Weekend, 16-19 August – Glasgow, World Pipe Band Championship

Our adventure began with the #124 bus from Katarina’s house to the Mottingham station where we caught the next train to downtown London.  We chose to take a taxi from Charing Cross Station to Euston Station, as there were no convenient Tube stations with lifts to the street.  Our late morning train was the high-speed catenary wire express train to Glasgow Central station.

Then it was just a short taxi ride to the Holiday Inn Express which is on the Clyde River, just two blocks from The Green.  There was at least one American pipe band staying there.  We got settled into our room, and had dinner at Al Dente, a very nice Italian restaurant right there in the hotel building.

Friday morning, we toured downtown Glasgow, including some shopping for clothes at Primark, and then spending quite a bit of time in Heritage of Scotland buying gifts – including a mini-kilt for Amy and a regular (economy, not wool) kilt for Katarina!  They look so beautiful in them!

(Yes, Amy really likes my hats.
Maybe she looks better in them than I do!)

We had a really nice dinner with Joshua Friday evening at Mharsanta restaurant, and wished Joshua the best in the next day’s competition.

The City of Dunedin Pipe Band was the first to take the field shortly after 10:00am Saturday morning.  We got there early to check everything out.  It's quite like a US "Highland Games" with vendors of both food and Scottish gifts.

 (Amy is taking the photo.)

(I think Amy has an admirer!) 

(Can you blame him?)

This was Heat 1 (12 bands) of the Grade 2 MSR event (March/Strathspey/Reel).  Their main US competition, St. Thomas Alumni Pipe Band, was much later on in Heat 2.  Both bands played very well, and both advanced to the Final “Medley” event in the afternoon. 

We returned to hear all of the bands perform their Final round, then decided to watch the closing “march past” and announcement of the winners online from our room. Joshua’s band won! And St. Thomas Alumni came in 2nd! Last year the Houston band came in 3rd, and Dunedin 4th. This year both bands advanced well.

Here is the video of the winning performance.  This event was the "Medley" which includes a variety of meters and rhythms, more than just three pieces.  They also have a bit more time for this performance.  (I don't know how long it will be at this URL.)

But here’s “the rest of the story”:

20 years ago the St. Thomas Episcopal Pipe Band won the World Juvenile Championship.  Joshua's teacher and band director was Michael Cusack.  Mike is now the Pipe Sergeant in the St. Thomas Alumni Band.  Joshua and Mike had dinner earlier in the week on the actual date of the 20th anniversary of the win.  And now, the student’s band has beat the teacher’s band!  It was a great day for all, and everyone was both happy and proud, including one father!  I congratulated Joshua in a FaceBook message, and wished him a good trip home. 

Then we went back to the Al Dente restaurant for our last dinner in Glasgow.

The Holiday Inn provided a good breakfast buffet every morning, so we had a good Sunday morning meal before taking a taxi to the Queen Street Station for our return trip (sort of high speed diesel electric) via Edinburgh to King’s Cross Station, London.  The ride was not quite as comfortable as the rail lines are older.  Also, the coaches were not as roomy.  But it was still a great adventure!