Remembrance day parade - SIlvertown

 Another year, another parade at Silvertown ...  hopping between the showers we arrived at 9am ready for first tune up then back in to avoid the showers and form up just after 10am ... 
parade went up the hill and around the 3 roundabouts before coming back down to the St Mark's, or Brick Lane Music Hall as it now is, for the service ..
then inside for tea and cakes

 a shorter parade back ..  we just wen to the first roundabout, then into the RBL club for a chat and some lunch.

the journey home in the sunshine and showers proved interesting on the motorway with the reflection.

Show of Hands, GLive

Sue's birthday  ... Show of Hands playing in GLive, so I we took the opportunity to go ..

the hall was about 2/3rds full .. Miranda was not around but they had the percussionist from Seth lakemans band in tow .. made a good change and some rearrangements worked really well.

Set List

Cousin Jack

Country Life

Dreckley

I'll Haunt You

My True Love

Tomorrow It's Another Swamp

Cold Frontier

Exile

Jenny's Waltz / Gwennap / Breakfast for Altan

You'll Get By

First We Take Manhattan

Santiago

Galway Farmer

The Train / Blackwaterside

Littlehampton Armed Forces Day - Bagpipe band

We were invited to be part of Armed forces day parade at Littlehampton.

The  Grenadier guards band provided the main music for the march, and we just walked along.  Not bad as we were down to just 4 pipers at this point.

The parade ground was on the sea front .. give the hot temperature and the relentless sun shine the sea breeze was very welcome.

some of the groups presenting themselves, but we did not have much chance to see them in action

Some tuning and also meeting up with Gordon, who had sensibly, for him, kept out of the march, and an old member ...  we were ready for our parade ground performance (although a little late, or was the call early)  we marched on and up and down a bit then into a circle.
We played for 20 mins then left.

Then we went off to the pub for some liquid refreshment.

I could not hang around as I had to head home and pack for the summer break. 

Horley Carnival - Pipeband

Horley carnival time again ...  followed the usual format ...  we started in the covered/ underground car park.. meet and tune up completed we then sauntered off to gather again in the main pedestrian precinct area.

Here we did a circle set with the highlights being the competition marches and MSR sets ... the first time we had performed them in public outside competition.

Then we waited to join in the parade as it passed us by ...  we were around 6th/ 7th position in the parade. Marching down to the park, playing the 3/4 sets ...  a bit of a blow.

In the park we headed over to the Lions tent for tea, only to find out that we did not have a turn in the arena ...  a bit of a bonus, and most then headed home. I had to wait for Sue who had gone off to find a slot around the arena.

Colchester competition - Pipeband

Final competition of our season ...  and a second visit for me to Colchester.
Sue and I set off with Bertie..  so as we did not have to leave him at home alone for a long time.
2 hours up the road we made it to the park...

A short period of warm up was interrupted by a slight people problem with one of our colleagues walking off ... never understood the root cause, but probably nothing to do with the band. So one down we went out ...  first up the G4 MSR ...  not our best performance maybe a mixture of nerves and also the issue with the missing piper.

Next up, after a break and re-tune was the G4 Marches...  a much better performance but with one down we were not expecting more than some sheets.

The final turn was the G3 Medley ...  a second go at the MSR ...  a better rendition, but we still put in enough mistakes.

Bertie did not like the multiple bands playing .. too much noise, and he wanted to get out of the arena, so whilst we were resting Sue took the time to visit the castle and park.

The mass bands was the final turn, where we slotted in .. the noise was as we expected and the speeches overly long ...  however the biggest surprise was getting a 5th in the Marches ...  

UK championships - Paisley

long journey in Steve's van Friday, all day on the field Saturday, and long journey back on Sunday ...  all for 3 mins in the competition/

It started at 7:30 when Sue took me up to the Cobham service station on the M25 to wait for Steve.. who had already picked up Jim and Karl, then around to Houndslow to pick up Iain and Sacha and head north.

A good run until the M6 where we hit road works and 50 mph limits but much slower in the queues. Meeting up with Noeleen, Billy, and David N at the hotel.

Eventually getting to Paisley after 7pm in time for dinner.  we were in the premier inn and  food came from the next door pub (meal deal with breakfast).

