed! I drove down with two friends, Liz and Kim, from Perth, lovely girls. We parked up at the Marriott hotel car park, and took a taxi to the green, it was raining. In we went, a gut on the gate asked for our tickets, "were with the Denny band" said I and in we went. We made straight for the beer tent. Bloomin wet and muddy on our way, we took a drink, my only real beer of the day! The girls had fun and we met up with big Andy, had a yap then saw one or two of the band. So its raining what shall we do? We went to the Barras, into the market where Liz had her eyes opened, then into Bairds bar, a fantastic Celtic pub, Liz, your eyes are wide again! We tramped around a few bars in the Barras area, my shandy and cokes where becoming boring now, specially with the girls laden! Wandered back to the worlds, saw the grade 4 band perform, good. The grade 2 had not managed to qualify, och well, its hard in grade 2. After watching the grade 4 and a chat, we wandered back to the pub, driest part of Glasgow, it was still raining. Scenes of drummers practising with bin liners on their drums, doesn't make for good viewing as you feel sorry for them and the quagmire that was Glasgow Green was not all that appealing to us! At around 6ish we headed into town and the Scotia bar, sat for a drink with the girls before a taxi back to the hotel and the car and home. Once back at Perth I dumped the car and we all hit the Foundry pub, then Christies. A good end for me as I could at least have a real beer again! Liz and I were the last, she a wee bit wobbly, me? Took a taxi home as it was still raining. Both bands did very well under terrible weather conditions and Mark was happy with both bands' performances!
The summary; Our Scottish pipe bands have been beaten at home at their own game. No Scottish band made it into the top three. In first place were the Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band from Northern Ireland, (expected) who came out top in both the March, Strathspey and Reel and the Medley sections of the contest. Second place in the competition went to the Simon Fraser University band from Vancouver. A Canadian pipe band (again expected), the Scottish Lion 78th Fraser Highlanders, came in third. The highest-placed Scots were the House of Edgar Shotts & Dykehead band in fourth place, followed by Strathclyde Police in fifth. While non-Scottish bands frequently win or get a top-ranking position in 'The Worlds', which is regarded as the premier international contest in bagpiping, it is unusual for no Scottish band to be in the top three. The contest featured more than 200 bands and 8,000 pipers and drummers from across the world, who were gathered at Glasgow Green to brave the damp weather, the most exotic competitors are the colourfully dressed Pakistani competitors, although the main competition is fought out between Scottish, Northern Irish and Canadian pipers. For the Lisburn-based Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band, this was the second World Championship in a row and further cemented their position at the top of the piping scene. One day, Denny, c'mon!
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