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The World
Championships for Pipe Bands took place
in Glasgow last weekend - Saturday 12 August - our
great pals Denny & Dunipace Pipe Band came
out tops in Grade 3A - they are now world
champions! Really well done to the whole of the
band! It was a great day with hundreds of bands
there, this year there were more than usual Irish
bands there, added some Celtic flavour. Also very
popular were both the Omani and Pakistani bands,
very colourful they were. The rain stayed away and
it was a good day, hot at times but really good, the
only poor thing of the whole day - the long queues
at the bar! Andy and I waited 15 minutes to get
served! Andy will be sending in a full report
shortly - after Cowal. Paul McLean.
Paul was there and took lots of photos...
  
  
A RECORD-BREAKING crowd of 50,000 people
gathered for the World Pipe Band Championships in
Glasgow Green Saturday 12 August. 236 bands and more
than 8,000 pipers and drummers from around the world
took part in the annual event setting another record
for the number of entrants. As you flitted between
the Highland dancing, Highland games, food and drink
and craft stalls, there was a constant feature - the
sound of thousands of pipes and drums merging into
each other. Amongst those taking part included the
Sultan of Oman’s pipe band and Patiala Pipe Band
from Pakistan, which wasted no time in taking
Glasgow by storm. It caused a stir on Friday when
the band paraded through the city's south side, and
its members' distinctive attire meant that they also
stood out at Glasgow Green. This year's event marked
the 75th anniversary of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band
Association (RSPBA), which organises the Worlds. The
event has been associated with Glasgow since 1948,
and chieftain John Lynch said this year's event was
another huge success. PAUL MCLEAN.
THE ANDY GRANT
NEWS PAGE
FOR PIPERS & DRUMMERS AROUND THE WORLD!
  
Andy's rant
to follow soon ... more band photos on supporters
pages.
Below Left: Andy
dropped a 5 pence piece, it ht his head
before it hit the floor!
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Glasgow.
What can one say about Glasgow? Friendly,
fierce, trendy, a City of Culture, football.
Something missing here………………Oh aye!! The
World Pipe Band Championships at ‘The
Green’! Day came – weather iffy again!
Do we wear capes or do we defy all and not
wear them? Being daft we chose not to wear
them and I got sunburnt! Met Paul but
it was difficult to get a decent
conversation but he rescued me with a
sporran flask! Pipe Bands from all
over the world were there, Scots, Irish,
English, Welsh, Canadians, USA, South
Africa, Spain and Oman and Pakistan all met
in a riot of colour. The place was
absolutely mobbed with Bands, supporters and
members of the public. I was running around
daft chasing Bands to compete – won’t be
doing THAT again! Give me the Drum Majors
anytime! Towards the end of the DM
competition I checked my watch and ran like
a madman to the arena to hear them compete.
Just made it as they turned the corner. Boy
did they look confident, not arrogant, but
full of self belief that they could do some
damage and lift a prize. Into the ring they
marched and form the very first part of the
rolls from the Drum Corps you knew something
special was happening. They played their
medley as if daring the judges to give the
title to anyone else! They played almost
perfectly and even the stop was as crisp as
anything else. The whole thing was
breathtaking. |
Then
it was back to duty and, after a short
pause, getting the Bands onto the field.
As soon as that was accomplished I was
off to the Band again toot sweet!! The
Pipe Major, Mark, was so ruddy nervous
he got me worrying too! The only thing
that would have calmed him down was an
anaesthetic! The lower Grades came and
went and then it was our turn!
Best Bass section in Grade 3A…Denny &
Dunipace’ – (relatively) mild
celebration ... Best
Drum Corps in Grade 3A...Denny &
Dunipace – (Slightly hysterical
celebration)
World Champions
2006 in Grade 3A….(came a
long pause)…..some thought we weren’t
getting it – including
me!’De’………..that’s as far as it got! We
went ballistic with joy!! Only one
person in the Band had ever won a Worlds
and he did it teaching another Drum
Corps! The celebrations were crazy!
There is a rumour that a certain DMs
baldy head was seen all over the big
screen! I suffered for that the next
day! I then spotted a friend of
mine from Grade 1 who had a BIG grin on
his face enjoying me celebrate! Went
over just to hear the start of the Grade
1 results. His Band didn’t get a bean in
drumming but won Grade 1 Champions – he
was off last seen doing a pretty good
impression of me jumping about like an
idiot! Back to the Band who hadn’t
calmed down one iota! We were completely
bowled over. There are four elements in
judging and we had three ones and a
second – could hardly have been
bettered! Then the partying
started! I went back with my wife who
kindly offered to run me through to
Denny... bet she wished she hadn’t!
Their bus broke down – they couldn’t
have cared less! In under ten minutes
cars were organised and a convoy headed
for Denny! I left the premises at
23:30 ...they left around 03:00!………..and
went back there on the Sunday to carry
on! So ended the best day of our Pipe
band lives. Next came Cowal Games with a
different set of priorities! |
above: D&DPB
pipes in action |
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