Hello - I'm in Australia

**jdriver** · 21st July 14, 12:30 AM

Hi, I'm James and I'm in Adelaide, South Australia.

I've some Scottish heritage (my paternal grandmother was born an Anderson), but It's a few generations back to find the Anderson that was born in Scotland. My wife's mother was born a Sutherland.

I've always liked pipe and drum music (Irish music too) - we have some very good local pipe bands, including the South Australian Pipes and Drums who've played the Edinburgh Tattoo. I also like strength sports. Weightlifting was always my favourite when the Olympics came around. Put the two together and I guess I'm looking to find my nearest highland games.

I came across X Marks a few years ago whilst googling one thing or another. I thought having the first internet tartan was a cool achievement.

I've been looking into the family history again recently and of course, once you go there, it's only a matter of time before you start thinking about a nice kilt in the clan tartan. I'd like to do the proper research so I can prove the family link as I've read that it's poor etiquette to wear the clan badge without requesting approval from the clan heirarchy.

I'm an engineer, so my brain is wired with a bit of a bent toward patterns. I think that's another part of the reason I like tartan. I like knitting for the same reason, though it's been a few years since I cast a stitch. My mum taught me a little when I was in hospital for an extended period. Also on an engineering front, I recognize that the textiles industry was at the forefront of the industrial revolution. Weaving looms, knitting machines, sewing machines, the steam engine - some of the most intricate and advanced machines of their time - even in the modern era.

I've always wanted a kilt in my wardrobe - at least a light weight one to wear if I sign up for an event at a highland games. I've even had in mind learning pipes or drumming so I could join a band and earn a kilt that way.

My German teacher at high school was a Scot (Henderson), and he told me that when he was a boy, his mum threatened to make him wear his kilt to school if he was naughty, so I thought they had fallen out of fashion except for use by bands. I recently met a Scot my own age (30s) who told me it's definitely cool to have a kilt in your tartan these days and young men still receive a kilt for their 18th or 21st birthday if the family can afford it. So now I'm back into all things tartan, and X Marks seems to have a post about anything I search for on google.

**Downunder Kilt** · 21st July 14, 02:14 AM

G'day mate and welcome to the Rabble. I think you have already realised that there is a wealth of information and knowledge on this site, so any questions you may have will certainly be answered. Cheers