The Kilted Invasion of London - 21 December 2006

[MacTavishOfJapan]

Frank McGrath and I managed to meet up as we both passed through London last week. It was great to meet Frank and his wife Joan. Sadly I only have two pictures.

Here's the first one in the bar in Victoria Station.

[MacTavishOfJapan]

And my first ever attempt at a 'Hamish'



Sideways on is perhaps not my most photogenic angle! The kilt was new that day.

[Dirk Skene]

Nice "people pix" I saw you for the 1st time the other day in pour 1 malt's posts. This is the 1st time I have seen McGrath. How much longer do you have in the UK? When do you head back to Japan?

[cessna152towser]

Excellent pics; nice to be able to match faces to the usernames. What sort of reactions did you get to wearing kilts out and about in London?

[MacTavishOfJapan]

I head back to Japan on January 13th, boo hoo, less than two weeks left!!!!!

Most of the reactions came from ex-pat Scots, including one supremely drunken guy waving a can of beer dangerously near my new kilt!!!!

[Frank McGrath]

The pictures were taken by 3 English lasses who wanted to take a picture of us. We told them it would cost them. But when we told them the cost, they started to smile. Andy and I both had them "shoot" us with our own cameras. Always willing to please the ladies. And they did a good job.

[Frank McGrath]

By the way.....that picture is the first one of me in a kilt that has come out. I have tried many times, but it never works. But i have a few from the rest of our travels. When I figure out how to upload, I will.

[MacTavishOfJapan]

Just a note to add that the outfit I was wearing was thrown together at the very last minute, I didn't want to get my hopes up on receiving the kilt in time for the meeting so hadn't planned what to wear and I think that's obvious.

Also as I have posted elsewhere I need to have the belts and kilt adjusted to a slightly smaller size as they are a little loose and are prone to dropping down a bit. It should all be sorted for me going back to Japan.

[MrLion]

Nice Tartan "MacTavish", what is it? I like it. Thanks for the pics.

[MacTavishOfJapan]

It's an alternative MacTavish one, one that hasn't been recognised by the chief methinks. My kilt maker has it's number as 1439 and this blurb:

Thompson/Thomson/MacTavish

Source: MacKinlay from Bannockburn Collect'n James Mackinlay a tartan collector between 1930s -1950s ,he hand coloured tartan stripes, this collection is in the Scottish Tartans Society archive.

It's a rare one that had to be specially woven but I really like it.