Hello from Mid Wales

[tom_s]

I found this site a couple of months ago and lurked around at bit before signing up. It certainly looks a very friendly place.

I first bought a kilt about 7-8 years ago as a spontaneous purchase when I walked by a wedding suit hire shop that was selling off some of their kilts at a very cheap price. Although I intended it just for a couple of Christmas and New Year parties, I soon realised it was a really comfortable and fun garment that was equally practical as casual and formal wear. A couple of years ago I splashed out on a beautiful new hand-made cilt (with all the trimmings - including a hairy sporran) from the Welsh Tartan Centre.

At first I was apprehensive about wearing it out without a specific purpose but rapidly appreciated how quickly it breaks down the British reserve and causes complete strangers to start conversations. I've never felt threatened, any loud mouthed drunks are usually in good humour but the questions can get a bit repetitious.

Last Autumn I went on a kilted quest with a couple of friends to search for evidence of Count Dracula in Transylvania/Romania. We travelled from the UK and throughout eastern Europe by train and had great fun dispite being unsuccessful in our aim (it depends how you define 'Count Dracula'). A kilt certain turns heads in those parts starting many interesting conversations and great hospitality with local people. However, on one occasion we only just climbed on the train as it moved off after a woman with a sausage stand wanted her photo taken with us.

I wish I had found this site a couple of years ago when I was researching C16th kilts for a living history re-enactment involving Mary Queen of Scots. While I found period references of her requiring Scottish nobility to wear 'highland attire' at court I could not find a description of what that meant. That re-enactment took place without such attire as it could not (then) be authenticated but the research gave me the understanding that the development of the current 'traditional' kilt and allocation of specific tartans to clans was very late and thus there was no reason at all for anyone not to have a go.

Sorry, I,m getting carried away; so I'll end my introduction from a beautiful part of the country (although you will have to take my word for that at present, enveloped as it is in mists and torrential rain).

Tom

[Pour1Malt]

walcome tae the rabble

[McMurdo]

Tom from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

[Marcel]

Welcome, from Alberta Canada. Your quest for Count Dracula sounds like great fun.

[Jock Scot]

Welcome,from a soggy(so I am told)Inverness-shire.

[Sean_the_Kilted]

Welcome to from Heidelberg, Germany. On the topic of Count Dracula, I used to live in the town of Kitzingen, Germany where he was supportively buried according to the US Army people. He's not really there, but there is a really cool old head stone with skulls and bats on it in the town cemetery.

[McClef]

from South Wales!

Good to see another Welsh kiltie (or cilti) which brithwe/tartan did you get? I have a St Davids (Dewi Sant) and also a Roberts and I too have one of those wonderful ysgrepans!

[SteveB]

from Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
The wearing of the kilt does break down some of the cold social types. Social situation here in Massachusetts is not much different than the U.K. I travel the trolleys, buses, and tube kilted. Yesterday was No Pants Day here. Got some interesting conversations going on the Red Line with some visitors from Kent, U.K. that were on board. It is winter here and the temps were a bit up so it wasn't uncomfortable to show off a lot of leg. Most men were in athletic shorts. There were only five of us in the carriage kilted.
---- Great Fun Steve

[cessna152towser]

Croeso from the Scottish Borders.

[Drillagent]

Welcome to the forum from Virginia.