Yetholm Show 07 October

The Border Shepherds Show is held annually in Yetholm, a village in the Cheviot Hills, very close to the Border (http://www.yetholmonline.org.uk/home.html).

Yetholm is famous for its links to the Gypsies (http://www.scottishgypsies.co.uk/), because it forms the nothern end of the Pennine Way and for its show, which is a good un.

The show includes Cumberland Wrestling , horse-shoeing competitions, crook making competitions and sheep-dog trials in addition to lots of other country-type pursuits, e.g. beer drinking and winching!

We have no pics to offer, sorry. The band did, however, feature a host of new young drummers fresh off the Cockburn Brothers production line. Sadly, the same could not be said of the pipe core, most of whom who were there can easily remember decimalisation.

Castram back when

Another from our occaisional series of ariel spy photos from the KGB archives in Moscow, via Hutton! Circa 1946.

Coldstream as was, before colour TV, rock'n'roll, Lennel Mount, Hillview, Parkside, Woodlands Park, etc. Note the worn areas at the goalmouths in the park though.

Some things never change.

World Championships

Now that a suitable period of time has elapsed since the Pipe Band World Championships, held in Glasgow on 12th August, we can offer our congratulations to our friends in the Vale of Atholl. Their senior band came 8th and their novice-juvenile band came 4th http://www.thevale.org/.

Good results for both bands. The senior band was one of five Scottish bands in the top ten; the other bands coming from Northern Ireland (3 bands, including the winners Field Marshall Montgomery http://www.fmmpb.com/) and Canada with two bands.

If you are very patient you can find out more at the dependably baffling website of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association http://rspba.org/.

The pic above is of the band at the Ortiquera festival in Galicia in 1995. With the glengarry is a baffled looking Andy Renwick, Pipe Major of the Vale, wondering why he is in Northern Spain with this rabble.

Other voices, other rooms

Not the Truman Capote novel, although it is a band favourite, but other views of our wee corner of Scotland and England that do not share the usual beer, horses and rugby outlook. These can be found in our links section on the main site, with our favourites below right.

We particularly like 'Journey to the source of the River Tweed' http://www.hunnymonster.org.uk/tweed/, the Paper Shop http://www.hunnymonster.org.uk/ and that perennial favourite Musings from the Merse http://www.huttonian.blogspot.com/.

Other good sites include one of fishing http://www.fishtweed.co.uk/, which is surprisingly interesting, or is that just us? And the site for Ad Gefrin, the 7th Century capital of the Anglo-Saxon Northumbrians http://www.gefrin.com/.

Finally, the Bridging the Border educational project seems a vey positive and forward looking venture, http://www.tweededucation.org.uk/index.htm. Seems to me that the words to a Dick Gaughan tune amplify the aims of this project:

Both Sides The Tweed

What's the spring-breathing jasmine and rose ?
What's the summer with all its gay train
Or the splendour of autumn to those
Who've bartered their freedom for gain?

Let the love of our land's sacred rights
To the love of our people succeed
Let friendship and honour unite
And flourish on both sides the Tweed.

No sweetness the senses can cheer
Which corruption and bribery bind
No brightness that gloom can e'er clear
For honour's the sum of the mind

Let virtue distinguish the brave
Place riches in lowest degree
Think them poorest who can be a slave
Them richest who dare to be free

(Words : Trad & Dick Gaughan / Music : Dick Gaughan)

The other Coldstream

The other Coldstream in British Columbia, Canada, celebrates its 100th year this year. Learn more at http://www.districtofcoldstream.ca/


It looks a very lovely place. Potential tour material? Should we book a bus?

Big Cobes

12 Big Cobes
Originally uploaded by coldstreampipeband.

More images at our new gallery on flickr

Flodden Memorial

Couldn't resist mentioning the recently opened memorial to Flodden.

More at the 1513 Club's website, which presumably they'll update when they're sober http://www.flodden1513club.com/.

The monument features a claymore, with the blade pointing to the battlefield and the handle pointing out the direction the Earl of Home and his men took, if you believe such stuff.

Meantime, here's a pic of Rob and Duncan with Frank in the foreground.