Sharing with Karl this time to give Steve as much rest as possible.

Next morning early breakfast and off to the parking and shuttle bus...  we were on at 10:20, but needed to do tuning and such.. also the case of the missing Gordon ..  no sound or communications from him.

tuning was the normal thing, but I think we were a bit late to advance to final tuning as it all seemed a rush ..  Gordon appearing over the horizon at the last minute.  We were rushed to the start line and this upset some balance.
On to the actual playing .. we were not as good as we should be and some big early mistakes (E not together) and some rushing (tempo was a little fast for some)
as we came off we got caught for a membership check but this also caused a bit of confusion and mis-communication ...  then we sauntered off .  Dropping the kit back to the cars/ vans so we did nto have to carry them all around.

the rest of the day was spent watching other bands, hanging around and generally looking at things. before getting the kit again for the finale ...  I was expecting a mass bands, but it was just a march past accompanied by the G1 bands.

then lots of hanging around ..  once we had the results for our division we exited (along with lots of others!)

Back to the hotel for dinner and bed. the following morning early breakfast and the long run home. On the way we passed this bus ...  future tour bus?

Jim McGinn competition - St Albans

The full band competition in St Albans...

we could scrape together enough to make it (from a piper point of view) after the defections, retirements and job related moves.

we entered the G4b - Marches, G4a - MSR, and G3 (with the MSR again). We were not playing our best but it did help the team gelling and good practice for the following weekend in Paisley (or so we thought).

we came 3rd, 3rd, and 2nd ...  that is the positive spin ...  the problem was we were last in them all, and mainly where we had let ourselves down - no big mistakes, but lots of niggles that did not separate us from the others.

the day was another long one..  starting from home at 7:30 to get to Billy's for breakfast then up to St Albans for 10am ..  as we were sharing a room we could not get in and had to practice outside..  then in and warmup followed by tuning ..

after lunch 3 performances

 

2nd pipe band away weekend - Bowles outdoor centre

2nd away weekend with the Gatwick Caledonian pipe band ...  back at the Bowles outdoor centre ...  only this time there was no snow, and plenty of sunshine.

Similar theme to last time, gently gather around 9am, and start with separate sessions, before joining together after the beak for a chanter and pads session.

Pipe and drums after lunch.

After we finished we headed for the Crowborough Weatherspoons for dinner and a drink.

Most of them went by car, but I headed out on foot over the fields ...  a footpath that lead to the main road then a break through the bushes along an animal track as the road had been sunken down and this was easier.
The follow the road to the main cross roads.

A repeat even in reverse after we had finished ...  navigating the bushes in the dark was interesting but the est was aided by streetlights or the moonlight in the open fields.

Next day .. more of the same, only this time some drill so we could all experience the mistakes before they happen for real in the arena.
More practice with full band inside and out -repetition, then time to go home.

Mini band competition, St Albans

RSPBA London competition in St Albans ... we entered into the G4 Marches and G4 MSR

we did not do very well ///  blame it on the piping judge not liking our chanter reed sound.

Lindesfarne, Horsham arts centre

As a part of my birthday present Steph had bought me tickets to see Lindesfarne who were on a "pension raising" tour. As with a lot of the "old" bands there was a mix of original/ long term members and "young guns brought in to deliver a good sound. The difference here was that one of the latter was the son-in-law of Alan Hull ...  a great voice and multi instrumentalist with the direct connection. Rod Clements being the only remnant from the glory days.

They played all the old favourites and pleased the audience predominately from grey vote lobby.

Set 1

1. No Time to Lose
2. All Fall Down
3. Song for a Windmill (Alan Hull song)
4. Lady Eleanor
5. United States of Mind (Alan Hull song)
6. Why Can't I Be Satisfied (Jack the Lad cover)
7. Never Miss the Water
8. Road to Kingdom Come
9. Whisky Highway
10. January Song

Set 2

1. Alright on the Night
2. Wake Up Little Sister
3. City Song
4. Don't Ask Me
5. Love Lasts Forever (Alan Hull song)
6. One World
7. Winter Song
8. We Can Swing Together
9. Fog on the Tyne
10. Meet Me on the Corner
11. Run for Home
12. Clear White Light, Part 2