History, or dodgy nationalist shrine? We'll let you be the judge. But they've fought wars in the Balkans over less.

Here's the report from the Beeb: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/5335632.stm

Coldstream Brewery

Was your first sore head courtesy of Coldstream Brewery or Double Diamond?

Here are pictures from our good friends at the RCAHMS (http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/search.html) of the brewery in the Market Square, 1974.

Looks like ready for demolition or just knackered after supplying beer during Civic Week. Or maybe a bus-load of Berwickers had visited?

Any knowledge of it? Good beer or crap? Coming from Coldstream, was it mild or bitter?

Fort Augustus to Inverness

Day four:
Fort Augustus to Inverness

The other two nutters decided to take the military road over the Corrieyairrick Pass from Fort Augustus to Laggan then on to Aviemore http://www.corrieyairack.org/.

Having seen enough of British imperialism on the Tuesday, I took the southerly route along Loch Ness, which in time we hope to make a signed Sustrans route. This involves a long hard climb out of Fort Augustus and then quiet roads through Whitebridge, Foyers and Dores then to Inverness.

A good mornings work saw me in Inverness much earlier than planned. Hoping to take the 14.40 train to Aviemore I was refused because two bikes were booked for that train. I had to then book my bike on the 16.40, which probably meant some other poor sod was bumped from that train. Utterly ridiculous. Outdoors capital of Europe? Nonesense when a train that can take six bikes is restricted to two.

Got to Aviemore and reviewed Sustrans routes around the town. I thought Aviemore was a lot better than its reputation. We stayed at the Rowan Tree Hotel, very good http://www.rowantreehotel.com/. Perhaps the best hotel we stopped at.

So, that was it, last day and a good tour. Took the train next day to Edinburgh, met a Sustrans supporter on the train who had just finished Glasgow-Inverness, our route 7. He gave it top marks, which was a relief.

Fort William to Fort Augustus

Day three:
Fort William to Fort Augustus

Formed an orderly queue outside local bike shop http://www.offbeatbikes.co.uk/ for new brake blocks, the grit and stones on the military road the day before having shredded our brakes. Incredulous staff thought we were bonkers to have done that route in those conditions and on ordinary bikes. But, there you go, a bike is a bike when you're pushing it over mountains.

An easy day's ride, mostly along the Great Glen Way http://www.greatglenway.com/, which mixes tracks alongside the Caledonian Canal with forest roads.

Stopped the night at a hotel in Fort Augustus, which was OK.

Kentallan to Fort William

Day two:
Kentallan to Fort William

Left Kentallan in the pouring rain, which fell unabated all day.
We surveyed the fomrer rail line right up to its end at the former station at Ballachulish, now completely gone except for the remains of the platform. We crossed the road bridge on foot so strong was the rain and wind that it was risky to try and ride over.

Rather than continuing on the crappy main road to Fort William, which is the direct though dire route, we headed toward Kinlochleven.

The plan was to take the military road* from Kinlochleven to Fort William, which is now a section of the West Highland Way.

At this point the rain was really heavy and relentless so we stopped for a lunch break at the cafe of the Kinlochleven Seafood Centre. Have to report that this was the best place we stopped at on the tour. We were made very welcome even though we were soaking and leaving puddles all over the floor. This should not surprise too many, particularly when Lochaber boasts that it is the 'Outdoor capital of Scotland', but it was disappointing just how many places did not welcome outdoors people, had no drying rooms and nowhere to store bikes.

So, leaving the sanctuary of the cafe with its great food we stumbled our way onwards to Fort William. More like gorge walking with a bike, see pics.

The result was a really hard day. Absolutely knackered when we got to the Alexandra Hotel in Fort William, another place with no drying room and the heating turned off. Huge carry-on to get the radiators activated in our rooms so that we could dry some clothes.

* A Caufield rather than a Wade for engineering nerds.

Oban to Kentallan

Day One: Oban-Kentallan
The plan was for me to arrive in Oban at 11.45 and catch up with the other two, who by that time would have met all the local cooncil worthies and would be between Oban and Connel. By 12, the train was nowhere near Oban, so I jumped off at Connel, cycled over the bridge at the Falls of Lora, see pic, and caught up with the other two on the road to Benderloch, see pic.

We then followed the route of the former Oban-Ballachulish railway (closed 1962 courtesy of Dr Beeching) with a view toward re-opening it as a dedicated walking and cycling path and a much more pleasant and less suicidal option than the A828.

That night we stopped at the Hollytree Hotel, Kentallan. http://www.hollytreehotel.co.uk/ Very good food. They like their rules though. Nice scenery; see pic above.

A Highland tour

Not necessarily a band event, but I recently completed a tour by bike from Oban to Aviemore, via Kentallan, Ballachulisch, Fort William, For Augustus, Inverness and Aviemore. This being what I laughingly refer to as 'work' more at www.sustrans.org.uk.

Highland Hospitality

"When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1896
"You're not bringing that manky thing in my Hotel and wipe your feet as you enter."
- Highland Hotel Proprietoress, 2006

Floors Castle 27/08/06

Two gigs in one day!

After getting back from Archerfield in the wee hours, the band was off later on Sunday to Floors Castle (http://www.floorscastle.com/) for the annual massed bands of the Borders Pipe Band Association.

Archerfield 27/08/06

This was a more unusual booking for the band. Putting on a short show for some golfers from the USA as part of their post-dinner entertainment. The booking was organised by Highland Entertainments, which is run by fellow-Steamer and good friend of the band, Malcolm Brown-Scott (www.entertaining-scotland.com).

It took a long time for the gowfers to get round to us. What with speeches, songs and golf-type patter, the plebs were kept waiting for an hour, standing on the lawns of the wonderful Archerfield House (http://www.archerfieldgolfclub.com/). By the time we played, midnight had gone, the giggles were setting in and we were cold, the pipes were rapidly going out of tune, revolutionary rumblings from mutinous drummers, etc.

However, everyone seemed to enjoy the short set we played. Good looking wive's these rich Yanks have got. The whole thing was good fun, a real case of how the other half live, or golf, as the case may be. Shame some people were improperly dressed and rude enough to wear hats whilst playing pipes.

Good to see Frank back with the band.

Peebles Beltane 24/06/06

Honest injun we played at the Peebles Beltane in June. No, really we did. We were having so much fun we forgot to take any pictures. So, here's a pic of Frank instead.

Kelso Civic Week 22/07/06

The Fancy Dress parade at Kelso Civic Week was very good, as ever; but we have no photo's. Just having too much fun, man!! To make up for the fact that there's not that much to Kelso, just a bridge, a Grade-A listed Market Square, Georgian town-houses, an Abbey and 7 million hanging baskets (99% of the parks and gardens budget of Borders cooncil) here's a photo of a village in the mountains of the Modenese Alps in Italy instead..

Remember the pre-fabs?

If you can remember the pre-fabs, pre-Parkside, then you get a special prize; if you can spot the one that Pipey was born in he's promised a large dram. Note also the TA Camp where the Golf Course is now. Question: was this where the Italian POW's who worked in Rutherford's were held? And is that why the hill is called 'Tally Hill'? A POW camp is a better use of the space than now, many might argue...These images taken in 1950 by a special spy plane from the Soviet Union. They were subsequently passed to spies operating from Hutton. The images have only recently been unearthed in the KGB archive in Moscow.

Thivik Week 6-12/08/06

Just how many times can a pipe band play in a week? Ride-outs to Norham, Birgham, Flodden, the fancy dress parade, torchlight procession and beating the retreat. Move over James Brown and the Famous Flames, we're the hardest working band in showbiz.
Good pictures of the band all over t'internet...even the BBC. The Berwickshire News published the same story they have run since 1972 and Musings from the Merse gave Flodden its annual flogging. But we note, with just a hint of modest satisfaction, that there was not a word of criticism of the band...clearly music lovers are bloggers too!! To those who slag off the whole thing as daft, we say, yes it is, how right you are, and so what? Set your watches for the first full week in August 2007 and you can have another go. Hip hip..hooray!

Main pic courtesy (in other words stolen) from The Paper Shop at http://www.hunnymonster.org.uk/